In this month's powerful episode, my co-host Martin Thomas and I were honoured to be joined by two inspiring guests from Sudan, Samuel Luak and Rafat Samir. Together, we reflected on the current conflict in Sudan, the everyday realities people are facing, the experience of Christians, and where hope can still be found. It makes for an incredibly striking and moving conversation.

As violence and displacement continue to devastate lives across Sudan, this conflict has too often faded from international attention and yet it has become the world's largest humanitarian crises. In this episode Samuel and Rafat bravely share their personal experiences of the conflict, helping us to better understand the human impact and why it is so important that the global Church does not forget the people of Sudan. As we listen to their stories, we are reminded of the importance of standing with them in prayer and continuing to raise awareness of the ongoing crisis.

We also explore how God is at work in the midst of unimaginable hardship. From stories of remarkable resilience to the vital role of Christian community and media ministry, this conversation reminds us that even in the darkest circumstances, hope in Christ continues to shine. It is an invitation not only to listen and learn, but also to pray, to stand alongside our Sudanese brothers and sisters, and to keep their stories alive.

While it might not be the easiest conversation, we hope this episode will deepen your understanding of the situation in Sudan, encourage you to pray for our brothers and sisters there, and remind you that God is at work even amid conflict and suffering.

Whether you’re listening on your favourite podcast platform or via the SAT-7 UK website, we’re glad you’ve joined us around the table.

SAT-7 UK: https://www.sat7uk.org/

SAT-7 UK Podcasts: https://www.sat7uk.org/pages/sat-7-uk-podcast/

Thank you for listening and praying along with 7 ways to pray, a SAT-7 UK podcast. For more ways to pray for SAT-7 and the Middle East and North Africa, download our monthly Prayer Diary at sat7uk.org/pray.

Show Notes Links:

• Watch and listen to Prom Praise
• Around the Table - Let the Children Come: Seeing Every Child Through Jesus’ Eyes
• Work with SAT-7 UK as a Graphic Designer
• Download our monthly prayer calendar with daily prayer points to inspire focused intercession for the Middle East and North Africa. In this month's edition, we focus our prayers on praise and worship, online safety, and SAT-7 PARS viewer support. Download your PDF or an easy-to-print version here.

In this episode of Around the Table, my co-host George Makeen and I are joined by SAT-7's very own Emily Shurmer and Andrea El-Mounayer for a thoughtful and timely conversation exploring the lives, faith, and experiences of children, both in the UK and across the MENA region.

Together we reflect on what it means to see children through Jesus’ eyes – recognising their dignity, value, and worth, and considering how we can nurture faith, compassion, and curiosity in the next generation. As children today navigate an increasingly complex world, we explore some of the realities shaping their lives, while also highlighting the surprising similarities in children’s experiences across cultures and contexts.

Join us as we discuss how SAT-7 is responding to the spiritual and emotional needs of children in the MENA through faith-filled programming that brings hope, encouragement, and biblical truth into homes across the region. We explore the unique power of storytelling and television to help children engage with Scripture in meaningful and accessible ways.

Our guests are also keen to highlight the importance of understanding the Bible in its Middle Eastern context and as part of SAT-7 UK’s vision to help equip children with greater awareness of the region and deeper biblical literacy – Emily Shurmer introduces her incredible latest creation, our brand-new children’s colouring and activity book, A Very Middle Eastern Bible Atlas.

Whether you’re listening on your favourite podcast platform or via the SAT-7 UK website, we’re glad you’ve joined us around the table.

SAT-7 UK: https://www.sat7uk.org/

SAT-7 UK Podcasts: https://www.sat7uk.org/pages/sat-7-uk-podcast/

A Very Middle Eastern Bible Atlas: https://shop.sat7uk.org/products/a-very-middle-eastern-bible-atlas

Welcome to 7 Ways to Pray, a monthly podcast brought to you by SAT-7.

On the last day of May 1996, an Egyptian Christian sat down in front of his television set and saw something he had never seen on Arabic TV before: a female Arabic presenter with a cross around her neck.

To see a representative of the almost invisible Arab Christian minority on screen was such a shock to him that he just had to call the station and say, “Mish maoul!” “This is unbelievable!”

From that first simple broadcast to today, we praise God for the growth of His ministry and thank you for your faithful prayers and support – some of you from the very beginning.

Show Notes Links:

• Discover more hope-filled testimonies from the MENA in your free “30 stories of hope” book (just pay for postage!)

