The Tide®

35th Annual Golf Day Success Praise God for the success of The Tide© 35th Annual Golf Benefit!  On June 20th, nine faithful volunteers showed up in the early morning hours to set up and prepare for the busy day. At 6:30am, the 115 golfers started to arrive for registration, coffee, and pastries.  The shot-gun start went off at 7:30am cuing all the anxious golfers of the start of a day full of fun, fellowship, sportsmanship, and prizes.  As a result, approximately $18,000 was raised toward the cost of The Tide international radio broadcasts and ministry expenses.  During the “summer slump” when regular giving generally decreases it can be quite difficult to continue to faithfully provide for the expenses of The Tide international heart language radio ministry.  The Tide Annual Golf Benefit is one avenue the Lord has used to provide an extra summer blessing during the last 35 years. (See more pictures of the event on The Tide's Facebook page ) ...

Wonderful things are occurring in India as a result of Seeker’s Conferences frequently held by The Tide © partner ministry.  During the month of May, The Tide partners led a series of Seeker’s Conferences throughout various parts of a state in central India as well as two medical camps, a new addition to our Indian outreach. There were excellent turn-outs for all the events.  In spite of the excessive heat, over 250 people total attended the four Seeker’s Conferences, many walking 15-20 kilometers (approximately 9-13 miles) to attend a meeting.  After hearing instructive and convicting speaking by some local pastors and partners of The Tide ministry in India, 75 individuals came to know the Lord as their personal Savior, sharing their testimonies with one another and rejoicing with brothers and sisters in the Lord!  The new believers were excited to agree to find a local fellowship of believers to worship with and continue to receive discipleship tr...

In 2004 The Tide© expanded its boundaries into Nepal with the start of the “Prasasta Jiwan,” The Tide’s Nepali language broadcast .   In response to the success of the Nepali broadcast and the great need among the people in Nepal , The Tide has decided to launch a new language broadcast in Nepal! Beginning in June 2013, a Tharu language broadcast will begin airing for 15 minutes once a week. Currently there are no other major Christian broadcasting ministries producing a program to target the Tharu people, so this is a much-needed addition. The Tharu are a gentle and quiet people who have traditionally lived as forest dwellers in the Tarai, a narrow strip of land extending the southern boarder of Nepal and South-East India. They make almost everything they use themselves with a touch of art in it all. Even the walls of their houses are decorated with a relief plaster created from mud and cow dung.   Traditionally of an animist religious belief, they have been h...

Wishing you a blessed Easter celebration! In his letter to the Christian community in Rome Paul wrote; “God chose me to be an apostle, and he appointed me to preach the good news that he promised long ago by what His prophets said in the Holy Scriptures.   This good news is about his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ!   As a human, he was from the family of David.   But the Holy Spirit proved that Jesus is the powerful Son of God, because he was raised from death.”   (Romans 1:1b-4 CEV) As we celebrate the proof that Jesus is the all-powerful Son of God we are reminded and assured that Christ has the power to grant forgiveness, hope, and eternal life to all who believe and call on his name.   The Tide , along with many people, including you, can say with Paul that we have been chosen and appointed to share the good news.   Paul goes on in verse 5 to say that we are called to do this so that people in every nation have the opportunity to place their...

Nigeria is known as Africa’s most populous country, with close to 170 million people and 350 different ethnic groups. For decades, there has been serious violence and conflict between people groups and religions in Nigeria . Religion is one of many factors fueling strife in this nation. Conflict is known to erupt when ethnic, religious, and economic boundaries overlap. There are widespread ethnic and economic differences leading to much conflict, especially between Christians and Muslims. The country is split evenly between those two main religions with 49% claiming to be Christians and 48% claiming to be Muslims. Inter-ethnic conflict in Nigeria has traditionally had a religious element. Riots against Igbo in the 1950s and were said to be fueled by religious conflict. In the 1980s, serious outbreaks between Christians and Muslims occurred in the south in a border area shared between the two religions. Recently, there has been an increase in attacks targeting Christians i...

For any ministry to continue on successfully there needs to be a constant stream of supporters in all existing generations. In the past few years, The Tide© has begun to intentionally reach out to the younger generation with avenues for them to get involved so that our long history of relevant ministry will continue on. As a way to encourage the younger generation’s participation, The Tide will be sponsoring a contest to distribute THREE full-event passes to Creation Festival at Agape Farm in Shirleysburg, PA June 26-29, 2013. We will be hosting three competitions, with one winner selected from each category. Each winner will receive one full-event pass to Creation (pass includes entrance ticket only, transportation, food, and lodging are the responsibility of the participant), a free t-shirt, and the guarantee that the winning materials will be used for promotional purposes of The Tide. For this competition to be a success, we need the help of ALL generatio...

One of the key concerns of The Tide as a ministry is to make sure that we provide people with adequate opportunity to embrace Jesus as their Lord and Savior and to live in fellowship with God throughout their daily lives.  The Tide heart language radio broadcasts are an extremely effective way to introduce people to Jesus.  Two additional components that are very important in making disciples are the capability to follow up with listeners in a way that helps them become committed Christ followers, and the ability to connect converts with other believers for ongoing fellowship and joint worship.  Through literature distribution, correspondence courses, and seekers conferences The Tide has several avenues to follow up with listeners and guide them into a lasting relationship with Jesus.  In most cases these follow up ministries are coordinated in cooperation with existing ministry partners on the ground in countries where The Tide radio programs are bei...

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 Ti...

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 t...

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...