It was Rev. David Mainse, a pioneer in both broadcast technology and Christianity. He began his mentoring into my life as I served the next eight years as his co-host at the daily Christian telecast of 100 Huntley Street. It was there that I became hooked on using television to communicate the Gospel, not because we were such great broadcasters, but because over 1,000 people a day phoned the prayer line phone numbers that were put up at the bottom of the TV screen. I was stunned to think that any Christian activity could have that kind of response rate from the public, and I was often troubled with the stewardship that called for.

Sensing a Holy Spirit move for new things, in 2003 my friends at 100 Huntley Street launched me into my own independent TV ministry of Media Voice Generation and Listen Up TV. I responded with a yes because I knew the broadcast market was not able to protect and promote Christianity on its own; the capitalism it thrives on doesn?t work that way.

There were quite a few test 'fleeces' put out to see if this was really a God invitation; one of them was I wanted this media charity?s new governance to include my church family. When Dr. Franklin Pyles said he would be the founding Board Chairman of this venture, Media Voice Generation was launched. Listen Up TV grew from being a segment within 100 Huntley Street to becoming an independent show on eight networks, the largest being Global TV, where we purchase time on Sunday mornings across the country at 11 a.m.

The goal is to speak to Canadians who are not in church, and bridge them to Christ through a discussion of news and current events. We look weekly for Christians involved in the news, for a biblical worldview to be taught through subjects Canadians are interested in. Our material has been duplicated into a column at The Globe and Mail and at CBC.ca, and we?ve pioneered a regular faith debate panel for web forums at globeandmail.com. A team of ten of us pray, plan, and produce a weekly half-hour show which is also broadcast on the web at www.listenuptv.com

Wherever you start the story of bringing the Gospel into broadcasting, you?ll find an intricate web of Christian community. Like the invisible sound waves that permeate this technology, so it is with the network that launches evangelism into public space. I wish space could tell how many people make this possible and the mystery of how they are all called to play a part on a different day, a different hour, a different way.

Words aren't adequate to say thank you, but they all play their part. There's a supportive spouse and family, a bevy of encouragers, intercessors and Christian disciplers, a donor who kicks it off, and then many more who build the message with their gifts and accountability and of course, there are those willing to share their story of Christ.

It's that miracle of grace, the amazing stories of God at work in human lives, that keeps us going in this. To see, as Dr. Eugene Peterson describes how Jesus walked on earth, 'salvation narrated into being through conversation, personal relationships and compassionate responses.'

Media, the strongest story teller in the culture, must tell of the narrative of God. It used to be we could count on people to go to church for that story, but truth is in my generation Canadians have seen church attendance drop from 70 percent of the population attending, to less than 17 percent. (Ipsos Reid 2006)

More than ever we need spiritual conversations for lost people to discover they have a spiritual home in Jesus, and broadcasting needs more than ever for the family of God to take its place and tell their stories to its audiences.

Lorna Dueck is host of Listen Up, a public affairs programme which seeks out Christian stories and responses to major news events. Lorna is a member of Burlington Alliance Church in Ontario