Behind the Scenes with Moody Radio

UPDATE: The final total raised for CRASH Japan was $38,141! We are thanking God today for the generous support of Moody Radio listeners and His provision through their loving hearts. We are confident that as much as we are blessed by our listeners' generosity so will be CRASH Japan.

***************

Yesterday we mentioned Moody Radio's partnership with CRASH Japan. Today, Moody Radio’s Share events in Chicago and Spokane, Wash. are contributing 10 percent of ALL gifts to CRASH Japan.  

Ever wonder what a Share looks like? Check out photos from today's event in Chicago. 

Moody Radio Partners with CRASH Japan

Given recent developments in Japan, Moody Radio has decided to use its annual fundraising campaign to shine light on the relief needs of this devastated country. Please read below to learn how you can help support CRASH Japan.

By: Lindsey Zarob, Public Relations manager

 

I read the article Melinda Schmidt, a host of Midday Connection on Moody Radio, linked to in a recent tweet. For those of you who haven’t heard the story of these children, reports say there are 30 8-12 year olds whose parents are among the missing after the tsunami. They hold on to hope, but teachers and relatives think the children are starting to believe their parents will never come and get them.

These precious children represent 30 stories of the thousands upon thousands written in the wake of this monstrous disaster. Most of us here on the Chicago campus of Moody Bible Institute do not know nor never will fully understand this kind of loss and tragedy. But understanding isn’t necessary to making a difference and helping the many lives of our brothers and sisters in Japan.

Currently, Moody Radio is in the midst of its largest yearly fundraising event, Share 2011. As news of the earthquake reached Chicago, the Moody Radio team began to question, “How can we ask our listeners to give to us and not to relief work in Japan?” It just wouldn’t be right.

So, on Wednesday March 23, Moody Radio’s Share events in Chicago and Spokane, Wash. will contribute 10 percent of ALL gifts to CRASH Japan. 

CRASH Japan is an evangelical Christian organization based in Japan that was founded to facilitate Christ-centered disaster relief. Its name stands for Christian Relief, Assistance, Support and Hope. The organization never dreamed it would be called to a relief effort on this level, but it has been up and running with strategic distribution points for food, water, medical supplies and basic necessities since the earthquake.  

We decided to partner with CRASH for many reasons. The most notable is that one of our very own Moody Bible Institute Alumna and current missionary to Japan, Amy Eby, and her husband work with CRASH Japan and live above the headquarters in Tokyo.

Will you join us in supporting this ministry that is on the ground in Japan at work for the Kingdom? There are many organizations acting selflessly, devoting all of their resources to the people of Japan right now, and we ask you to please pray for all of them. Pray for the workers, the victims and the experts working around the clock to prevent a nuclear crisis.

For more information on how to give to Share 2011 and CRASH Japan, please visit www.moodyradio.org.

God Never Wastes Anything

On Friday, Mar. 4, Moody Bible Institute Alumni Patti Hummel came to the Chicago campus and shared her testimony with students and staff. Her story is a true testament to the fact that God does not waste anything. Public Relations Intern Krystallin Baker shares her perspective on Patti’s story.

By Krystallin Baker, Public Relations intern
Tucked away in an odd corner on the fourth floor of Fitzwater Hall is a small classroom on Moody Bible Institute’s Chicago campus where I recently heard an incredible testimony from a woman named Patti Hummel. It was a Friday afternoon, and I was admittedly tired and ready for my weekend to begin. But testimonies have a way of drawing me out of even the most stressful of weeks. Perhaps it’s my overactive imagination or my love of people, but wherever I go and whoever I meet, my mind explodes with thoughts about their lives and their stories. Everyone has a story, a beautiful, broken story, just waiting to be redeemed by Christ. So, though I knew it was another hour of my schedule gone, I was eager to hear Patti’s story.

