The whole Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been on high alert in the last few weeks. Suffering continues in the Holy Land as Gaza’s only Catholic church was bombed last week, and a suicide bombing in a Damascus church has sent shockwaves through Syria’s minority Christian community. Despite a fragile ceasefire, tension remains high after the launch of airstrikes on Iran in June and the subsequent retaliatory attacks.

Show Note Resources:

“Our Hope is You” – Believers across the Arab world gather for a night of prayer for their region: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdB_sHNYRpM

Read the full Middle East Briefing for July: https://www.sat7uk.org/middle-east-briefing-churches-under-attack

Catch up on our full “Pray for Iran” event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hCgoClAzjY

“Filming these stories was sacramental work” – an open letter by Maggie Morgan https://www.sat7uk.org/filming-refugee-stories/

Prayer Points:

• Pray for the tiny population of Christians in Gaza, especially in the wake of a recent attack on the Holy Family Church.
• Pray for peace and unity in Syria, and for God’s supernatural comfort for those who lost loved ones in the attack on St Elias Church.
• Pray that the ceasefire in Iran will hold, and that Iranian Christians will hold on to their faith in Christ even in troubling times.
• Give thanks that SAT-7 is raising the voices of refugees and calling for kindness. Pray for the ongoing impact of the video campaign.
• Pray for all SAT-7’s viewers in the MENA who are experiencing despair and hopelessness in the face of recent violence and uncertainty. Ask that SAT-7 will continue to make programmes that speak out God’s love and joy to millions across the region.

Welcome to Voices of the Middle East, a SAT-7 UK podcast. SAT-7 is an international Christian media ministry bringing life-changing joy to the people of the Middle East and North Africa. Last year we had over 103,000 one-to-one conversations with viewers, and through these conversations we are hearing constant stories of the ways God is at work in people’s lives. In this podcast, we’ll share some of their stories with you, and invite you to pray for SAT-7 and the people of the region.

Türkiye is a nation that bridges East and West. It was once the heart of early Christianity and is home to many foundational moments in the Church’s story – from the journeys of the Apostle Paul to the Council of Nicaea. Yet today, Christianity is often misunderstood and marginalised among Turks. This briefing explores Türkiye’s Christian heritage, its complex modern landscape, and the impact of SAT-7 TÜRK – a Christian television channel that this year celebrates a decade of boldly sharing the love of Christ with Turkish-speakers on Türkiye’s national satellite.

Show Note Resources:

Prayer Points:

• For a Turkish Church that is well-connected, united, full of love, and standing firm in Jesus.
• For wisdom and safety in Türkiye in the wake of earthquakes and protests.
• For the team at SAT-7 TÜRK, that they may be encouraged and supported as they work to represent the Christian faith in Türkiye in an accurate, loving and understandable way.
• Give thanks for SAT-7 TÜRK and pray that viewers will continue to be encouraged and supported, so that they may grow in faith and fellowship.

Why “Türkiye” and not “Turkey”?

You might notice that we spell ‘Turkey’ as ‘Türkiye’. In 2022, the UN accepted the country’s request for its name to be internationally recognised as Türkiye. As an international broadcaster, and one that has a presence in the country, SAT-7 has decided to adopt this change.