With Easter being marked on the same day by the Eastern and Western churches this year – which...
To celebrate Christian fellowship in North Africa, SAT-7 ARABIC aired a special devotional program – Evening Gatherings – throughout the 30 days of Ramadan. Filmed in Tunisia with segments from Algeria and Morocco, the program was a beautiful display of unity among believers as they encouraged each other with testimonies, prayers, worship, and Bible discussions.
Evening Gatherings was filmed with local believers in a traditional living room setting and extended a warm welcome to believers and seekers alike. The program featured different North African languages and variants to make it accessible to people across the region.
Andrew Gamal, Audio Studio Manager at SAT-7 Egypt, worked with North African production partners on Evening Gatherings. He explained the special timing and wide appeal of the program: “Ramadan here is similar to Christmas in the West in that it is as much a community celebration as it is a religious festival. Significantly, it is when the majority of special television productions are made. When families break their fast in the evening, they sit together eating and watching TV! People are also more open spiritually during this period, so Evening Gatherings is a good opportunity to show what Christians believe and how they worship.”
As well as drawing on universal themes that are featured during Ramadan and other world festivals – such as eating with family and watching TV – the program sought to showcase the North African Church, which comprises mostly of small groups gathering in homes for worship and fellowship.
With each episode of Evening Gatherings focusing on a different part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, the presenters were able to discuss topics from peace and persecution to prayer and fasting.
An episode focusing on prayer emphasized the personal nature of praying to God. “For me, prayer is a relationship with God,” said Shadia. “I pray to Him all the time. There’s no one between us.” Hafiz agreed: “God called us to worship him personally and in our own rooms first and foremost.”
For those in North Africa who live out their faith under pressure, considering Jesus’ teaching on persecution will have been particularly moving.
“Some of our brothers and sisters in Tunisia in certain areas were assaulted by people in authority,” said Pastor Kamal, as he reflected on Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:10-12. “We want to defend all those in pain and the forgotten. We want to say, ‘Blessed are you when these things happen to you because you will gain the Kingdom of Heaven.’ People can say bad things about you and that you worship in a strange way. No, it’s not strange… Rejoice, for great is your reward in Heaven. Let’s rejoice because our compensation is from the Lord.”
Christians are a small minority in North Africa, and new believers in particular can face opposition and hostility. But the Church is growing, and SAT-7 receives thousands of messages from people there.
Firas* from Morocco came to faith in Christ three years ago and is longing to live out his faith more freely. “I feel very discouraged living in an oppressive country where the values differ greatly from my faith in Jesus,” he said. But ongoing conversations with SAT-7’s Viewer Support Team have given him more hope. “You are like a brother to me, and I’ll share everything with you,” he said. “I love talking with you and sharing [faith-related] matters. Soon, God’s promises will be fulfilled in my life.”
Sarah from Algeria contacted SAT-7 seeking discipleship and fellowship. “When I first believed in Christ, I kept my faith private for a while,” she said. “I met someone who introduced me to an online discipleship program because [spiritually] I was like a newborn child. I studied and attended weekly sessions. I stayed like this for a long time until I met believers here in Algeria, and I started going to church.”
Sarah reportedly “faced many problems” when her family found out about her Christian faith, but she persevered. She is thankful to God and to SAT-7 for helping her through difficult times. “I thank God – He opened my eyes and let me see. Thank you for praying for me.”
*Viewer names have been changed for security.
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