The Tide®

Merry Christmas!   "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." (NIV) We wish you a joyful Christmas and a meaningful celebration of the birth of Christ Jesus our savior.  As we enter into this season of celebrating God’s gift of life through His Son, we also rejoice in the progress The Tide is making towards reaching even more people for Christ.  Through The Tide Vision 2015 initiative we were able to begin producing and airing Christian radio programs in three new heart languages during 2012; Anaang and Ibibio in Nigeria, and Dzongkha in Bhutan.  These three languages have the potential to add eight million listeners to The Tide global audience.  That means there are now even more people who can hear about Jesus through radio broadcasts in their own language! To keep the momentum going, arrangements are currently being made to begin airing a Tiv language program in April, 2013.  The Tiv are the fourth la

On any given day, even though they may not make the headlines, there are reports of people facing unfair treatment because they have made a decision to follow Jesus.   The majority of people being persecuted for their faith live in regions of the world where their rights and freedom of expression are either limited or not adequately protected.   The mistreatment of followers of Christ not only subjects them to mental and physical anguish – and possibly even martyrdom – but also places them in the midst of a spiritual battlefield.   The Tide encourages those who enjoy a greater degree of freedom to identify with and support our brothers and sisters in Christ around the globe who are being subjected to harsh, demeaning, and violent actions.   In the physical realm we can advocate for our fellow believers around the globe by petitioning the governing authorities to legislate and enforce freedom of religion, provide unbiased protection for all people, and to deal swiftly and

We are moving into a time of year when most Christians in North America participate unhindered in the festive commemoration of holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.   Although society has done much to secularize these celebrations they undeniably have Christian roots and carry a significant meaning for followers of Christ.   The push to publicly eradicate even symbolic ties between these holidays and Christianity is an assault on our faith that pales in comparison to what many believers around the globe experience.   Persecution is something Jesus experienced firsthand when he walked on earth as a man, and he warned his disciples that they too would be mistreated (John 15: 19 &20a).   These prophetic words soon proved true; the apostles were jailed and flogged, Stephen was stoned to death, followers of Christ were hunted down and put on trial, and yet the Church continued to grow.   Today, persecution of Christians exists to some degree in almost every part of the w

Something that The Tide international radio ministry always looks forward to is the series of Partner Appreciation Banquets that we host every year.   These events are held in the spring in Canada and in the fall in the USA.   Each of these gatherings are very special and precious times that present the opportunity to reconnect face to face with friends of The Tide and to tangibly express appreciation for the support they have given throughout the year.   It is also a time to encourage and invite our friends to continue walking beside The Tide ministry. Over the past two weeks The Tide hosted four dinners in Pennsylvania and we praise God that they proved to be a huge success!   Leslie McKee treated The Tide guests to an inspirational musical presentation.   The lyrics of the songs she sang mirrored the message that The Tide heart language radio programs are proclaiming in 17 languages in Africa and Asia.   As a special token of appreciation for their support The Tide dinner

The Tide is reaching millions with the gospel message of Jesus Christ through radio programs in India, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Nepal, and Bhutan! These radio broadcasts are just one of the ways The Tide is impacting people with the gospel. In addition to airing heart language radio programs, The Tide also conducts seekers conferences, distributes biblical literature, offers correspondence courses, and hosts adult literacy classes. The adult literacy classes are a crucial part of The Tide’s ministry in India. Illiteracy is a widespread problem in India, especially in the very rural villages. The Tide conducts classes in these areas to help teach people how to read and write.   Even though they are operated as ‘Adult Literacy Centers’ the learning groups almost always include some children and youth whose families are too poor to send them to regular school. Read the full article at http://thetide.org/updates/the-tide-anticipates-opening-new-adult-literacy-sites-in-india

Three years ago, at the request of a Muslim convert, The Tide began airing an evangelistic radio program in the Hausa language through an FM radio station in Kaduna .   There are over twenty-five million Hausa speaking people in Nigeria .   The majority of the population of northern Nigeria is Muslim, and Hausa has been adopted as the official language of Islam making it an ideal language for sharing the truth about Christ among a people group that does not acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God.   God is using The Tide Hausa language radio broadcast to draw many into His kingdom, and as the following report indicates, our partner ministry in Nigeria is taking bold steps to reach out and minister to Muslims. Read the full article at: http://thetide.org/updates/encouraging-report-from-the-tide-partner-ministry-in-nigeria

