While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause incredible pain and hardship around the world, it’s also giving the Seventh-day Adventist Church an unprecedented opportunity to share God’s peace and hope, and to demonstrate Christianity in action.
Adventist-owned radio network Faith FM has implemented a number of spiritual and practical initiatives to support communities around Australia.
“Amidst the isolation, people in our communities may find themselves in need of practical support, and we trust that our local church members will be looking for ways to be the hands and feet of Jesus in their community,” said Faith FM radio manager Michael Engelbrecht.
“We can’t promise instant solutions, but we do have ‘supporters’—church members—in most communities, and we are looking to include messaging to remind our listeners that there are many community services available to help them if they are stuck. And through the local church we are trying to connect them with these services.
“Connecting Faith FM listeners with local Adventist pastors and churches is something we are always looking for opportunities to do, and this is a perfect opportunity to create connections with people who may never respond to the prizes and giveaways that we typically offer to facilitate these connections.” [pullquote]
Faith FM is also ramping up its spiritual emphasis, focusing on the peace and hope God provides in the midst of troubled times. They have asked pastors to provide short presentations on spiritual topics that can be shared on-air.
“In the last few months prayer has become a central part of our on-air programming, and at this time we are looking to include uplifting topical prayers that speak God’s hope and peace into people’s hearts,” Mr Engelbrecht said.
Prayer ministry leaders and church members are being asked to participate by recording a 2-3 minute prayer using the “Pocket Studio” feature built into the Faith FM app. Faith FM is also asking for inspirational song suggestions for its network, comprising almost 200 radio stations around Australia.
“The tendency for people to focus on self-preservation at this time is understandable but has a tendency towards an ‘everyone for themselves’ mentality,” Mr Engelbrecht said. “We are looking to include messaging to encourage each listener towards an outward focus for other people, to remember to communicate with people who may be lonely/neglected, and generally to encourage our listeners—many of whom are Christians—to look for ways to share the love of God in their communities amidst these difficult times.”
For more information on Faith FM go to faithfm.com.au.
