Christians Open Their Homes to Share Gospel Broadcasts With Friends
Months of preparation supported a nationwide YouTube and radio campaign in Venezuela that resulted in 1,422 baptisms.
Jeanne DamasioVenezuela
Christians across Venezuela invited friends into homes and community spaces to hear the gospel of Jesus together during La esperanza que nos une (The Hope That Unites Us), a nationwide campaign held September 12 to 19. The campaign combined nightly YouTube and radio broadcasts with gatherings of families and small groups, following months of preparation, and resulted in 1,422 baptisms.
The one-hour programs streamed on the Adventistas Venezuela YouTube channel and aired on more than 50 Esperanza Radio Venezuela stations. Lenny Hernández coordinated communication for the initiative in eastern Venezuela and led it alongside Deybi Blanco, who oversaw evangelism. Planning began about a year before the broadcasts, Hernández recalled.
Early in 2026, Hernández and Blanco traveled through eastern Venezuela to meet small group leaders and people sharing their faith online. Each leader was asked to bring together at least five friends at a connection point. Homes, public squares, schools, and sports courts were among the proposed meeting places.
Abraham Bakari, Hope Channel International’s vice president for global integration, described how to connect media audiences with local gatherings during the Media for Mission conference in Silver Spring, Maryland, on October 8. “You open a conversation, you make a personal invitation, and welcome and follow them through,” he explained. He urged ministries to assign someone to follow up with those who respond: “And at the end, make sure that somebody is ready to listen to them.”
Hernández emphasized the role of the groups in Venezuela: “Technology was the means that allowed us to reach thousands of people, but it was church members, organized in their small groups, who made it possible for that message to reach people in a close and personal way.”
Blanco and Hernández combined their work in evangelism and communication to train leaders, with monthly meetings to review progress and answer questions. “This integration was decisive because we understood that it was not a matter of developing two independent efforts, but of working together toward the same goal,” Hernández explained.
Organizers distributed digital materials every week to share through personal social media accounts, while congregations promoted the campaign each Saturday. Before opening night, leaders took part in two rehearsals to test internet access, become familiar with the broadcast, and receive practical guidance on organizing meetings and inviting guests.
During the campaign, group leaders prepared their meeting spaces, coordinated attendance, and connected televisions, computers, or phones so people could watch together. Groups identified themselves in the broadcast chat with their names and locations. Organizers then checked those entries against reports from pastors to assess participation, Hernández pointed out.
He reported about 5,000 connections on the first night, more than 6,000 on the second, and close to 7,000 on the third. A connection could serve a family or a group gathered around one screen. “Behind every connection were people, families, and groups gathered to hear a message of hope,” he added.
Power outages in some parts of the country could last more than six hours, he said. On the Tuesday of the campaign, electricity failed at the production site in Caracas during the live program. The interruption affected the broadcast, and the number of connections fell. He described tense minutes for the production team before they restored the connection and continued.
“We could prepare technically for many scenarios, but our greatest strength was staying united, acting calmly, and trusting God’s guidance,” he reflected.
Hernández said his satisfaction came from seeing Christians organize and use media to share the message of hope. Friends welcomed into homes and community spaces heard the message alongside the people who had invited them.