Radio
Africa by Radio is a body of Christian broadcasters unified by an agreed strategy, supporting God’s plan for Africa. We are committed to seeing that every man, woman and child in Africa is provided the opportunity to turn on a radio and hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a way and language they can understand, so they can become responsible members of His Church.
It is useful for those involved in Scripture Engagement in Africa to maintain links with Africa By Radio, to encourage a healthly partnership with radio stations around the contintent in broadcasting Scripture.
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Is it possible for rural communities to develop entire radio dramas through oral processes only, without writing a script?
Our dramas have not only been able to reflect the complexity of life and the consequences of sinful attitudes and behaviour, but also the power of God at work and the attitudes and readiness to help that Christians can and should be displaying.
In this article, Andreas Ernst (based in Cameroon) presents a participatory oral approach for producing audio dramas. He argues that "Scripture engagement is all about dialogue, about interactivity", and shows how a wide range of people from a local community can be involved in developing a radio drama, without a written script.
Audio dramas can transmit educational content in an emotionally engaging way, leading to positive social change. For Scripture engagement, a participatory approach to developing such dramas offers a powerful way to let the Holy Spirit work in the hearts and minds of participants and audiences as they discover just how tangible the presence and guidance of God can be in their lives. The author has witnessed the joy and excitement of participants as they were able to share their personal experiences, views and creative ideas in the process of developing the story and while acting out their roles. [more...]
Radio by its nature crosses boundaries and barriers, penetrating to places which might be difficult to reach physically by a Bible storyer. Because the program is coming from a place remote from the listener there is a freedom to convey information which might stir up hostility if coming from a person present among the listeners.
In this practical article, the author describes how to develop Bible storying into radio programmes. Sections include:
- A look at the nature and characteristics of radio as related to Bible Storying
- A look at the characteristics of the radio audience as related to Bible Storying
- A look at Bible Storying as it relates to radio as a medium to convey storying
- A look at models of radio programs to use Bible Storying
- Crafting the Bible Storying script for radio
The main focus of the Galcom ministry is to provide solar powered fix-tuned radios. These devices give people low-cost access to local radio stations.
If Scripture-based programming is being broadcast on FM radio, Galcom radios could give people the opportunity to be listening all the time, not worrying about the cost of batteries.
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IBRA Radio is today broadcasting the message of Jesus Christ in 85 languages to over 100 countries.
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Resources, events and community for those reaching oral communicators.
The NEED: There are 4 billion oral learners in the world, with a minority of resources attempting to reach them for Christ.
The PEOPLE: The remaining Unreached People Groups are predominantly oral societies.
The SOLUTION: Communicate the message of Christ to people in ways that make sense to them – instead of in ways that make sense to us!
The VISION: Influence the body of Christ to make disciples of all oral learners. [more...]
Pilot programs have clearly shown that extensive word and concept explanations are often needed if a non-Christian is to understand the written text as read on a cassette. The explanations will need to be provided in a format that is appropriate to both the medium and the listening context. It may be... a dramatic series of daily readings, presented in the context of a village family, and a narrator who will provide the necessary help with background information so that the listeners can place the text in its geographical and cultural context.
Although written before much of the revolution in digital media, this book provides a lot of useful strategic input for those involved in media and Scripture Engagement.
It is divided into three sections:
- Foundational principles for use of media in church and mission – Biblical principles, communication models, research methods.
- Selected media descriptions – chapters on television, radio, video, audio cassettes, print, film, music, painting & dance-drama, computers
- Practical guidelines for media in church and mission – strategy, planning, production, testing, distribution, evaluation.
MegaVoice has launched their latest range of portable solar audio players, the Envoy E Series. They are designed for listening to audio Scriptures and can include additional audio materials for encouraging Scripture engagement.
Depending on the model, the Envoy E players include the following new features: the ability to record audio, variable playback speed control, switching between multiple languages and content, an LED flashlight (torch) and FM radio. As well as 8GB of tamper-proof internal memory, they contain a microSD slot to allow users to listen to additional content. Charging is by standard micro USB port and there is a stereo headphone jack.
There are four devices to choose from:
- Envoy Elite: solar audio player with recording function, variable playback speed control, FM radio, LED flashlight and microSD card reader;
- Envoy Echo: as above but without the FM radio;
- Envoy Equip: solar audio player (without recording function), variable playback speed control, FM radio, LED flashlight and microSD card reader;
- Envoy Ember: as above but without the FM radio;
Prices depend on the model and quantity you order, but are in the region of $28 to $35 each, plus shipping costs. More details are available from MegaVoice. [more...]
The listener controls the radio. He can turn it on or off. That is why you not only need to acquire an audience, but also know how to maintain one. Radio is one-time communication. The message needs to be clear, simple and precise for a one-time hearing. Don’t be afraid to repeat the information in different ways.
There are increasing opportunities for Scripture to be broadcast on local radio stations. But how can we produce interesting programs that people will want to listen to and hence engage with God's Word?
This manual was developed to explain how to plan, present and produce radio programs.
The material presented here is basic and fundamental. It is designed to train indigenous speakers. It will teach them how to reach their people through the medium of radio. An experienced media trainer should present the material to them. Anything new can then be fully explained to the student. [more...]
Scripture Relevance Drama is a tool for facilitating use of translated Scripture and developing minority languages. Indigenous authors and vocal actors dramatize local life situations as contexts for characters telling topical Bible stories. Other plays explore community development and health issues, such as how to avoid malaria, the benefit of immunizations, or the need to cover local wells to protect young children from falling into them.
The Lunaba Drama Team takes their culture’s artistic tradition to a wider audience through their weekly half-hour radio drama program. The Lunaba Drama Team is also continuing to give live performances. The framework presented in this paper may be used for developing Scripture Relevance Dramas and/or Community Development Relevance Dramas in local languages with or without the radio distribution strand. [more...]