Dinner Invitation Whether you are a long time supporter of The Tide or simply want to learn more about The Tide ministry you are invited to an evening of great food, inspiring music, and challenging stories of changed lives.  A short concert will be presented by Leslie McKee .  Don Shenk , Director of The Tide international radio ministry will give an update on the impact The Tide radio programs are having on the hearts of listeners in various countries.  A free will offering will be collected to help The Tide ministry continue producing and airing heart language radio broadcasts in various regions of the world.   All dinners begin at 6:30pm and reservations are required. Dinner dates and locations are as follows: Chambersburg Area: Monday, September 17 at Antrim BIC Church Catered by Mrs. Gibble’s Restaurant Mechanicsburg Area: Monday, September 24 at Mechanicsburg BIC Church Catered by Mrs. Gibble’s Restaurant Lancaster Area: Tuesday,

The Tide has been conducting Seekers Conferences all over India to share the hope and joy of Jesus Christ with radio listeners who seek to grow deeper in their faith. Some of the places where there is a need to conduct Seekers Conferences are very dangerous due to intense anti-Christian sentiment among some of the people; Orissa is no exception.  In recent years there has been a very high level of persecution against Christians in Orissa, making it very difficult for The Tide to safely conduct any type of discipleship activities among curious listeners in this predominantly Hindu state of India. For the last two years The Tide has been praying for the doors to open to conduct a Seekers Conference in a particularly difficult area of Orissa, despite severe opposition from anti-Christian people.  The Lord is the mighty one who controls everything, and after what seemed like a long wait the Lord in his perfect timing answered these prayers and The Tide was finally able

You are invited to spend an evening with The Tide Board of directors and staff!   Each year towards the fall The Tide ministry hosts a series of banquets to show our appreciation for our generous donors and to give an update on The Tide ministry in various regions of the world! These dinner meetings are a joyous opportunity to celebrate all the lives that have been touched around the world because of generous supporters like you! In addition to enjoying a lovely meal, you will be treated to an inspiring musical performance by Leslie McKee. After performing in various singing groups in past years, Leslie has recently felt called to step out into ministry on her own. Leslie is a gifted musician who is passionate about sharing the messages of Truth, Hope, and Relationship with everyone she meets and effectively uses her musical talent to achieve that goal.  Read the full article at http://thetide.org/updates/the-tide-fall-banquet-schedule-2012

Thank you for joining hands in ministry with The Tide to see us through another year of international radio ministry!  Although we commemorate this 66th anniversary, the true reason to celebrate is the numbers of people you have helped bring to Christ through your involvement. When Charlie Byers stood in front of a microphone and preached his first radio sermon on August 11, 1946 he did so with the help and encouragement of some very supportive friends.  Numerous transitions have taken place over the past 66 years and we rejoice that, though many of the faces and names have changed, as God has opened doors for The Tide to share His love and grace with an increasing number of people Read the full article at http://thetide.org/updates/celebrating-66-years-of-radio-ministry

The Tide has been broadcasting heart language radio programs for over 65 years. These programs are touching hearts and lives for Christ everyday. The Tide regularly receives letters from listeners on how their lives and the lives of their families have been changed through The Tide’s radio programs. Below are some testimonies from listeners from India and Nigeria. Last night at our family gathering, my wife’s sister-in-law shared with us how she came to the faith in Christ through your Etimbuk good news radio messages.  She narrated how she started listening to the program and little by little she came to trust Jesus as her personal Saviour! -Ojoawo Folarin   Read the full article at http://thetide.org/updates/god-changes-lives-through-the-tides-radio-programs

Mid-year Report An update on the status and progress of The Tide© ministry. INDIA – The Good News Hour studio in India is being kept very busy recording and producing ongoing programming in nine different heart languages.  Seven of these languages are spoken by people groups who are found primarily within India.  The other two languages are Nepali , which is beamed into Nepal, and Dzongkha which is the primary language spoken in Bhutan.  The Dzongkha program just began airing at the beginning of June and already the enemy has attempted to disrupt this new outreach.  TWR has informed us that due to some technical malfunctions on their end two of The Tide Dzongkha language programs did not get aired in June.  Please pray with us that this does not happen again and that listeners will be able to develop regular routines and know that they can depend on hearing God’s Word regularly. Our partners in India are faithfully increasing discipleship activities, and the number

