25 Years of Sharing God's Love in the Middle East And
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SAT-7@25 1 News from SAT-7 May 2021 INSIGHT 25 YEARS OF SHARING GOD’S LOVE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA SAT-7@25 3 SAT-7@25: CHANGING LIVES IN A DIGITAL WORLD A greeting from Rita El-Mounayer, SAT-7 CEO This year, SAT-7 marks 25 years since our first-ever we heard at Open Studios – the stories we, inside broadcast on 31 May 1996. It is such an honour the ministry, hear every day – show just what a to lead this ministry as it marks this significant radical difference His love makes in people’s lives. milestone. I became CEO two years ago after serving in SAT-7 for more than two decades, and The Middle East and North Africa remains in I have witnessed first-hand how much we have to great need of God’s love today. The pandemic has be thankful for. Most of all, I am thankful for worsened many of the issues Middle Easterners God’s faithfulness and grace in bringing His face, and the road to recovery will be long. They will ministry this far. need God’s hope, and SAT-7 will be there to share the love and grace we have in Him. SAT-7 was a trailblazer 25 years ago, when we launched the first Christian satellite channel in the I am excited to share more about the impact Middle East and North Africa, and at 25, we are SAT-7 is having in our key mission priority areas, trailblazing again. In this anniversary year, we have and our pioneering new developments, in this launched SAT-7 PLUS – the region’s first Christian special SAT-7@25 edition of our magazine. video-on-demand platform – and we have begun You can also read a special excerpt from the book important developments in our social media and Dare to Believe! by SAT-7 Founder and President Audience Relations work. Dr Terence Ascott, which tells SAT-7’s history – and an article that shares some of my own story, too. In fact, we can no longer call ourselves a “Christian satellite television ministry” without leaving a Please give thanks with us for God’s faithfulness significant portion of our work unrepresented. to SAT-7 in the past 25 years, and please pray, Thanks to the support of our donors and Partners – as you read, for our viewers in the Middle East without whom none of this would be possible – we and North Africa. begin our next quarter-century as a multi-platform Christian media ministry, evolving to meet our viewers’ needs in today’s digital world. I am forever grateful and encouraged that after 25 In this issue years, prayer and Christian unity remain central to SAT-7’s work and we remain rooted in the Middle OPEN STUDIOS – HIGHLIGHTS 28 SPOTLIGHT ON SAT-7 TÜRK Front cover | Light fixture graphic by Reza Jafari Eastern churches who have guided and partnered FROM SAT-7@25 EVENTS Pictured above | The new on-demand platform in this ministry from the very beginning. Most SUPPORTING ISOLATED BELIEVERS: 30 SAT-7 ACADEMY: INNOVATIVE SAT-7 PLUS is available on multiple devices importantly, across all the platforms where we now 06 IRAN EDUCATION Editor-in-Chief | Maia Woodward 08 NORTH AFRICA Content Coordinator | Stefanie Mitchell work, making God’s love visible remains at the heart 10 TRAILBLAZING WOMEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST 31 NEW MAJOR PROJECT Editors| Becky Lucas, Stefanie Mitchell of what we do. 14 CHILDREN AND YOUTH LEBANON, OUR STORY Writers | Mary Joseph, Becky Lucas, 16 SETTING IRANIAN CHILDREN Stefanie Mitchell, Maia Woodward ON THE RIGHT PATH 32 “THE FIRST BROADCAST” – AN In March 2021, we had the pleasure of throwing Graphic Design | Christiana Polyviou EXCERPT FROM DARE TO BELIEVE! open our studio doors for our SAT-7@25 SAT-7’S EVOLVING PLATFORMS Video Editors | Jani Ilola, Stefan Netsov Open Studios online events. These spotlighted 20 INTRODUCED BY COO JAN ØERSKOV 34 RITA’S STORY: LEADING THE WAY Video Support | Daniel Middleton, 22 NEW ON-DEMAND SERVICE SAT-7 PLUS 25 YEARS ON Omeed Jouyandé our channels’ work with isolated believers, 24 SOCIAL MEDIA AND AUDIENCE RELATIONS women, and children and youth. The stories 4 SAT-7@25 SAT-7@25 5 In March 2021, SAT-7 hosted Open Studios, a series of online events. Featuring producers and presenters of SAT-7’s flagship programs and the testimonies of our viewers, the event focused on Isolated Believers in Growing Christian Communities, Women Across the Region, and Children and Youth. Here you can read the most powerful stories. SAT-7@25 ONLINE EVENTS SAT-7@25 OPEN STUDIOS 6 SAT-7@25 SAT-7@25 7 [Now] they come and seek us out. They get ISOLATED BELIEVERS: IRAN our telephone numbers and call us so they can hear the