Training media savvy gospel workers as Iranians search for truth: Mission Network News

By Katie O’Malley

Iran (MNN) — Imagine you lived in a place where you couldn’t talk about your faith or the Bible in public. Wearing Christian apparel is forbidden, and you can’t invite people to church. How would you tell people about Jesus and how He saved your life?

Lana Silk says Transform Iran is helping believers answer questions like these using media. 

“In the West, we’re spoiled for access to people and methods of communication. In a persecuted environment, we must be smart to use digital tools that God has provided to effectively communicate the Gospel where we can’t do that in person,” she says. 

This fall, Transform Iran is holding workshops to teach believers about television ministry. Specifically, Gospel workers will learn how to create, produce, and edit TV programs.

Silk says attendees will include pastors, evangelists, children’s workers, and others who are active in ministry to Iran but need more tools for effective media ministry. 

These believers may have successful programs underway in person, but transferring that content to a platform like TV requires a different strategy.

“It’s about equipping people in how to use media effectively. You can’t just do what you would have done anyway, but do it to a camera,” Silk says.

“So [we’ll share] some really practical things. Know where to look, how to use your hands, posture; how to create bite-sized content so we can repurpose it for different uses; how to consider an audio-only audience.”

Pray that even the most difficult topics will be easily understood. Pray that wonderful new TV programs will be created as a result to reach Iranians with the gospel.

“I would invite you to learn the importance of using media like this in a persecuted environment and then help us get it done,” Silk says. 

Silk explains there is a difference between an Iranian audience and many Western audiences, where people dabble, surf and scroll without much drive.

“[Iranians are] a people who are actively looking for a different message — a different worldview, even — to what they’ve been fed,” Silk says, adding that around 70% of households in Iran have satellite dishes, which are illegal in Iran.

“Every once in a while, the police will do a quick cleanup, and then they (satellite dishes) just pop up all over again. People are desperate to reach out for what is available outside of their borders, and that’s a great captive audience.

You’re talking 50–60 million people who want to hear what we have to say.

Connect with Transform Iran to learn how you can help reach Iranians for Christ. 

Header photo courtesy of Sam Moghadam Khamseh/Unsplash. 

Originally published on: Mission Network News