Determination Brings Results
H. E. McClure, former division home missionary secretary and currently secretary of the Sabbath school department, has coordinated the entire project. Failure would have been branded on this venture if it had been in the hands of a man with less determination. His untiring efforts coupled with those of V. M. Hansen, owner-director of Global Church Films, La Sierra, California, have resulted in the production of 28 doctrinal and 30 song filmstrips. In quality and price they are second to none.
The total enterprise includes filmstrips, scripts, projectors, Bible study cards, slide binders, battery units for power supply, and tracts. The projector, produced by the Minolta Camera Company of Japan, comes with a 100-watt bulb available in any voltage from 100 to 240 volts. The quality lens makes it possible to throw a large bright picture on the screen. I have personally used one with an audience of more than 600 people with most acceptable results. In an area without electricity the battery unit or a standard bicycle generator enables the operator to obtain maximum brightness with a minimum of bicycle pedaling.
Joint Venture
The entire undertaking involved the home missionary departments and Ministerial Associations of the division. This joint experiment was completed in record time. One significant feature is the adapting of the scripts and pictures to the non-Christian mind. The pictures originate from each country where the program is being used. Thus a Korean sees our message in a Korean setting and not in an American one. The importance of this procedure is understood better when one realizes that the masses generally associate Christianity with Western culture. This association militates against Christianity in areas where antiwestern feelings run high.
The filmstrips are reproduced from Kodachrome masters. Each strip contains approximately thirty-five double frames with an average of twenty of them being Bible texts and titles. They are available in the following twelve languages and dialects: Korean, Japanese, Chinese, English, Tagalog, Ilokano, Cebuan, Ilongot, Malay (Romanized), Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Thai. Special arrangements have been made for this material (except English) to be sold any place in the world field.
Project would have been failure if in the hands of man with less determination.
The song strips are available for nine of the twelve languages. The entire set consists of approximately one hundred and twenty-five slides illustrating thirty gospel songs.
Tape Recordings
The latest development is tape recordings that match the Hope for Today slides. Appropriate music begins and ends each program. Thirty minutes is the approximate playing time. If this plan is used, it is strongly recommended that the Bible study cards and tracts be used at the end as mentioned previously.
Many sections of the world field have shown an interest in the Hope for Today program. Thousands of projectors have been scattered around the world and where usable, the film- and song strips have been ordered. T. M. Ashlock, ministerial and home missionary secretary of the Trans-Africa Division, saw the possibilities of this plan for his area. Filmstrips are now being produced in several African languages. It is a relatively simple procedure to follow the same format by merely using the local national language and pictures in place of Asian ones. Thus in a short time this effective evangelistic aid can be adapted to any section of the world field. For further information write to the home missionary department of the Far Eastern Division.
J. R. S.