Word. We need more books and “Regarding our circumstances, we have nothing, yet we thank God,” says Laleh*, who lives more labourers, because the conditions and in a remote village in Iran. “I am content because we live with God and have peace.” opportunities for witnessing abound to our During our Open Studios events, we heard Laleh’s story – and how SAT-7 PARS is a lifeline hearts’ content.” for isolated believers who follow Christ amid extreme difficulty. Meeting the needs of a growing Church “Being an isolated believer in Iran truly is a heavy “For many of our viewers, SAT-7 is more than “Some people cannot believe that freedom price that many brave Christians choose to pay,” just a TV channel,” explains Reza. “SAT-7 offers of religion and belief in the 21st century 1 shares Reza Jafari, Presenter of the live SAT-7 Christian counselling and support for people in The Bible is found is not possible, but it is the sad reality for PARS program Signal. “Just as Christ has taught need. That is why many people like Laleh contact “here in our house; Christians in Iran who come from a Muslim us, we must carry our own cross and follow Him us on a regular basis: because theythey knowknow wewe God has placed background,” explains Reza. He explains (Matthew 16:24). This is exactly what many care and are always there to listen and pray that religious minorities, especially Christian Christians in Iran are doing, and why we see such with them.” His light here. believers, often suffer extreme pressure and, strong examples of faith among our viewers.” Laleh*, SAT-7 PARS often, persecution. Recently, Laleh’s prayer requests have been for her viewer in Iran Laleh* and her husband are both Christians and son. Unfortunately, when their house church was Under these circumstances, satellite television watch SAT-7 PARS. Laleh has been in regular closed, he became depressed and turned to drugs. ministries such as SAT-7 are playing a contact with the SAT-7 PARS Audience Relations “Pray for my son to be saved from his addiction, significant role in Church growth. “For many team since 2011, sharing her fears over finances which torments us and torments him too,” Laleh Christians in Iran, SAT-7 is the only resource and family, and requesting prayer. Since their shares. “I know that he can be freed through the they have, and for those who don’t have a house church was forcibly closed, they have power of the Lord, and I look for that day.” Laleh’s house fellowship, SAT-7 is often considered been prevented from joining other believers in son is currently receiving counselling from Pastor like a church for them, as the programs 2 fellowship, and as known members of the church, Miltan, who presents the SAT-7 PARS program connect isolated believers to their global they are under surveillance by the authorities.authorities. Our Neighbourhood and who overcame addiction Christian family. Therefore, it is vital for Yet through this time, Laleh has continued to share himself. them to access these programs, so that they her immense faith and hope in Jesus Christ. can keep growing in their faith and in Christ,” “Testimonies like Laleh’s are so inspiring that they adds Reza. “Our house is full of light” leave us in awe,” comments Reza. “We praise “I have a recurring dream in which I am looking the Lord for such strong and brave believers in “Please know that the things you say on down on the earth from heaven. The earth is countries where being a believer really is a danger television have impact; you have viewers and completely dark, yet our house is full of light. The to their lives. Despite all the chaos,chaos, oppression,oppression, listeners who are affected,” Shoaib concludes. 3 Bible is found here in our house, where the name and isolation, Iran has the [world’s] fastest-growing “Be encouraged that not the smallest grain of 4 of the Lord is lifted up, and so He has placed His Church, and we are witnessing God’s work in your work will be without fruit.” light here. The Lord keeps giving this message to changing the hearts and lives of people in the us, whether in wakefulness or in our sleep: ‘Do country.” not be anxious, for I have prepared joyful days for you,’” Laleh says. A bountiful harvest Sharing viewer and guest testimonies, live program Shoaib*, a SAT-7 PARS viewer in Iran, shares how Signal is a platform for isolated he too is witnessing God at work in Iran. “People believers here are so keen to hear the Word of God that if we could go out and freely distribute Bibles, 5 perhaps even 500 a day would not be enough,” 1 Sharing viewer and guest testimonies, live program Signal is a platform for he says.