HEARTS AFLAME: MAKING MEDIA WORK FOR MINISTRY
College Challenge Still Inspires Daily Walk
Jim Maguire, scriptwriter, director and editor for GHM is still inspired by a challenge he was issued early in his life:
As a young college student I was challenged by Bill Bright to “Come help change the world.” I have shot ministry videos in over 33 countries… Through Global Heart Ministries I can continue to serve that goal [even though we cannot enter our target countries for ministry.] Our programs can reach people who are afraid to go to church or ask about about Christianity due to the religious oppression of their culture. Through GHM programs they can privately seek the truth in the safety of their living room.
Since the ratio in these countries is one Christian for 1 million Muslims, the chances of them hearing the Gospel is very low. A missionary in these countries is at great risk and can be fearful, not knowing who is safe to approach with the Gospel. Since our programs blanket these countries, individuals who the Holy Spirit is prodding can can watch, accept Christ and learn how to grow with Him safely at home.
Radical U-Turns
If there’s anyone who understands the impact of the Gospel on a lost soul, it’s Jim. He went to a Campus Crusade for Christ meeting (now known as Cru) as a self-proclaimed “college drug dealer and partier” at the age of 19, but that’s not how he left the meeting. He became a Believer, destined to make a mark on the world.
Jim’s first gig out of college was as the host of a TV talk show on nine stations in Pennsylvania. He also had a radio program on 118 stations, but he warns against being impressed, “many of my listeners were cows and those who milked them.”
In his next U-Turn Jim explains, “I quit that and went on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ in California managing the video group for 8 years …then moved to Dallas to work for an agency producing the Billy Graham TV crusades. After that became an independent video producer doing work for many Christian ministries, oil and gas companies, car companies… and ventured into producing my own programs.”
That’s when Jim started training in earnest for his gig with GHM”
“When I had young children I joined with two other dads and we created Quigley’s Village a TV series with puppets teaching young children Christian values. We sold a couple million VHS tapes. I produced church curriculums … a TV series shot in the San Diego zoo and zoos across the country all on the way to Florida’s Sea World.”
May We Borrow a Cup of Video Equipment
Then GHM was doing a film shoot not far from Jim’s house and needed a piece equipment. One of the crew suggested to Steve Sharp that Jim would probably let us borrow what we needed and he lived near by. A few days later, Steve and his wife Gaylynne showed up at Jim’s door to return the equipment. An hour and a half later Steve and Jim both knew it was God that had brought them together, because their vision for the way media can be used for ministry was the same.
Jim has truly been a godsend to GHM. His experience in zoo programs and with puppets has been of particular use with our children’s programs, but he’s there for every shoot – writing scripts, directing and editing – and we couldn’t have come this far without him.
When asked what message he would have for our readers, Jim said,
“God has told us to pray that there would be laborers for harvest. We laborers are here and ready to work but the bottleneck is money. We have the capacity to produce many more culturally sensitive evangelistic programs for these people who have little to no contact with Christianity, but we continue to be slowed down the lack of funds. Please pray that God will lead us to the funds He has already prepared, to fulfill the ministry dreams He has given us and that we will be faithful to carry out His work.”
Set Your Heart Aflame
Like Jim, 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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