Patti comes from a very humble background. She grew up in the Deep South to parents who were very poor. I sat enthralled as she told us about the way her mother used to sew together flour bags to make curtains, table cloths and even their clothes. Although my parents were always able to provide clothing and food for my siblings and me, my heart resonated with a less than wealthy childhood. I pondered my own memories of hand me down clothes and used toys and furniture from gracious people in our church.

As Patti painted the hard realities of her past, she did so with a grace and a joy that I knew were accredited to the Lord. No resentment tinged her voice as she recalled being mocked and taunted by teachers and treated as if she were a stupid, lazy child.

Patti suffers from severe dyslexia which was undiagnosed her entire childhood. She suffered through school barely passing because, in her words, “I was good with my hands.” She knew how to make beautiful things because of her mother’s own creativity.

As she continued her life story, telling us about meeting her husband, his incredible love for her and his desire to see her learn, she always came back to the mantra, “God doesn’t waste anything!” She repeated this statement again and again as she explained how God has taken her from illiteracy to be an author of 17 books and president of a publishing consultaning group. Though the world has told her she was worthless, God has told her she is worthy of being used in mighty ways. And, use her He has!

Part of Patti’s journey was Moody. Because of her husband’s diligent work in helping her learn to read, write and think well, she was able to complete a program at Moody. She is yet another incredible person who has added to the legacy of Moody and continues to do so through her work.

I am convinced God knew many of us, myself included, needed to hear the truth Patti has learned about God and His talent for using insignificant people to do significant things. I came into a small corner room of Fitzwater stressed, overwhelmed and feeling incredibly inadequate. Graduation in May loomed like a dark tower before me, and I have been facing it with doubts about my own significance and ability to do anything great for God.

Patti Hummel’s story was a much needed wake up call. God can take us from small, humble beginnings to do wonderful things beyond our imagination. Patti’s words make me think of 2 Corinthians 4:7 which states, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” Yes, as I face graduation, and as we each face tomorrow, we are but weak, un-incredible jars of clay. But, God redeems our stories and fills our jars of clay with treasure as a demonstration of His all-surpassing power.

A Legacy Visit

Moody Bible Institute was founded by Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886, and in our 125^th year, we had the privilege of hosting Mr. Moody’s great-grandson and his wife during Founder’s Week 2011. Today, Mr. Moody’s grandson wrote a post about his time on the Chicago campus.

By David Powell, D.L. Moody’s great-grandson

I believe that to fully appreciate my great-grandfather’s role in religious history, one should be familiar with his association with the Northfield Mount Hermon School (NMH), as it is now called; the Northfield Summer Conferences, and Moody Bible Institute. I am very familiar with the first two, but the missing link was my knowledge of the latter. Our visit to Moody’s Chicago campus for the 125th anniversary was a wonderful opportunity to learn about Dwight Moody’s “Chicago school.”

My first visit with someone from Moody was when my brother, Ted, and my sister, Virginia, and I had the opportunity to meet Dr. George Sweeting during his visit to the Northfield Mount Hermon School some years ago.

This visit to Moody for the 125^th was such a meaningful opportunity for my wife and me to learn firsthand about your school. We hoped to learn about the school’s objectives and method of operation, to attend some classes, to meet as many administrative, faculty and student personnel as possible, and to experience the spirit of the school.  In addition, we wanted to attend as many of the special events scheduled for the 125^th as possible. The schedule that Brenda McCord in Event and Guest Services and Professor Gregg Quiggle designed for us could not have satisfied these hopes any better! 

There were some extra added attractions that made our visit even more enjoyable:

- Attending the Alumni luncheon gave us the opportunity to meet some loyal graduates of Moody, as well as learn about the achievements of those receiving special recognition at Founder’s Week.

- Quite by chance we met Jon Gauger at Wednesday’s luncheon. This resulted in an extensive tour of  Moody Radio, and much to our surprise, a recorded radio interview.

- The visit to the Moody Museum gave us a chance to review many of the Moody archival treasures.