The Tide 34th Annual Golf Benefit was a huge success! Many golfers and volunteers gave of their time to help raise money for The Tide’s ministry in countries all over the world.  We raised approximately $16,000.00 for the ministry of The Tide. It is through the gifts of sponsors and the support of the golfers that helped raise the money needed for various projects. The money that was raised will be going to different projects such as Vision 2015, radio distribution, Seekers Conferences, Bible and literature distribution, and heart language radio broadcasts. Through the support of the sponsors, lives will be touched all over the world! We want to thank all of those who have sponsored the golf benefit! Every sponsorship was an important part in making this day a success! To show our thanks to the sponsors, we ask you to please patronize their business whenever possible. Here’s a list of all the sponsors of the 34th Annual Golf Benefit. Read the full article at http:/

For over 65 years, The Tide has been broadcasting heart language radio programs that are touching lives around the world. We regularly receive letters from listeners who give testimonies on how their lives have been impacted and changed by the gospel message. Here are some testimonies from listeners around the world that we pass on to you. If it was not for Efik language Radio program, I would not be a Christian now. I started listening to the program when I was seeking answers and found them in your ministry and preaching of the various messages.  Your programs make the word come alive as it should. A year ago, I surrendered to Christ. Thank you for your faithfulness to Jesus Christ and His Gospel. -Gloria Udofia Read the full article at http://thetide.org/updates/letters-from-the-mailbag

The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 10:17 that “faith comes through hearing the message and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”  Since its inception in 1946 the goal of The Tide radio ministry has been to proclaim the Gospel message loud and clear through evangelistic radio programs so that people can hear about Christ and respond to Him in faith.  For the past several months The Tide has been promoting, and taking steps to achieve, The Tide Vision 2015.   One thing that has perhaps not been communicated clearly is that this vision to expand the potential for people to become believers in Christ encompasses much more than the goal to add radio programming in 15 new heart languages by 2015.  Effectively making disciples out of listeners requires additional ministry elements that also need to expand alongside the new radio programs.  A variety of discipleship activities have proven very effective in transitioning unbelievers from curious listeners to comm

For 34 years, The Tide has been hosting annual Golf Benefits to help raise money for our ministry. During these benefits golfers of all ages come together to enjoy a day of golf, refreshments, lunch, and prizes. Although this day seems to focus on the golfing experience, the primary focus should remain on the lives that are being touched with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Through participating in the 34 th Annual Golf Benefit, you are helping to touch lives around the world! Lives are being changed because people can now hear the gospel in their own language through heart language radio programs and through our radio distribution project. Through supporting The Tide’s ministry, you make it possible for people to hear about the good news of Jesus Christ! Here are some testimonies from people whose lives have been touched by Jesus.   “My wife’s sister-in-law shared with us how she came to the faith in Christ through Etimbuk good news radio messages.  She narra

Two key strategies that The Tide ministry employs in following the call of the ‘Great Commission’ in Matthew 28:19 are; preaching the gospel through heart language radio broadcasts and distributing radios so that people can listen to the message of hope and love The Tide programs are proclaiming.    The combination of these two has proven effective in leading people into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.  With poverty being so prevalent throughout India, The Tide ‘Radios for India’ project makes it possible for even the poorest to have their lives changed forever through the gospel message! Those who receive the radios are asked to submit periodic reports.   The follows accounts give a glimpse into the effectiveness these radios have in bringing people to experience Christ at work in their lives. Reverand Arun Samal reports that in the Ersama area, a total of 40 people gather to listen with him to The Tide Oriya language program , ‘Shanti Data’. Rev. Samal

Every year in the spring The Tide hosts a couple of promotional dinners in Canada.   The primary goal of these annual dinner events is to personally connect with and express appreciation to friends of The Tide who support our radio ministry.   Without these generous brothers and sisters to join hands with The Tide through their financial support there would be millions of people who may never hear the Gospel message in their own language.   The dinner programs also provide the opportunity to introduce new friends to The Tide ministry and hopefully inspire them to join hands with us in creatively sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ worldwide through media and partnerships. This year the Canadian dinners were held on the evenings of May 10 and 11 at Port Colborne and Oak Ridges respectively.   Those who attended enjoyed a meal together followed by a presentation by Don Shenk, Director of The Tide, who gave an overview of the full scope of The Tide Vision 2015 and an update