• Around the Table Podcast - Stories of Faith: God at Work in the Middle East and North Africa

• Download our monthly prayer calendar with daily prayer points to inspire focused intercession for the Middle East and North Africa. In this month's edition, we focus our prayers on praise and worship, online safety, and SAT-7 PARS viewer support. Download your PDF  or an easy-to-print version.

In this episode of Around the Table, we explore powerful, real-life stories of how God is moving across the region today. From quiet, personal moments of transformation to wider expressions of faith in challenging contexts, this episode offers a glimpse into lives shaped by resilience and the hope of Christ.

Together, we reflect on what it means to live out faith in Christ in the MENA region—often in circumstances that require courage, perseverance, and deep trust in God. These are stories that don’t often make the headlines, yet they speak volumes about His presence at work in everyday life right across the region.

Too often the story we hear of the MENA is about conflict, crisis and uncertainty. And while that certainly is part of the story – it's not the whole story! Beyond those narratives are individuals and communities encountering God in regular and profound ways. In this episode, we step beyond the headlines and dive into the extraordinary stories of God on the move in the MENA.

We also consider the role that Christian media has in sharing these stories—how platforms like SAT-7 create space for voices of faith to be heard, encouraging and connecting believers across borders.

This is a hopeful and uplifting conversation about how God continues to move across the region that we read about in our Bibles, and the hope that continues to grow even in the most unexpected places.

Whether you’re listening on your favourite podcast platform or via the SAT-7 UK website, we’re glad you’ve joined us around the table.

SAT-7 UK: https://www.sat7uk.org/

SAT-7 UK Podcasts: https://www.sat7uk.org/pages/sat-7-uk-podcast/

Levant Ministries: https://levantministries.org/

As each day brings new headlines of war and suffering in the Middle East, we continue to trust in the power of God to answer our prayers for the people of the region. In recent weeks, we have been inspired and encouraged by the faith of our supporters – like Maretta, a child displaced from southern Lebanon, who shared with us:

“The Bible is our only comfort that gives us strength despite all the difficulties we face. In the Bible, the words ‘Fear Not’ are mentioned 365 times for all the days of the year. Jesus knew we would fear and reminds us not to fear despite all that we face. His message for us is to be strong and not fear but to pray.”

Like Maretta, let’s not give in to fear, but continue to turn to God in prayer.

Download your May Prayer Diary here.

Listen to the youth episode of the Around the Table podcast.

Support for parents facing grief and feat amid crisis:
https://www.sat7uk.org/support-for-parents-facing-grief-and-fear-amid-crisis/

Displaced children in Lebanon inspire with prayers and faith:
https://www.sat7uk.org/displaced-children-in-lebanon-inspire-with-prayers-and-faith/

School shootings highlight need to support youth in Türkiye:
https://www.sat7uk.org/school-shootings-highlight-need-to-support-youth-in-turkiye/

Sudan: The "senseless war" the world forgot:
https://www.sat7uk.org/sudan-the-senseless-war-the-world-forgot/

Being Young in the MENA: Youth, Identity, and Shaping the Future

In this episode of Around the Table, we explore what it really means to be young in the Middle East and North Africa today. With over half the region’s population under the age of 30, this is a generation shaping the present as much as the future—full of creativity, resilience, and potential, while also navigating significant challenges.

Together, we step beyond the headlines to hear a more nuanced story. From questions of identity and belonging to the realities of opportunity, uncertainty, and hope, this conversation offers insight into life through the eyes of young people across the region.

We also reflect on the role of media in this landscape—how it influences, informs, and connects young audiences, and why platforms like SAT-7 are vital in creating space for authentic stories, and the Good News of Jesus, to be shared.

This isn’t a conversation about easy answers. It’s about listening — to the challenges young people face, to the questions they’re asking, and to the hope they carry as they navigate a rapidly changing world and help shape its future.

Whether you’re listening on your favourite podcast platform or via the SAT-7 UK website, we’re glad you’ve joined us around the table.

SAT-7 UK: https://www.sat7uk.org/

SAT-7 UK Podcasts: https://www.sat7uk.org/pages/sat-7-uk-podcast/

Welcome to 7 Ways to Pray, a monthly podcast brought to you by SAT-7.

This month, we bring you 7 prayers from SAT-7 staff across the Middle East. Over the last month, we have all been left reeling by the sudden and largescale war in the Middle East that broke out at the beginning of March. You may have been wondering how to pray at this time of crisis. We hope these seven prayers will help guide you. Maybe you could share them with others – in your church, small group or prayer meeting?

Show Note Resources:

Read and pray about the ongoing crisis in the Middle East:
https://www.sat7uk.org/crisis

Download March Prayer Diary:
https://www.sat7uk.org/pray/