April 18, 2010
Translated by Lydia Ma

It is customary for PCT churches to devote one Sunday every month fundraising for one PCT ministry. This occasion, which takes the form of a simple announcement accompanied by a special offering envelope or a guest speaker scheduled for that day's sermon, is an opportunity to get congregations involved in evangelism and enable PCT-affiliated organizations to share their vision with local churches.

Giving a special offering on these "Ministry Sundays" has become one of the ways PCT members match their faith with their actions and live out PCT's statement of faith, especially the part about being commissioned to proclaim the salvation of Christ. Besides participating in God's work, congregations also get a chance to assess PCT ministries during "Ministry Sundays."

Of all the ministries Christians care about and support financially, mass media and communications ministries stand out the most. With the founding of New Eyes Television (NETV) two years ago, we finally saw PCT take on cable television and design programs that promote Christian values to counter programs filled with violence and gossip in mainstream media.

Though faced with many challenges, including massive access fees that forced NETV to pull out of cable television earlier this year, PCT never gave up on the conviction that mass media was a great tool to reach the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In reality, PCT has been using media to share the gospel since 1885 when the first issue of Taiwan Church News was published. After using print media, PCT moved on to experiment with other forms of media, such as radio, television, and finally, internet. Throughout the years, it has never ceased trying to find new and better ways of using media to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the rest of the world.

Electronic media is an intricate combination of pictures, sounds, and words, and its programs must be designed and packaged to suit the needs of listeners. Providing effective, high- quality evangelical programs that speak to the heart of viewers and draw them to Christ is both an art and a technical challenge that requires constant adjustments in the way we do media evangelism.

As we remember "Mass Media and Communication Ministries Sunday" this week, it is our prayer that every PCT member can perceive the needs of PCT mass media ministries and support these ministries with their time and resources. Let's get involved in proclaiming the salvation of Christ together!

Taiwan Church News