Sept. 10, 2010
Source: HCJB Global (written by Ralph Kurtenbach)
With Facebook surpassing 500 million users, its denizens would form the third largest "country" in the world if compared to non-virtual populations. It is in this "country" and in other virtual communities where HCJB Global hopes to be the voice of Jesus among the clamor of many sounds.
As part of this ambition, the HCJB Global Technology Center in Elkhart, Ind., plans to dedicate its Jack and June Nikkel Media Center on Friday, Sept. 17.
"This is an important story," said David Russell, director of the HCJB Global Technology Center, who spent some of his boyhood years in Peru's remote Amazon region. Later, Russell's aerospace engineering career in Los Angeles whizzed him from a no-television childhood to space-age technologies of communication satellites.
Russell anticipates the Media Center will open doors of ministry opportunity to "media-savvy millennials" (see editor's note below). These texting, Facebooking, multitasking young people "will help us to harness emerging media tools for the gospel and lead us in the effort to produce content that connects with their peers," he said.
The Media Center will also offer staff a venue to gain hands-on experience and build expertise that can be applied to servicing the needs of HCJB Global's ministry partners around the world. Engineers and volunteers at the Technology Center are developing communications products across a wide gamut.
The Technology Center has a long history of equipping and facilitating the work of HCJB Global's international partner radio stations. This is done through consulting, engineering and development, provision of equipment, installation services, and ongoing technical support.
One popular tool offered by the Technology Center is the fixed-tuned, solar-powered SonSet® radio. Church groups from across the U.S. regularly volunteer to help prepare these units for shipment abroad. The radios work hand-in-hand with the partners' community stations.
A "retired" engineer, Herb Jacobson has spent years researching and developing the concepts to equip powerful shortwave transmitters to deliver a digital signal across thousands of miles. This is cutting-edge technology from an octogenarian.
So, too, the Nikkel Media Center transfers across generations a commitment to see God's Word go forth via media, but now in the virtual world. "The Nikkels were faithful volunteers at the Technology Center and gave generously to the work," said Russell.
Complementing each other's strengths, Jack brought business acumen that headed Nikkel Iron Works for decades while June offered a personal touch from their home.
"June was known to staff as 'the Cookie Lady,'" added Russell. "With her baking, she brought love and cheer to countless people."
Both Jack and June are now deceased. At the dedication, their daughter will share a testimonial of what motivated her parents. Dave Pasechnik, one of HCJB Global's vice presidents of international ministries, will describe how the Shafter, Calif., couple became acquainted with the mission. Stephen Peacock of the Technology Center will talk on the Nikkels' character attributes that have impacted his life forever.
Editor's Note: Millennials are defined in various ways, but millennialgeneration.org calls them the generation born approximately from 1982 to 2002. The site says millennials are also sometimes called Generation Y (following Generation X) or Echo Boomers because they are the children of the baby boomers.
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