While there, someone suggested that I have my picture taken in the display area containing Mr. Moody’s life-size statue. I was anxious to see what part of the Bible he was reading. As I looked over his shoulder, I was overwhelmed! The Bible was open to the book of John, containing the first verse that Mr. Moody’s daughter, my grandmother, taught me as a child: John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in me, should  not perish, but have everlasting life.”  It was a magical moment that will stay with me forever. Amen!

Thank you, Moody Bible Institute, for the opportunity to share in your glorious 125^th anniversary.  We look forward to the time when our paths may cross again, either in Northfield or Chicago.

Videos of Remembrance

During Founder’s Week 2011, Moody launched a five-part video series that is now available on www.moody125.org. For today’s post, the producer shares his experience working on the project.

By Paul Butler, freelance producer, Moody Radio

Somewhere near the Jordan River is a pile of stones that were to be a reminder of God's faithfulness to an entire generation of Israelites.  Not a historical marker like we see along the highway or a statue of Joshua in a battle pose—just a pile of rocks taken from the Jordan river bed. Children in later generations were sure to ask, "What are these stones?" And, the parents and grandparents were to tell them of God's strong arm and everlasting promises. There is incredible power in the telling of old stories. A reminder that just as God was faithful in the past, He will be to our generation as well.

I had the privilege of working on the five-part video series for this year's celebration of Moody’s 125th anniversary. These short videos are like that pile of rocks—a reminder of God's hand of blessing on our founder and the ministries of the organization that find their mission in the vision of D. L. Moody.

One of the best parts of this project was the hours spent in the Moody Archives, selecting the photographs for the series. There are so many compelling images that capture a moment in time. One of my favorites shows two men standing next to one of our missionary pilot training planes. I love the logo (notice the Bible as wings). I think the flight program would do well to consider bringing it back. 

Another image I came across is an illustration of Mr. Moody on horseback. It's not the one we're most familiar with. I like this one because you can see adults looking on—not just children. What did adults think of this young man? They called him "Crazy Moody," but he is an amazing a testimony and picture of God's seeking us out and plucking us from sin. Just like the stones near the Jordan, these images don't tell the entire story, but taken together, they remind us of God's mighty work in the generations before us.

 

We're not telling this story to put D. L. Moody or the school he founded on a pedestal, but rather to point to his/our Master. As we look at these stones of remembrance, may we marvel at God's faithfulness, provision and grace.

Service in the City by Photo

This past Saturday, Mar. 5, 2011, Moody Bible Institute coordinated with various local ministries around Chicago to serve its communities. More than 100 volunteers comprised of Moody Theological Seminary (MTS) faculty, students, family, friends, ministry partners and coordinators, participated this year’s Service in the City at nine locations.

Min Soo Choi, first year Masters of Divinity student in the pastoral studies program, gathered photos from the day that we posted below.

Photo by Jantzen Loza

Photo by Jantzen Loza

Photo by Jantzen Loza

Photo by Laju Sani

Photo by Laju Sani

Photo by Laju Sani

Serving the City

On Saturday, Mar. 5, students from Moody and other schools will visit various ministry sites throughout Chicago to reach the city for its annual service retreat, Service In the City. In anticipation of this purposeful day, we asked Connie Koo, last year’s Service in the City student coordinator, to reflect on its impact.

By Connie Koo, Moody Theological Seminary graduate

Last years’ Service In the City (SITC) was a great success with 240 students from Moody Theological Seminary, Moody Bible Institute’s Undergraduate School and Campus Crusade for Christ at colleges across Chicago registered for the annual outreach event, serving 12 communities across the Chicagoland area. The theme of last year’s SITC was “Seek the Shalom of the City” from Jeremiah 29:7.

