Bible teaching programmes broadcast on Radio Wimbe are now being supplemented with face-to face Bible study groups, resulting in new believers and a new church.

Bible teaching programmes produced and broadcast by Radio Wimbe in Pemba Mozambique are popular among listeners.

Listener Maria testifies: “I like very much the Radio Wimbe. I am a Christian. I really like the Christian programmes, the ones that talk about the word of God.”

I really like the Christian programmes, the ones that talk about the word of God.

People in Pemba often listen to Radio Wimbe in their cars, while they work or are at home with the family, providing the opportunity to discuss the programmes with others. During a recent visit by Feba UK, a listener shared about the story of Jonah that he had heard in a recent programme, saying:

“I learnt that Jonah was sent by God to say a message and to evangelise. I learnt that when God sends you to do something, you should be strong and you should have confidence and you shouldn’t get distracted and you should do what God has sent you to do.”

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Read more: Language, love and listening in Mozambique

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Bible study groups

As listeners respond to programmes by phoning in with comments and questions, the team at Radio Wimbe identifies people who are interested in learning more and invites them to meet together as Discovery Bible Studies (DBS) groups to explore the Bible.

Mama Anna, a DBS group leader with Radio Wimbe

Farida, Radio Wimbe Station Manager, explains what happens after the initial conversation with listeners:

“We go to the community to meet with them. When we arrive there, we speak with the listener; we explain our work and what our intentions are. . . We invite them to invite others – friends, family members and neighbours – to make a group and do DBS.”

The process comes full circle when a recording of the DBS group is included in a programme. Farida explains: “We go back to the group and we record the group and take the recording back to the radio. We play it on the radio so that other people can also hear what DBS is.”

The radio made me want to study the word of God.

The Bible teaching radio programmes are a real opportunity for listeners wanting to learn about the Bible and for developing a hunger to know more, which was the case for *Tomas: “The radio made me want to study the word of God. It was the people at Radio Wimbe that showed me the world needs the word of God. This was what started me studying the Bible.”

Tomas, a listener who is now studying the Bible

Others speak about the positive impact that studying the Bible is having. *Sara says: “When we open the Bible we find out what to do and how to do it.” *Mama Ana is a DBS group leader and she says: “We will take forward the work about the Bible. People come to receive teaching and many people are discovering Jesus. People come and copy parts of the Bible, so they can learn it.”

Studying and playing

Football is a popular sport among young people and so one of the DBS groups is actually a football team. *Afonso, the captain, explains: “On Thursdays we meet to play football and learn about the Bible. We are learning how to live the right way and how to behave with other people. We listen to Radio Wimbe on our phones and we are always ringing in. We like to listen because it transmits a good message about the Bible”

Discovery Bible Studies along with the radio is very important for the community.

The combination of Bible teaching on the radio and in groups is really producing fruit, and Farida is very encouraged:

“At this time we have 19 DBS groups and we have a church [which] has been formed and 12 people have been baptised. All this is the fruit of DBS, therefore DBS, along with the radio, is very important for the community of Pemba.”

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For more prayer suggestions see: This month in prayer

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