The Tide®

Radio listeners in India have a few things in common with American Christians, but some of the challenges are very different. For four decades, we have been recording and broadcasting Gospel programming in India, potentially reaching millions with the Good News. With more than 1.3 billion people and 2,295 people groups in India—2,000 of them unreached—so many still need to hear the salvation message of Jesus Christ. “Multiple religions are practiced throughout India, but Hinduism is the largest, and only about 2 percent of the population professes to be Christian,” said Director Don Shenk. “So there are still so many more who need to hear about the unconditional love and saving grace of Jesus. We may think we don’t have much in common with a believer halfway around the world, but some of our struggles and concerns are the same. But it’s true that those in India have vastly different experiences as well.” For example, The Tide partners in India report that some of the c...

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Radio listeners in Albania and Kosovo have hope in the new year because of the ways  The Tide ® has shared the love of Jesus Christ over the airwaves. Our partners in Albania, Kosovo and the Balkan region have been reporting amazing and uplifting work among the people there. For example, thousands of lives have been transformed through radio and television, and more than 60 pastors and ministry leaders were trained and equipped to continue building the body of Christ in Albania and Kosovo. “Albania was once a country completely closed off to the Gospel, where church buildings, temples, mosques or any other type of religious structures were either destroyed or renovated for other use,” said The Tide Director Don Shenk. “Under the Communist regime, authorities in Albania went so far as to even remove the word ‘God’ from dictionaries. This all changed during the 1990s, and today Albania and neighboring Kosovo are open to missionaries and allow total religious freedom. Howe...

We have had a presence in Thailand for just a short time, but a new set of 33 programs has recently been recorded and will help listeners get a true overview of the Bible. “These new 50-minute programs in the Isaan language, spoken by 19 million people in Thailand, take listeners from Creation to the Church and give a panoramic view of the Bible,” said The Tide Director Don Shenk. “This will be very exciting for both new and experienced believers and enable them to feel closer to God’s Word.” The Tide partners in Thailand also began producing daily broadcasts on a popular radio station in Muang Samsip district, where several village house church groups are located. The morning programs reach the entire district of 82,000 people and into the surrounding districts as well. The ministry partners have been thankful for the 8 to 9 a.m. time slot, which is convenient for rural farmers. “Most of them work for a few hours in the early morning, then stop for breakfast around 8 a.m. and list...

We have had a presence on radio airwaves in Zimbabwe since 1983, and 2019 will be a big year for listeners in the African nation who are hungry to learn more about Jesus.  “Even though many Zimbabweans identify as Christian, some still engage in traditional African religious practices including ancestral spirit worship and witchcraft,” said Director Don Shenk, who was born in then-Rhodesia to missionary parents and lived in Zimbabwe for 28 years. “While Zimbabwe has been fairly extensively evangelized, there are still many who need to hear the Gospel message, and with the many doors God has opened there, the possibilities for The Tide ministry and our partners in 2019 are endless.” The Tide   ministry first began working with a church group in Zimbabwe to produce and air an Ndebele language radio program called “Amagugu Evangeli.” Since then, the ministry has also assisted in the production of Christian radio programs in the English and Shona languages.  Perhaps the bi...

Several well-known ministries are teaming up to give Christians an opportunity to bless widows in Nigeria this Christmas season. We are excited to be joining these groups! Currently, the country is experiencing terrible unrest and Nigerians desperately need prayer and hope. Uncharted Ministries , Voice of the Martyrs and American Family Association (AFA) are leading the Orange Letter Campaign, where believers can send letters to persecuted Nigerian widows who are suffering greatly. Many have lost their husbands due to the heartbreaking onslaught of persecution resulting from land ownership conflicts between nomadic herdsmen and established subsistence farmers, which has left villages devastated and families fractured. “While many of us may never know the hardships these people are facing, we can at least give a moment of peace and encouragement by lifting up a sister in Christ,” said The Tide Director Don Shenk. “May they know they are not forgotten nor alone in their time of suf...

Don Shenk has recently returned from India, Nepal and Pakistan, where he met with radio partners, encouraged pastors and made new inroads.  In Nepal,  The Tide  ministry led a leadership conference for 75 to 80 pastors, and although the pastors were uplifted, energized and motivated by the event, challenges did exist.  “While in Nepal, we witnessed a lack of signage on many churches so as not to draw attention to the worship, preaching and Bible study happening among the congregations,” said The Tide   Director Don Shenk. “While Nepal claims to have religious freedom in its Constitution, protections fall woefully short of where they should be. Additionally, an anti-conversion law that went into effect earlier this year makes it very difficult for believers in Jesus Christ to share their newfound faith—or even practice freely.” Shenk added that one difficulty occurs when people respond positively to the radio broadcasts and eventually wish to be baptized, the ...

