A short meditation for the end of October on Jeremiah 29:11. L x
Tuesday, 20 October 2026
WRDJ
In the autumn of 2026 I had the privilege of being asked to write a poem to help celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the Calvary Chapel, Merritt Island radio station, WRDJ. I initially felt this might be one of the most challenging poetry requests I’d ever received, as I wasn’t sure how I was going to “wax lyrical” about a radio station! Once I started hearing about some of the history of the station and the incredible impact this ministry has had over the years, I had no trouble at all writing some verses of thanksgiving and praise.
To give a little bit of context, Pastor Chuck Smith, founder of the Calvary Chapel movement, pioneered the use of radio as an effective tool for Bible teaching and evangelism beginning in the 60s. In the 1980s, Chuck Smith helped purchase KWAVE out of Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa. He then began to urge other Calvary Chapel pastors to secure their own local frequencies, calling radio the most cost-effective way to share the gospel. Today, hundreds of AM and FM stations, low-power translators, and digital streams are owned or programmed by Calvary Chapel affiliates nationwide, such as WRDJ 93.5 FM locally in Merritt Island, Hope FM, and The Bridge Christian Radio.
WRDJ-LP-FM is a 24/7 ministry, and for 20 years they have been there to instruct, to inspire, to comfort, and to edify the body of Christ, through verse-by-verse teaching of the Word of God and through uplifting worship music. The prayers behind this ministry have a heart to draw the lost into a relationship with our loving Saviour, Jesus Christ, and to offer daily discipleship through excellent radio Bible teachers.
In the 1990s, God gave Pastor Malcolm Wild, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Merritt Island, the vision to develop a radio station as part of their church’s ministry, and so the congregation began to pray. Skip forward to 2026, and Malcolm was asking me to write a poem to celebrate two decades of God answering those prayers!
By the grace of God, I managed to put together some verses that combined the details of the ministry with a heart of thanksgiving. I had fun including a few nods to the Floridian geography of the church, along with its close proximity to the NASA Space Centre with a spot of wordplay! I was so honoured to be able to recite the poem live at their celebration evening, and I pray the anointed ministry of WRDJ will continue to bless people for many more years to come!
To give a little bit of context, Pastor Chuck Smith, founder of the Calvary Chapel movement, pioneered the use of radio as an effective tool for Bible teaching and evangelism beginning in the 60s. In the 1980s, Chuck Smith helped purchase KWAVE out of Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa. He then began to urge other Calvary Chapel pastors to secure their own local frequencies, calling radio the most cost-effective way to share the gospel. Today, hundreds of AM and FM stations, low-power translators, and digital streams are owned or programmed by Calvary Chapel affiliates nationwide, such as WRDJ 93.5 FM locally in Merritt Island, Hope FM, and The Bridge Christian Radio.
WRDJ-LP-FM is a 24/7 ministry, and for 20 years they have been there to instruct, to inspire, to comfort, and to edify the body of Christ, through verse-by-verse teaching of the Word of God and through uplifting worship music. The prayers behind this ministry have a heart to draw the lost into a relationship with our loving Saviour, Jesus Christ, and to offer daily discipleship through excellent radio Bible teachers.
In the 1990s, God gave Pastor Malcolm Wild, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Merritt Island, the vision to develop a radio station as part of their church’s ministry, and so the congregation began to pray. Skip forward to 2026, and Malcolm was asking me to write a poem to celebrate two decades of God answering those prayers!
By the grace of God, I managed to put together some verses that combined the details of the ministry with a heart of thanksgiving. I had fun including a few nods to the Floridian geography of the church, along with its close proximity to the NASA Space Centre with a spot of wordplay! I was so honoured to be able to recite the poem live at their celebration evening, and I pray the anointed ministry of WRDJ will continue to bless people for many more years to come!
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