Under the leadership of Dr. John Fuder, our students visited many neighborhoods on Chicago’s Southside, where gun violence and poverty are part of people’s daily lives. With the partnerships and generosity of World Vision International, Willow Creek Community Church, Harvest Bible Chapel and the Chicago Food Depository (through the City of Chicago), our outreach teams were able to seek the shalom or peace of these communities by giving out care packages and groceries to local families, senior homes, homeless shelters and community churches.

During the visits, we learned valuable lessons on the importance of a holistic gospel, caring for not only the soul but the wellbeing of the whole person. We saw how positively communities respond when they can see our love and desire to care for them in a tangible way, and that gave us opportunities and pathways to talk to them about our Savior and the reason for the hope that we have.

       

Having learned this from last year, we have continued our partnership with World Vision International and the Chicago Food Depository for this year’s SITC. Our theme this year is “Zealous For Good Deeds” (Titus 2:14) as we continue our Moody tradition of doing good in the name of Christ. This Saturday, once again, teams of students will mobilize to reach different parts of the city, meeting needs and consoling hearts.

The zeal of the Lord was evident among our students last weekend as they gathered together and prayed while assembling care packages in preparation for the big day. There is a sweet sense of anticipation among the student body as we prepare for Service in the City 2011.

A Varied History—from Hotel Moody to the NBA

On January 31, 2011 we announced the launch of the official release of The MBI Story: The Vision and Worldwide Impact of Moody Bible Institute. We asked the author if he would highlight some facts he found most interesting in his research.

By Jim Vincent, senior editor, Moody Publishers

Here’s a fun fact: The Bible Institute for Home and Foreign Missions—Moody Bible Institute’s formal name when D. L. Moody was alive—operated a hotel for six months in 1893.

The Bible Institute had begun classes in 1889, and one year later President Benjamin Harrison designated Chicago as the site of the World’s Columbian Exposition. When this elegant world’s fair opened May 1, 1893, Moody the evangelist was ready. He had invited singers, speakers and noted evangelists from the United States and abroad to join him in an international outreach at various sites near the exposition, located just eight miles from the Bible Institute.

But where would he house the various guests that would come and go during the fair? One year earlier the Bible Institute had added two floors to the 153 Building, the first structure on campus. The additional floors would increase the dorm space for male students. It wasn’t fully occupied, however, so Moody and his team made the Institute the headquarters for the crusade.

Three hundred out-of-towners and preachers came, many staying in “Hotel Moody,” along with some students who participated as counselors and helpers. Preachers from Germany, Poland, Russia and France led services for international guests in their native languages. And at the end of a long day and evening, they would return to the Bible Institute for a good night’s sleep.

That is just one of several surprise discoveries I made while doing research for The MBI Story, a book that chronicles 125 years of Institute history as Moody Bible Institute celebrates its anniversary this year.

Here are three others:

R. A. Torrey, president from 1899 (upon Moody’s death) to 1904, later would become dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. As the second president of Moody Bible Institute and the first dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (now Biola University), Torrey became “the only man to have been head of the two largest Bible institutes in the world,” according to Will Houghton, Moody’s fourth president.

Equally amazing, President Houghton had been a vaudeville comedian before he sensed God’s call into the ministry. He left the theatrical genre to become a song leader, singer and, eventually, a preacher. His own spiritual turnaround caught the attention of audiences. When thenMoody President James Gray heard the gifted pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in downtown Manhattan, he declared, “There is the man to follow me at the Institute.”

A fourth discovery is the modern, much-in demand athletic facility known as the Solheim Center. I was a student and employee in the days of the cramped North Hall and I remember the cracker box court that gave players at most three feet before they would crash into the end wall.

I marvel at the Solheim, with its three side-by-side basketball courts. From 1991–2005 the NBA held its rookie camp here, and in the 1990s three different U.S.A. basketball teams trained at the Solheim before winning gold medals in international competition. Today, NBA teams still practice here before facing the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. What a blessing from God this spacious, modern facility is—one of several surprise developments during Moody’s 125 years.