  Things are getting hairy around  The Tide ® ministry.  Men around the country may have heard of “No Shave November,” but the 70-plus-year-old Gospel radio ministry is taking it much further for a unique, yearlong fundraising campaign.  Leading up to Jan. 4, 2019,  The Tide  ministry is looking for men who are willing to stop shaving and grow a beard for the entire year to raise awareness and funds for the ministry. Through the “ Year Beard ” campaign, the bearded guys will each have a fundraising goal that will help purchase more airtime for  The Tide  ministry’s Gospel radio broadcasts in Asia, Africa and Europe. “I’ve been considering a beard fundraiser for a couple years and it took awhile for me to have the courage to share it and for my wife to be in agreement,” said Mark Story, Director of Development for The Tide Ministry, who envisioned the idea. “I like unique things, and as I step out courageously and grow my own beard, I’m looking ...

This Sunday, Nov. 11, Christians and churches worldwide will join in prayer again for their brothers and sisters in Christ who are facing persecution around the globe. For the second week of the observation of the International Days of Prayer for the Persecuted Church , believers will unite in prayer for the 215 million Christians who are persecuted for their faith—some on a daily basis. Our Director Don Shenk recently returned from a trip to India, Nepal and Pakistan, which is No. 5 on the list, where he met with leaders, learned more about each culture and explored further broadcast opportunities. “The Bible tells us that where two or three are gathered, there the Lord will be also,” Shenk said. “When we pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters alone or with our families, God hears us. But it is so powerful when an entire church comes together in prayer—especially in this case, to pray for other churches that do not experience the same religious freedom we enjoy here in A...

This Sunday and next Sunday—Nov. 4 and 11—Christians will join together for the International Days of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. The annual observation sets aside time to unite in prayer for the millions of Christians who are persecuted for their faith daily. From Pakistan to Kazakhstan, Nigeria to North Korea, Christians routinely face discrimination, harassment, violence and even death for their faith in Jesus, reports the International Day of Prayer website. Their suffering is unimaginable.  The Tide ® records and broadcasts Gospel programming in four of the countries that appear on Open Doors USA’s World Watch List for Christian persecution: India (No. 11), Nigeria (No. 14), Nepal (No. 25) and Bhutan (No. 33). “For 70-plus years, The Tide ministry has had a singular goal—to reach the unreached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through media,” said The Tide Director Don Shenk. “Of those potentially millions of listeners, many experience persecution, hardship and ev...

Psalm 9:1 “I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.” In the Bible study I am following, they occasionally take a look at the original Hebrew text of the Psalms. Today they looked at the word “heart” in this verse. A little backstory, Psalm 9 is assumed to have been written by David after he had victory over the Philistines, so David should be praising God! But, our western definition of “heart” doesn’t quite express the fulness of David’s praise. In this verse, “heart” in Hebrew is the word “ leb ” meaning the heart, mind, and soul of a person (I’ve linked “leb” to the Strong’s concordance for further definition). What does it look like to praise God with your whole being? Is it being silent and reverent? Dancing and shouting? The beautiful thing is, it looks different for everyone. There is no wrong or right way to praise God. With that in mind, we also must be careful to not get in the way of others praising God with their ...

For many, summer is a time to schedule vacations and take a break from work, but The Tide ministry activities around the globe continue as our partners engage to spread the Gospel. The regular recording and production of fresh radio programming for each of the 25 languages is a constant process, and so is the accompanying work of helping curious listeners become committed disciples of Christ through correspondence, literature distribution, personal contact and organized events. In many of the eight countries where The Tide ministry is active, there is an increasing trend of listeners preferring to make contact through phone calls and text messages instead of traditional mail. This opens the door to build closer relationships for discipleship, but also increases the need for more people who are available for face-to-face interaction with seekers. We are grateful that God has been helping our partners on the...

With more than 1.3 billion people and 2,295 people groups in India, so many still need to hear the salvation message of Jesus Christ. For four decades, The Tide ®  has been recording and broadcasting Gospel programming in this populous country, potentially reaching millions with the Good News. “Of the nearly 2,300 people groups in India, about 2,000 are still considered unreached with the Gospel,” said The Tide Director Don Shenk. “Multiple religions are practiced throughout India, but Hinduism is the largest, and only about 2 percent of the population professes to be Christian. So there are still so many more who need to hear about the unconditional love and saving grace of Jesus. Even with the many testimonials we hear from listeners in India whose lives have been changed, there is still much work to do for our Savior!” In India, The Tide ministry’s radio outreach is complemented by effective discipleship activities including literature distribution, Bible correspondence ...

