The Tide®

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 al...

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 ...

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...

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 fina...

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 ac...

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 ht...

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 cu...

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....

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...

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 ...

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