SAT-7 TURK

An Invitation to Make Fishers of Men

6th September 2019 / written by: Melissa Fleck

“I will make you fishers of men” – with these words Jesus called Simon and Andrew to follow Him. Is God calling Kerem, from Turkey, in a similar way today? After an encounter with a priest and repeated dreams, Kerem is looking for answers and has shared his story with SAT-7 TÜRK.

Despite not being a Christian, on a visit to Ephesus, Kerem found himself praying at a church. After finishing his prayers, he went to sit outside with his friends.

A STRANGE PREDICTION

“There was a group of priests sitting near us and we started talking to them,” explains Kerem. After some time, one of the priests addressed Kerem personally:

“He told me that there was something different about me, and that someday, I would be with them and become one of their brothers.”

Surprised, and put on the spot among his friends, Kerem laughed it off, dismissing the comment. “Why on earth would I follow Christ?” he thought.

A DREAM WITH A MESSAGE

Time passed, but Kerem was not able to forget the events in Ephesus, and soon after, he had a dream.

“In my dream, Jesus Christ handed me a fishing rod. He told me to leave the lake I was at and to go to another lake to go fishing with Him. So, I went to the other lake and began fishing with Jesus,” Kerem explains. “I caught a fish, inside the fish were four coins.”

Waking up from the dream, Kerem was surprised by how real it felt, and he kept having similar dreams.

A SEARCH FOR MEANING

Because of these dreams and his encounter with the priest, Kerem started looking for answers. Discovering SAT-7 TÜRK, he began watching the programs and wrote to the channel to ask the questions burning on his heart.

“What do all these dreams mean? Why are these things happening to me?”

“Please pray for me.”

Unable to find an active church in the city Kerem lives in, the SAT-7 TÜRK Audience Relations team put him in touch with a pastor in the area.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Please pray for Kerem, and people like him in Turkey, who are hearing God calling them. Pray that they will respond like Simon and Andrew did when they heard Jesus call “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).

Love Is … Giving Life

9th August 2019 / written by: Melissa Fleck

Derya* lives in Turkey and, like most of the Turkish population, she didn’t know a lot about Christianity. Her life changed completely when she came across SAT-7 TÜRK and started watching it regularly.

Derya called the SAT-7 TÜRK team to share her story:

Derya’s voice message is a powerful testimony of how God is working on the hearts of those who watch SAT-7 TÜRK.

“Since I have been watching SAT-7 TÜRK, I got to know Jesus,” Derya shares. “I can honestly say that I was resurrected with Him. I understand now what that means.”

“I have realised that I was dead before I knew Him. I was living, but inside I wasn’t. And now I know what it means to really be alive.”

A MODERN–DAY MIRACLE

Despite its rich Christian history, Christians now make up a tiny minority of Turkey’s population. Most Turks believe that Christianity is a Western religion and being a Christian is considered a betrayal of their country and national identity.

SAT-7 TÜRK is a modern-day miracle in Turkey. Through its holistic programming, SAT-7 TÜRK works to dispel the misconceptions and misunderstandings of Christianity in Turkey.

Isolated Christians across Turkey have access to a wider Christian community through SAT-7, and the Audience Relations team work tirelessly to be a source of support and encouragement to viewers like Derya.

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*Name has been changed for security purposes, image is for illustrative purposes.

Shirin from Turkey

1st April 2018 / written by: Mesha McMiller

Since Shirin* was three, she struggled. Was God close? Could he hear her prayers? Shirin felt broken and lost in a society surrounded by uncertain times. Then, after watching a SAT-7 TÜRK program, something happened that changed Shirin’s entire perspective.

“I tried to get God closer to me through prayer, but my prayers were like a ritual. I did not hear Him once. His silence and my inability to hear Him made me hurt, depressed and troubled. The closer I tried getting to Him, the more I thought He didn’t hear me or didn’t want to talk to me,” Shirin from Turkey explained to our Audience Relations Team.

“On your program, I heard people saying that they are able to hear the voice of God, so I wondered, why couldn’t I? This made me eager to follow your programs.”

“MY BROKEN HEART WAS HEALED.”

Shirin continued to watch SAT-7 TÜRK and slowly found her perspective changing. “Now, I understand better how to pray because of your programs: that I am to invite God into my life and not try to force Him to act; and to be genuine by confessing my sins.”

Once Shirin applied what she learned from the programs in her prayers, she could hear God. For the first time, she could feel His closeness. “I heard His voice talking to me for the first time, saying, “Remain in my love” (John 15:9). Although I had never read His Word, He started to speak it to me. From then on, my broken heart was healed.”

Now, Shirin has a new-found joy as her relationship with God deepens. “It was God who took the step towards me, and not I—His work, not mine. All I had to do to get to know Him was to genuinely invite Him in. Since then He is with me and we commune daily.”

Millions are learning about the hope of Christ in Turkey as they watch programs dedicated to showing love and kindness. Learn more about SAT-7 TÜRK and the viewers watching our programs.

IF WE CAN DO IT, YOU CAN TOO!

1st June 2017 / written by: SAT-7 USA

Turkish women still face discrimination and oppression in a country that has moved in recent months from democratic to autocratic. The program Homemade is inspiring women across the country by introducing them to successful Turkish female professionals. Homemade aims to empower women through activities in their daily lives.

Broadcast two hours every weekday, Homemade also features homemade crafts, cooking, and interviews with a medical doctor.

The program’s motto is, “If we can do it, you can too!” Its objective is to help women realize their full potential and believe they can succeed at whatever they put their minds to.

