Bucharest, Romania. [CD-EUDNews, Daniel Brînzan]. One third of our churches clicked GO LIVE on social platforms, offering our first social-media evangelism.
Approximately 300 official Facebook pages of churches and Adventist institutions plus 30 YouTube channels broadcasted the same LIVE at 8:00 PM, every night between 25th april and 3th may.
From the very first minutes of the broadcast, the video was distributed by volunteers on WhatsApp lists and groups. So, tens of thousands of people accessed a strong biblical message, creatively adapted to respond the situation generated by coronavirus.
The show ran for 50 minutes each night, of which 15 minutes were reserved for the biblical presentation. The rest of the time was divided between debating the subject of the sermon with guests in the studio and live instrumental or vocal music.
The general format of interactivity with the audience from the country provided answers for some questions raised by listeners. The volunteers who managed each live account ensured the interaction with the public at the local level, through moderating the comments and posting some synthesis ideas.
„Pandemie de speranță” was broadcast from a studio set up at the Church's headquarters and the motto was „Turn pandemic to hope." The Departments of Internet, Communication and Mission from the Romanian Union ended the program after the 9th evening of the broadcast.
There were three sources of live: Facebook pages of Adventist Churches, official YouTube channels and adventist.ro, the official website, accessed by 75 000 new visitors. Adventist.ro registered almost 3 000 000 requests. Users from 45 countries received a gift every night: 9 e-books and audiobooks (7 200 downloads). Around 5-7k watched live every night, and more than 150k people were reached in the last night.
We pray that this experience be the first step in using social media to preach the Gospel, using a modern and engaging way. We are grateful to God; all churches are closed, but the „word of God is not chained” (2 Timothy 2: 9) and He opened a door „and no one can shut it” (Revelation 3:8).
