I never would have imagined. Fifty years ago when I began my broadcast career, or even 10 years ago when we moved toward international media work. I never would have imagined what God would have in store for me. There is a personal reward of serving in the unique role God has designed for you…and designed you for. There is the blessing of ministry partners…dear friends…whom we can assist and whom we can encourage in the good work they are doing to spread the Gospel in hard places. And there are the people like you who pray for and support this effort so that, like Paul, I can go to serve in other places and not be a burden on God’s dear servants.
Now, the Lord is directing us with a new initiative to complement what we do through MEDIAlliance International. And it came about in as clear a direction from God’s Spirit as I have experienced.
It happened last fall. I was on the campus of Dallas Baptist University touring the new Nation Hall, a building patterned after Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello. It houses the Gary Cook School of Leadership. As I stepped into the beautiful, large conference room, the vision came to me. Bring key Christian media leaders from around the world to a special conference on leadership, media, and spiritual growth. And in just days, the International Media Leadership Summit was born. It will become reality October 8-13, 2016.
The Summit will be hosted by Dallas Baptist University, and held in the very building where God gave me the vision…Nation Hall.
Worldwide Influence
As of this writing, we are nearing our goal of 35 key media leaders registered for this invitation only event. Registrations have been received from all over the world: Turkey, Ukraine, Indonesia, Haiti, Albania, Romania, South Africa, Finland, Sweden, Ghana, India, Serbia, Cyprus, and other countries. The vision is becoming a reality.
Key speakers in leadership, media, and spiritual growth have been assembled for the three-day conference sessions. Other activities and cultural events are planned so that those coming can get to know each other better, and see how God might further use all of us to spread His Truth…the Gospel…to the dark reaches of our globe.
This may well be the most significant event MEDIAlliance Internation has launched…and a very significant gathering of those who, collectively, spread the hope of Christ to millions. They make the Gospel accessible to hundreds of millions within the impact area of their media ministries.
Prayer Needed
May I ask you to pray for this conference and the attendees as they prepare to come? Some are in the process of getting visas to the US. A few have already been denied due to the current climate of our world. I don’t doubt Satan would like to keep all of these people away from anything that could help them be more effective in sharing biblical Truth, and anything that would encourage them to stand strong in the face of opposition.
These past weeks we have seen major changes that will impact Christian broadcasters, some of whom will be at the Summit. One of the Balkan countries is trying to diminish the impact and reach of Christian broadcasters in that Eastern European region. Turkey, after the attempted coup, has closed almost 100 media outlets. The future of Christian broadcasting there is uncertain. Russia’s new law, just enacted days ago, is greatly limiting any evangelical witness. A part of the International Media Leadership Summit will be to discuss how to keep the Gospel’s message of hope alive through today’s powerful technology tools in spite of these new threats to religious freedom.
Your prayers will be a key part in this event. Pray for God to accomplish all He wants to in order to build up and encourage these faithful servants.
Covering the Cost
MEDIAlliance International is covering the cost for the Summit through the generous gifts of people with a heart for the Gospel and for the world. The Summit is not yet fully funded. As of this writing, we need $25,000 to completely cover the budgeted costs of this important event. If you would like to make a contribution to the Summit, you can CLICK HERE to go to a secure site for donations.
Biblical Foundation for Media
I am excited to see what God’s vision is for the use of media to impact our world in these critical days. There is an urgent need for the Gospel. Media is an effective tool to take the seed of God’s Word to people. Think of Jesus’ parable of the sower and the seed found in the Gospels (Mark 4, Luke 8). The farmer needed to get the seed out across a broad area of land. The best way to do this in that day was to take a handful of seed and cast it over the land as he walked. He cast the seed over a broad area.
Broadcasting!
The same is true today. To get the seed…God’s Truth…out over a vast area, we send it by electronic means, casting it into the air or down the internet. And even though the seed in the parable didn’t all fall on fertile ground, God didn’t condemn the process. He talked of the amazing harvest that was reaped because the seed was broadcast.
- Pray for those casting seed over broad areas where the Gospel is challenged today.
- Pray for an amazing harvest in the Lord’s timing.
- And pray for the International Media Leadership Summit.
Again, if you would help us help those spreading the Seed, go our Donations page to donate to MEDIAlliance International.
Thank you so much for your prayers and any support you can give.
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