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/