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 29: 11 (AMP) “For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.” The greatest hope we have in God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is that He thinks about us and has good plans for us. What’s left for us is to know God’s true plan for us. The question is:  how do you know you are in His plan? Some of the simple everyday things you can do to know Him plan for you: Praying in His will. Seeking to know Him and His will by reading His word. Listen to His still small voice. Seek to understand the simple endowments/ talents/ gift that he gave to you. At times we go through a lot of complexities and challenges that confuse us and we end up thinking that God has no plan for us. You might be going through a struggle, but you must know that He as a great plan for you. Remember in his word He says, “And we know that all things work to...

Since 1978, The Tide ® ( www.thetide.org ) ministry has not only broadcast Gospel radio programming to the ears of millions of people in India, but has put the Gospel message into their hands as well.   In India, The Tide ministry’s radio outreach is complemented by effective discipleship activities including literature distribution, Bible correspondence courses, seekers conferences and discipleship seminars, and a radio distribution project called “Radios for India.”   “This combination of ministry elements has proven to be extremely effective in changing lives throughout India and planting churches where believers can be nurtured in their faith and through which whole communities can be drawn into the Kingdom of God,” said The Tide Director Don Shenk.   Shenk is currently traveling in India, Nepal and Pakistan to meet with leaders there, learn more about the culture and immerse in the languages of these beautiful countries. The Tide team will also be honored t...

For millions of Americans, Sundays are set aside for church attendance, family time and fellowship.Although the Christian church experience may look much different in India, Sunday is also a day set aside for the Gospel and the hope of Christ for many believers. For four decades, The Tide ® has been recording and broadcasting messages about the Good News of Jesus in India. And many of these programs air on Sunday, when Christians in India come together to worship, pray and get into the Word of God. The Tide Director Don Shenk is currently traveling in India, Nepal and Pakistan to meet with leaders there, learn more about the culture and immerse in the languages of these beautiful countries. “We praise God that Sundays are also a day that seems to be set aside for God in India,” Shenk said. “During our travels to India, we look forward to meeting those listeners to The Tide Gospel programming that serves as a way to lift up listeners and provide the hope of Christ.” The Tide ...

I love candy, especially chocolate to name a few! I love rich, gooey pastries! Of course, too much of these foods will not only result in a more massive waistline but will also result in health problems. I understand this and limit my intake of these dainties. I also happen to enjoy other foods, especially salads. Salads are healthy, right? Of course, if I load the salad with blue cheese or ranch dressing, and I eat several slices of bread with it the nutritional value thereof is slightly more negligible. When I moved to Rome I began eating a bit differently. Oh, I still enjoy sweets from time to time, but my salads are different. The tomatoes here are incredible, as are the variety of lettuces and the myriad of olives that exist. Fresh, delicious vegetables and fruits abound where I live. I had to adjust a bit to not having ranch dressing for my tossed salads, as the Italians accent their salads with salt, olive oil, and often balsamic vinegar. It took a bit of getting used to, but ...

Open Doors USA has told the tragic story of a couple in India who was brutally beaten by neighbors in their community for one simple reason: They refused to reject their Christian faith and participate in a local ritual. These are the precious people who have access to Gospel radio programming because of The Tide ® , which has been recording and broadcasting messages of the hope of Jesus in India since 1978. Today, we offer programming in eight languages, reaching people groups that are heavily influenced by strong Hindu beliefs, traditions and rituals. These programs, recorded in the languages the people of India were born to speak, aim to lift up listeners and provide the hope of Christ. “With a population of over 1.3 billion people, India is very densely populated, and more than 2,000 of the 2,295 people groups in India are still considered unreached with the Gospel,” said Director Don Shenk. “Multiple religions are practiced throughout India, but Hinduism is the largest, an...

The Tide ® radio programs reach people around the world in a variety of settings—in busy cities, in rural farmland and in remote villages. These precious listeners are from a multitude of backgrounds, but they have one thing in common—they are valued in Jesus’ eyes. Since 2004, The Tide ministry has been recording and broadcasting gospel programming in the nation of Nepal. Today, listeners are reached through two languages, Tharu and Nepali, which is spoken by 19 million people. Some of these listeners cannot read or write, so the spoken Word of God in their own language through the radio is their only window to Christ. “The nation of Nepal is heavily Hindu, so the fraction of residents who are Christian are hungry for more information and teaching about Jesus Christ,” said The Tide Director Don Shenk. “We know that our programming reaches people of all walks of life, some of whom are illiterate, and we are honored to be their eyes and ears to the gospel and to Christ’s saving g...