Open Your Heart on Valentine’s Day

Fulfilling the Great Commission in this generation.

HEARTS OVERFLOWING: ALL THEY NEED IS YOUR LOVE

Valentine’s Day Isn’t Just for Lovers Anymore

The world is changing.  Definitions, boundaries, and expectations are flexible.  Valentine’s Day is a great example.  What was once the private territory of romantic love is now celebrated by best friends, relatives, and lovers alike.  

In many places around the world, Valentine’s Day is just another day on the calendar and love, romantic or not, isn’t a consideration.  Their lives are filled with violence, turmoil, hate, and hopelessness.  Many of these people live in Central Asia and the Middle East.

TV Programming that Changes Lives

GHM TV Personalities

Then one day, someone with a hurting heart tunes in to one of our television programs. Perhaps a friend recommended it or they happened on it while looking for something to watch.  Imagine their surprise when they see joyful people speaking in their very own heart language offering the gift of hope.

GHM programming is unique in that we reach out to the cultural heart to build a bridge to spiritual truth.  Most of our potential viewers have no interest in watching a religious program of any sort.  They are fed up with religion.  So we provide them something of interest and then offer something more:

 

Central Asian women discuss the challenges of divorced women or the plight of sex slaves in a viewer’s own country. The stories match the viewer’s own story. Imagine the joy of discovering the freedom Jesus Christ offers to the abused.

A popular well-known musician is being interviewed by a smiling woman. Female viewers are intrigued, because smiling is foreign to them. Imagine learning Christ offers His joy to everyone.

Central Asian men in a kitchen, preparing food for a special occasion, discuss the challenges of leading a family in difficult times. The viewer might watch to get the recipe, but he continues watching because answers to his own problems can be found in the Bible.

A delightful show about animals features an enthusiastic host from their own country describing an exotic species a family has never seen before. They’re happy to see the animal, but they are amazed that the same Creator God who equipped the animal to live in its habitat has also made provision for the viewers.

Evidence of Lives Changed

We know our programs are making a difference.  We train and mentor home pastors in our target countries, who tell us the miraculous results of people watching our programs.  We get calls, emails and texts from people begging to learn more about the Lord Jesus Christ and the God of the Bible.  We walk step-by-step in ministry with Central Asians and Middle Easterners who would still be walking in darkness, but for their encounter with Global Heart Ministries.

We may not be able to change the oppressive government regimes they live under or improve their financial outlook overnight, but when hope is introduced to their lives, they change.  Instead of living in fear, they invite persecution as a badge of honor.  An arrest is an opportunity to save the soul of a policeman.

While we are joyful at every life changed, we are also proud of contributing to positive changes happening in our target countries.  We have met Ministers of Culture who enjoy Sweet Conversations.  New presidents are holding ceremonies to introduce a Bible in the native tongue.  Policemen are as interested in grace as they are in writing a ticket.

A younger Steve Sharp being filmed for Turkmen TV, 2008

Open Your Heart Capacity-Building Capital Campaign

Over a decade ago, Steve Sharp first traveled to Central Asia to record a praise and worship CD in the native heart language of the Turkmen people.  Today, Global Heart Media programs reach hundreds of millions in Central Asia and the Middle East in a variety formats and languages.  It’s been a long hard journey, full of joy to be sure, but challenging nonetheless.

God has gone before us opening doors and making opportunities for us, but the needs of the ministry are great.  We need more people on our staff.  Some of our filming and editing equipment is bordering on obsolete.  We have more opportunity than we have capacity to fulfill.  We need your support.

We need to raise more than one million dollars over and above our annual budget during the next two years to substantially increase and strengthen our reach.  In the coming days we’ll be telling you more about the Open Your Heart Capacity-Building Capital Campaign, but it’s not too early to participate.  We have already raised nearly $140,000 and your contribution could help us reach our ambitious goal.  Valentine’s Day would be a perfect time to show your love to the people in Central Asia and the Middle East who need it so badly.

Join Your Heart to Ours

Contributing to our Open Your Hearts Capacity-Building Capital Campaign is just one of the ways you can partner with Global Heart Ministries to fulfill The Great Commission in this generation. Together we can bring the light and the truth of Jesus Christ right into the living rooms of every deceived child, every oppressed woman, and every hurting home. This is our message. This is our call.

We invite you to join this vision as a volunteer, a prayer warrior, or a financial donor.  Contact us today by phone or email.  Let us know how you’d like to partner with us as we reach out to the Most Unreached Regions of the World.

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