'Me and My Household' Initiative Challenging Americans to Pray for Own Households, Reach Out in Service, Sponsor Households around the World

Contact: Nicole Aptekar, 909-851-0326, naptekar@adelphia.net; Download press kit at www.hcjbglobal.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Mar. 4 /Christian Newswire/ -- Recent research shows HCJB Global, an international media and healthcare ministry, is now reaching more than 1 million Arab households weekly across the North Africa/Middle East region via radio broadcasts through its strategic media outreach. The research was conducted by Intermedia (www.intermedia.org), an international media research organization.

Photo: Although Christian radio stations are not permitted in much of the Arab world, recent research shows HCJB Global is reaching 1 million Arab households weekly across the North Africa/Middle East region via radio broadcasts through its strategic media outreach.  Illiteracy rates, especially among women, can be high, making radio an effective tool to share a message of hope.

"The households in the Arab world have many challenges. They are searching for a message of hope and love, and that is our focus as we reach out," said HCJB Global President Wayne Pederson.

HCJB Global's media strategy in the region has a two-pronged approach. First, it's engaging households that listen to broadcasts together.

"Our media ministry in the Arab world primarily is to serve people on their journey to faith," said HCJB Global's regional director. "Programs are structured so we don't offend anyone in the family -- so they will not close the channel. Our desire is to keep the channel open. And we are designing programming with the entire household in mind."

Second, programs are produced by trained local believers who could face great persecution. These local broadcasters can now tell their neighbors about the hope they have found, when they could not before.

HCJB Global recently announced its "Me and My Household" initiative based on the Arab world research. The campaign centers on the Bible verse, "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15, NIV). The ministry is offering a free prayer e-card at www.hcjbglobal.org/myprayer, which Christians can use to encourage their family and friends to serve God and pray for the unsaved families of the world.

HCJB Global also is sponsoring a nationwide contest in April that allows Christians to submit outreach projects based on the ministry's commitment to declare and demonstrate Jesus to others. Contest winners will receive cash prizes to complete the project they submitted.

In addition, the ministry will be challenging households across the U.S. and the world to pray for unreached households and to give $1 to reach one household in the Arab world for one year.

The Arab world consists of 19 countries and nearly 300 million people. Although Christian radio stations are illegal in most nations in the region, residents can still hear the gospel through HCJB Global's shortwave, satellite and Internet radio broadcasts.

Illiteracy rates, especially among women, can be high, making radio an effective tool for both evangelism and discipleship. The recent study reveals that programming focused on local needs and a message of hope is seeing a great response, with 71,000 households listening in Algeria and 72,000 households listening in Saudi Arabia alone.

"There is evidence this generation of people in the Arab world is more open to Christ due to the compassion many have experienced through Christian agencies as refugees or during famines or natural disasters," said Pederson. "As we receive responses from listeners, we have found many listeners discover what they are searching for."

"I am a very loyal listener to your station, because it broadcasts programs that address our spiritual needs," wrote one listener from Tunisia.

Another listener from Algeria wrote: "I was very happy to hear about salvation and the true happiness that does not come apart from Jesus Christ. I would like to know more about Jesus."

HCJB Global (www.HCJBGlobal.org) is based in Colorado Springs, Colo. For 77 years the ministry's passion has been to be the Voice and Hands of Jesus to the unreached. Using media and healthcare, while working with partners around the world, HCJB Global has ministries in more than 100 countries. The gospel is aired in more than 120 languages and dialects. Thousands of listeners and healthcare patients are meeting Jesus. Local believers are being trained as missionaries, pastors, broadcasters and healthcare providers.