From April 24 to May 3 the Director of The Tide joined a team of North American pastors on a vision trip to South Korea.  The trip was organized and sponsored by Global Education Mission (GEM) to enable ministry leaders from the USA to observe mission outreach opportunities in South Korea, and to dialogue with South Korean pastors. The team spent three days in Seoul and five days at the Global Vision Christian School (GVCS) in Mungyeong.  The itinerary included meetings with Korean pastors and also visits to significant cultural, political, and historical locations.  The team was given a well rounded exposure to the political and cultural history of Korea and the current state of the Church in South Korea. Read the full article at: http://thetide.org/updates/south-korea-vision-trip

Every year The Tide has numerous fundraisers to raise money for heart language radio broadcasts, radio placements, and general operational costs.  Some of these fundraisers include the hamloaf sale, the nut sale, and the golf benefit. This year, The Tide has decided to try a new way to raise funds by partnering with Hoss’s Steakhouse. Hoss’s will be providing The Tide with tickets to distribute to people and they will then bring the ticket to the restaurant any time during the prescheduled day. The cashiers will collect the tickets with the guest check and total all of the checks collected and then Hoss’s will send The Tide a check for 25% if sales were $1,200 or more and 20% if it is less than $1,200.  Read the full article at http://thetide.org/updates/hosss-fundraising-night

As part of The Tide’s ministry in leading people into a relationship with Jesus Christ and equipping them to share their faith with others, The Tide conducts Seekers Conferences in various places throughout the world. Listeners who have been introduced to Jesus through The Tide heart language radio programs are invited to gather together to hear the Word of God explained more fully by The Tide ministry leaders and local pastors. These events not only provide in depth teaching on foundational tenets of the Christian faith, but also give curious listeners the opportunity to have their questions answered and to openly discuss a variety of issues including such things as sin, salvation, and God and His love. During February 2012 The Tide ministry partners in India conducted a series of Seekers Conferences among relatively unreached tribal people. The majority of people ministered to through these Seekers Conferences were Uraon people who speak a language called Kurukh. This serie

The Tide strives to reach as many people as possible with the good news of Jesus Christ. Our newest campaign is Vision 2015; add 15 more heart language radio broadcasts by the year 2015. With the addition of the Ibibio broadcast, The Tide now has broadcasts in 16 different languages and 7 of those are in Nigeria! The Ibibio people are located in the coastal Southeastern part of Nigeria. The Ibibio live in an area called the 10/40 window. The 10/40 window contains the majority of the world’s poor. On average the people living in this area survive on less than a few hundred dollars a year. This area may also be referred to as “The Resistant Belt” because many of the world’s Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists reside within the 10/40 window. Read the full article at http://thetide.org/updates/new-language-in-nigeria

We who are called Christians celebrate Easter as a memorial to God’s power to give us eternal life demonstrated through the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. Pretty flowers, colorful eggs, and chocolate bunnies may all be viewed as symbols of life, but only the death of Jesus on the cross and His subsequent resurrection assures us of salvation for all who believe. This is the message of hope that The Tide radio programs speak to people in their heart languages, and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to friends like you who make it possible for The Tide to consistently proclaim this message. As grateful as we are for your support, our sense of appreciation pales in comparison to the profound words of thanksgiving that come to us from people whose lives are being radically changed through an encounter with Jesus as they hear the gospel in their own language. Here are just a few words of appreciation directly from the mouths of people whose lives you have helped tou

The Tide is involved extensively in media related ministry throughout India. Currently, The Tide airs 8 different radio programs in 7 heart languages of India. Having that number of programs in India allows The Tide to share the gospel with millions of people in a predominately Hindu nation. The Tide studio is located in Cuttack, Orissa and the main language spoken in Orissa is Oriya. In this region, many people are strong Hindus and hate Christians. As a result of this hatred, many violent attacks and persecution against believers goes on in this area. Despite the violence and persecution, people’s lives are still being touched and transformed through The Tide heart language radio programs as evidence through these testimonies from listeners of The Tide Oriya language program Shanti Data; As I listen to the ‘Shanti Data’ radio program, I am blessed by the Lord. One day you had shared about the forgiveness of God which touched my heart. It is true that no one can giv