SOCIAL IMPACT

Producer Deniz Çolak wants to encourage women to develop skills to boost their confidence. Cooking, jewelry design, book recommendations, and events and theatre news are some of the topics Homemade will cover in workshops, conversations with artisans, and street interviews.

“Women in Turkey are often prevented from pursuing their aspirations because they feel insecure and lack confidence,” explains Deniz. “By including workshop segments in the program and informing viewers about social institutions, charities, and foundations that focus on the use of home materials for the creation of homemade crafts, we are broadening our audience’s horizons and helping them dream big.”

EMOTIONAL EMPOWERMENT

Rape, honor killings, and child marriages are all too commonplace in contemporary Turkey. Women continue to be held back in the family, socially, in the workplace and, in some regions, in education.

“We are speaking to Turkish women who have become lawyers, doctors, psychologists, and researchers,” says Deniz. “We want our audience to be inspired by these courageous women, who stand on their own two feet despite the struggles they have faced.”

The presenters and guests talk about women’s issues and give biblically inspired counsel during the show. “Speaking about these issues will help us show God’s love to more people. If we can touch just one person’s life, it will have been worth it,” explains Deniz.

You can do your part to in building up women in the region by supporting SAT-7 programming. Even just $1 will provide 1 year of programming to one MENA viewer!

SAT-7: An Advocate

12th January 2017 / written by: SAT-7 USA

SAT-7 is more than a family of television channels: we are advocates.

For many in the Middle East and North Africa, individuals face isolation for more than their faith. Among Christians and non-believers alike, suffering from mental illness, or at times struggling with serious stress, depression, or emotional conditions, are means to be ostracized. Society dictates that individuals like this are being punished by God or suffer from bad spirits. Yet at any given time, 1 in 10 people are thought to suffer from a mental disorder.¹ Areas affected by war, like Syria and Yemen, see the rate rise to 1 in 6 people.

Imagine being one of the millions of individuals left to feel isolated, abandoned, and forgotten? How should we respond according to the Word?

SHARING GOD’S LOVE

In an effort to share God’s love, SAT-7 has created many programs that address the taboo subject of mental health. SAT-7 TÜRK program Obstacle Overcomer bears light on the topic of handicapped persons through interviews that display the value of these individuals all while sharing God’s love.

Other programs, like Needle and New Thread, dedicate episodes to discussing these topics. In a recent episode, Needle and New Thread presenters had psychiatrists as guests on the show to discuss the topic of anxiety, fear, and even mental illness. Like all of our live shows, viewers were asked to call in. The calls that came through were eye-opening for viewers. Nader called to discuss his troubles with claustrophobia; Magdy, who takes pain killers for bone pain, asked if the chemicals in his brain would cause future bouts of depression. Yet another young woman from Cairo shared her fears. After the birth of her first child, she struggled with postpartum depression. It would require her getting medication and talking to a psychologist to get the help she needed. Now, she is pregnant again and fears that she will lapse back into depression. Regardless of the questions or concerns, presenters and guest speakers encouraged viewers through advice, prayer, and by listening to their concerns.

Through this program and so many others, SAT-7 encourages those suffering from mental disease, spiritual challenges, or medical issues. Together, we show them God’s love and teach them that they are so much more than their problems. We teach them they are loved, cared for, and wanted by God and the Christian community. SAT-7 shows that God cares for each individual and His Word provides direction, healing, and peace when and where social perspectives fail to meet human needs.

Can you imagine being shown, for the first time in your life, that you are loved, cared for, and wanted after being mistreated, abused, or ignored for so long? Thank you for helping us give people like Nader and Magdy hope through the love of God. For being advocates in a world that has us all believe that we are unworthy or less than whom we truly are: loved by God.

1 The Economist

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We Confront Rumors

8th December 2016 / written by: SAT-7 USA

Turkish Christians are up against lies and rumors about who they are. Some common misconceptions are that they’re anti-nationalists and believe in three gods – heresy to many Turks.

These days, Turkish Christians largely feel misunderstood and even threatened. Only recently, five men who murdered three Christians in 2007 were sentenced. SAT-7 TÜRK Broadcasting Manager Gökhan Talas had narrowly escaped being murdered that day in 2007.

Gökhan (pictured right) says “Christians in Turkey feel there is a potential risk all the time. It’s one reason that an important part of our work through SAT-7’s television programs is to show Turkish people that Christianity is not a threat to the country but a message of life and hope. And it has been here in this country for 2,000 years.”

TENSIONS IN TURKEY

Tensions in Turkey have likewise been heightened by this year’s failed coup attempt, its aftermath, and the pressures of an influx of Syrian and Iraqi refugees.

But the incredible thing about Turkey, and the avenue for change, is that people are watching over four hours of TV a day! (Deutsche Welle)

SAT-7 is airing the truth of the Bible to record numbers of Turks, dispelling rumors and inviting them to learn what the Bible has to say for themselves.

Last January, we began broadcasting on premier satellite Türksat, which has an audience of 50 million people! And in July 2016, we added another potential five million viewers when we started airing on D-Smart, a digital subscription service. These were landmark events for the growth of Turkey’s Church, as SAT-7 is the first Christian channel to broadcast on these platforms.

Thanks to your support, together, we confront rumors with God’s Truth. Thank you for standing with us and please continue to support Turkish Christian broadcasts on SAT-7.

This month only! A generous donor has offered to match gifts for Turkey. Your gift of $10 now supports 20 viewer for 1 year! Click here to give now!