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We started the initial steps to build a Contemporary Christian Radio
station in 1988 with only about $5,000 dollars in the bank and no "deep
pockets" to fund the ministry. Somehow, in a way only God could
explain, WBVN began broadcasting on January 8th, 1990. There's a
tangled web of stories about how the impossible became possible during
the two years that it took to get the station on the air, too many to
mention in a short letter, but there was an essence of just watching
God do what we could only imagine! We've never been smart enough, or
clever enough, to bring WBVN to pass and continue for 15 years. Simply,
we know who "worked the works" for this ministry.
The early days are still vivid in our memories. Our first contribution
came from Rick and Laurie Chapman a couple months before the station
went on the air. The first contribution received in the mail was from
Charles Carter of Carterville, at that time a grandfather supporting
the station because he knew it would encourage his grandchildren to
hear the Gospel in a Contemporary Christian Music fashion. Our first
month's deposit to the bank was for $372, not a lot when expenses ran
upwards of $9,000 a month. It took three years before our annual budget
needs were met without additional capital being spent. Each year since,
we've been able to "keep up" with the cost of broadcasting and keep CCM
on the air. The hourly cost has risen over the years. We started out
needing about $13.00 an hour to broadcast; today that figure is more
like $19.00. Many people have been good to increase their giving or to
start giving when others needed to stop. Each year it takes about 650
contributors to keep WBVN on the air. Some churches, businesses,
ministries and individual families all make up the annual group that
help financially.
We've had our share of miracles for sure. Sometimes we didn't know how
we were going to get through the "current crisis," or how to prepare
the next one. Having an understanding that the Father, who had
encouraged us to "go and do" this in the first place, would supply the
needed help to make WBVN "happen" comforted us in times of trouble.
FM 104.5 has offered a unique opportunity for thousands of believers to
"be on the same page" by bringing people together for a single moment
in time for praise and worship using CCM. I believe there's a "regional
importance" in having believers connected by an "encourager" throughout
the day. I guess it's more appropriate for a radio station to describe
that occurrence as "being on the same wavelength." Literally what
happens is that all of us are listening, at the same moment, to a
wavelength of 104,500 wave cycles per second. Oh, I know that's some
just some "mumble-jumble" for "radio heads," but something is very
interesting about it: if we don't all get on that one wavelength, if we
just move off it ever so slightly, we'll not be able to hear WBVN. But
when we find FM 104.5, we all gather for a common experience of Praise
"on the other side of the radio."
Amos 3:3 says unless two men agree, how can they walk together? The
implication is they must be "on the same wavelength" to be productive
in their effort. Finding the mind of Christ, and the common purpose of
the Gospel, is essential for believers. We trust WBVN's format does
that, offering Christ-centered Christian Music 24 hours each day.
1Peter 1:13 encourages us to "gird our minds for action." It's
important to let the Word of God affect our minds. Teaching, studying,
sharing and sometime listening to "hymns and songs" are ways that gets
done.
Moses wrote in Joshua 1:18 that the Word of God needs to be studied and
meditated on in order for us to be successful. Clearly, God obligates
us to "work on our thinker" in order to experience more of the
Christian life. Having been freely given a spirit of Love, of Power and
a Sound mind, we can access the "Mind of Christ" and be in daily
contact with the Great Counselor, the Prince of Peace. We begin that
process by permitting Philippians 4:8 to operate in our lives. Let our
minds dwell on "whatever is True, Honorable, Right, Pure, Lovely, and
of Good Repute, of Excellence and worthy Praise". If we do that,
according to scripture, the "Peace of God" will be with us. If we dwell
on Christ, we will be able to overcome the biggest enemy we face, the
thing that causes us to fail the most: our thinking!
Our trust has always been that having Christian broadcasting over FM
104.5, our minds (our thinkers) will be centered on Christ and as
believers we would benefit. Added to tapes, teaching, books, preaching
and praying, we believe CCM "makes a difference" in the way we're all
able to walk the Christian faith. We provide a daily opportunity to
keep your mind on Christ by listening to Songs of Praise on FM 104.5.
Believers' minds have been changed during the past 15 years through
WBVN. We thank you for the opportunity to do that. Surely, without the
prayers and contributions of our listeners all the benefits from having
the music, programming and artist testimonies at the concerts would
have been missed, and we would not be as "peaceful" a people. Hebrews
12 tells us that if we will keep our mind on Christ, He will keep us in
perfect Peace. That's one of my favorite promises in the scripture and
one I think is extremely needed in the world we live in today. For
these 15 years I hope it's been a joy to be on the same "wavelength,"
104,500 cycles per second. We love bringing you "the very best in
Contemporary Christian Music on WBVN." We look forward to year number
16
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