The Tide has been broadcasting heart language radio programs in regions of Africa since 1983. One of the newer additions to The Tide heart language broadcasts is in the Ijaw language which is the mother tongue of approximately 7 million people who live in the Niger delta region of Nigeria. God is using this new heart language radio broadcast to touch the lives of many Ijaw people and to give them hope in the midst of turmoil and hardships. Through these radio programs people who are struggling to find meaning in their lives can now find wholeness in Christ Jesus. Here is the story of how one listener’s life was changed forever through Ta Mu Nu, which is the name of The Tide Ijaw broadcast in Nigeria; Read the full story at http://thetide.org/updates/the-tide-restores-a-marriage

As part of The Tide’s vision to reach people with the hope and saving grace of Jesus Christ, The Tide distributes radios in communities throughout India and Nigeria. This year, in Nigeria alone, The Tide ministry partners have provided 64 radios to different people in village communities. Those who receive the radios live in very highly populated areas where Christianity is not the most prominent religion. Those with the radios share with others in their village and form community listening groups. Through The Tide’s heart language radio broadcasts, these people in very rural communities can now hear the gospel of Jesus in their own language. Read the full article at http://thetide.org/updates/radios-for-nigeria-changes-lives

Winter will soon be over and as spring approaches so does the Easter celebration. At this time every year The Tide Auxiliary gears up for their annual Easter Ham Loaf and Pork Barbeque sale. The Easter ham loaf and pork barbeque sale is a major fundraiser for The Tide Auxiliary and is one of the ways auxiliary members help raise financial support for the different aspects of The Tide international radio ministry. Read the full article at http://thetide.org/updates/the-tide-hamloaf-and-pork-barbeque-sale

Each year the National Religious Broadcasters Association holds an annual convention. As a member of this association The Tide endeavors to participate in the convention every year. This year the NRB convention was held in Nashville Tennessee and once again provided numerous opportunities to network with other media ministries and to learn of new technologies available. It was encouraging to learn of advances that have been made in broadcast technology and media players that directly translate into greater ability to effectively share the Gospel through media, and to do so across multiple platforms. Read more at http://thetide.org/updates/the-tide-participates-in-nrb-2012

Last year The Tide Board of Directors, seeking to build on the momentum of over six decades of radio ministry, set an aggressive goal to introduce evangelistic radio programs in 15 additional languages by the year 2015. This new campaign, which has been named The Tide Vision 2015, will require the addition of approximately four new heart language programs each year over the next four years. With almost a quarter of the world’s population living within the current range of The Tide radio ministry, and over 6,900 languages spoken in the world today, the opportunities are great. Much of 2011 was spent investigating and prioritizing various options, and laying out a strategy for The Tide ministry to reach even more people for Christ. As a result 10 potential languages have already been identified to reach people groups in Bhutan, Malawi, Mozambique, and Nigeria. As The Tide works towards implementing radio ministries in these 10 languages the process of selecting another five con

It is an exciting time as we continue to move forward towards accomplishing The Tide Vision 2015 by preparing to add an additional language by June 3, 2012 to the 15 current heart language radio programs. The new Annang radio program was successfully launched by The Tide in Nigeria in January 2012, and The Tide is on track to expand the heart language radio programs in south Asia by adding a radio program in the Dzongkha language in Bhutan. Read the full article at our website http://thetide.org/updates/new-language-in-bhutan

In January of 2012, The Tide began airing a new radio broadcast in the Annang, the heart language of a people group in southwest Nigeria. Through The Tide Annang heart language radio broadcast approximately 8 million people have the opportunity to hear about Jesus and the gospel message. Through this radio program people are being changed by the saving grace of Jesus. One example of how God is using The Tide to touch lives in Nigeria can be seen in the story of Nkoyo. Read the full article at our website http://thetide.org/updates/lives-changed-through-the-annang-radio-program

In Mozambique the Bible is a very highly valued possession. Many people wish to have their own Bible when they become believers, but the reality is that the majority of Christians in Mozambique do not own Bibles. However, a recent distribution by The Tide provided 125 Bibles in three different languages - Chichewa, Portuguese, and Shona - to believers throughout Mozambique. Now, a large number of people may read the Word in their own language, and study God’s truth for themselves! God is working in the lives of those who have received these Bibles. The people are diving into the truth and eagerly reading each page to see what God has to say to them. One example of how excited and devoted people are to the Bible can be seen in the story of Stanford. Learn more at http://thetide.org/updates/the-tide-distributes-125-new-bibles-to-people-in-mozambique