Online Newspapers - Gospel Opportunities

Perhaps I should be doing other things but yesterday and today I have spent some time trying to share the Gospel by posting comments  in online stories in major newspapers in Canada and the USA. This is not about tooting one's horn in any way. It is about a call to action - an opportunity to seize - a freedom we are enjoying in North America just now of which Gospel-minded believers need to be aware.

You can go after lost sheep sitting in your armchair with your computer on your lap.

Do your homework. Google the top three online newspapers. Go to their sites. See if they allow comments below the stories they post. If they do, then register your name for free and save your password. Visit that site daily and scan the headlines for stories that might give you an opportunity to make a brief comment regarding God, His Word, Christ, salvation, eternity, satisfaction, sin or whatever would be a relevant comment - directing a reader's attention to a spiritual application.

Be tactful and not too preachy. Don't tell them all you know in your first comment. Whet their appetite so they will say: "Now that person has a point."  or "Ummm, that person's comment gives me cause to pause."

At the end of your comment, you can paste a link to a Gospel oriented website. Some online newspapers will allow live links so the reader can click on your link and they will go immediately to the website or the Gospel story in your link.  Other newspapers will not allow 'live' links - but you can say, for example: 

For more information, copy and paste this link into your browser:  http://www.heaven4sure.com/MeandGodQuestions/LifeLessons/tabid/58/ctl/ArticleView/mid/387/articleId/625/language/en-US/Does-Anyone-Love-Bernie-Madoff.aspx

Yesterday the tragic death of Bernie Madoff's son Mark was in the news and people were commenting freely on how much they hated Bernie Madoff for his horrible crimes. The above link and a brief comment was inserted into several USA online papers and 100+ readers copied the link and went to the story on the website. This is even better than giving out 100 tracts. These are people who took the time and effort to search out the story about someone who still loves Bernie Madoff.

Today, Canada's large National Paper (The Globe and Mail) is featuring a 5-day series on the Decline in Religion and the Swing to Secularism. The comment section is open to all. Atheists and secularists and pagans are expressing their views. Where are the Christians to make their gracious comments of the reality of God in their life and the transforming power of a relationship with Christ?

There are many reasons why we may not be able to spread the Gospel in various ways. Perhaps we can't speak publicly or get tongue-tied even trying to share Christ with a neighbor. Maybe we can't afford Gospel DVDs or CDs or tracts to give out. Perhaps we are scared of dogs and can't knock on doors. 

But Online Newspaper Witnessing - is something you can do from your living-room or kitchen table free of charge.

Here are some online media sources that allow comments and links:

Wall Street Journal - allows live links

CBS News.com - allows posting of links to be copied and pasted

LA Times - live links

Hartford Courant - live links

Globe and Mail - live links

These are just a few. Your own online newspaper may allow comments and links. I am stressing links because they allow the reader to dig deeper if your comment sparks their interest. But even if you can't leave a link, you can nearly always leave a comment and a Scripture Reference. Most online newspapers allow you to leave comments.

Maybe you are somewhat bound to your house and you are not as active outside your home as you would like to be. Here is something you can do and you can reach more people than you could ever reach by personal encounters. With the Lord's help, you could turn your computer into a powerful Gospel tool reaching thousands. You? yes, you!

If you would like more information on this opportunity, email me.

Anchorpoint Radio Program - Kitchener, ON

Barbara Derksen (Kitchener Assembly) submitted this update on the Anchorpoint Radio Program. If you have any questions about the program or how you might be able to benefit from their growing library of edited and ready-to-air Gospel messages you can email her by clicking on her name.

For over two years we have been using the broadcast media to spread the good news of the Gospel. This is in the form of weekly radio broadcasts that started in March of 2008 and covered the Kitchener-Waterloo area (on Faith FM 94.3). Since July of 2009, this outreach has expanded into Toronto and the GTA (including Hamilton and Milton) on Joy 1250, an AM station. The Kitchener-based program is sponsored by the Kitchener Gospel Hall and the Toronto program is sponsored by a number of Toronto assemblies.

John Sharpe of the Kitchener assembly is the ‘voice’ of the program providing a short introduction at the beginning of each message along with closing remarks and a number of announcements (meeting times, gospel series, conferences, special offers) at the conclusion of the program. The broadcast is 30 minutes long. On occasion, an appropriate selection from Ruth Hanna’s song collection is added to complete the time and reinforce the message.

Only very high quality audio is suitable for radio. After they are selected, the messages are edited for length, production errors, and personal references. The speakers are full-time assembly evangelists who have given their permission to use their messages in this way.

This medium of outreach also provides an efficient means of advertising and creating public awareness of the local church testimonies. The personal audience impact is difficult to judge, though we have been encouraged by requests for CDs and other offers, word-of-mouth feedback, and a good hit rate on our websites (kitchenergospelhall.com and anchorpointradio.org). We have received uplifting emails and were told by some people that they listen to the broadcasts all the time! Whatever the known responses, we are grateful that clear Bible messages given by our assembly brethren are being made available to the wider listening public.

The Kitchener area broadcast airs at 8:00 EST on Thursday evenings. The Toronto area broadcast airs at 3:00 p.m. EST on Friday afternoons. We are happy and excited about the availability of both broadcasts on the internet via their respective websites (www.faithfm.org and www.joy1250.ca).

On a practical note, we would very much appreciate high quality gospel/ministry recordings for use in future broadcasts. If anyone has any good recordings on hand, please let us know at by emailing us here: Barbara Derksen. Since well over a hundred different radio programs are already completed, only minimal editing and recording would be required for broadcast in other localities. Let us know if you feel that this form of ministry would work for your assembly. We are enthusiastic about this method of gospel outreach and are confident that the Lord will bless His Word sent over the airways for His intended purpose and glory.

Submitted by: Barbara Derksen