"Let's Talk" Dutch Youth Radio Explores Life, Faith

At the age of 17, Bart Snijders is already doing what he loves. For two years, he has hosted Let’s Talk, a bi-monthly radio pro¬gram for teenagers in his hometown of Veenendaal, Netherlands, where he is also a part of the local Church of the Nazarene.

“Let’s Talk is a young, inspirational, and fresh radio program,” said Snijders, whose target audience is between ages 12 and 16, though adults also listen. “We try to do new things, and we also experiment.”

The program mixes contemporary Christian music, live interviews, and news from local youth groups and churches. Snijders is especially pas¬sionate about the use of music in the program. “Music is everything,” he said. “With music, you can bring a creative signal to people.”

Let’s Talk often focuses on a particu¬lar theme; one program discussed how teens might handle their parents’ divorce.

The interview portion of the program typically features stories from Snijders’ peers. Recently, he interviewed a girl who had been to Ethiopia on a summer project with World Vision. There, she described her volunteer experience and what she learned from her new Ethio¬pian friends. “She brought a little bit of Ethiopia to our studio, and that was just awesome,” Snijders said.

Ultimately, he is interested in bringing varied perspectives and fresh ideas to his audience. “I think every person in this world has something to offer,” he said. “In an interview, I try to get that ‘little something’ to come out. I want our listen¬ers to see how other people live and how they think about things.”

Snijders plans to pursue a degree in journalism, then work up to being a pre¬senter on national radio. He wants to see his peers influ¬ence the world for good.

“We, as Christian youth, can all be history makers,” he said. “Of course, we cannot all be like Bono, but it’s the little things we do that can have an impact on someone else. Sometimes, it might feel senseless to do these small things; for example, the number of listeners we have is not that high, and sometimes that can be difficult since we work so hard. But the fact is, with even just one listener, we can make a difference!”

Let’s Talk broadcasts on STILOK, a Dutch Christian station, every second Sunday afternoon.

---Marte Samuelstuen, World Mission Broadcast Eurasia