I watch all of your live shows. Sometimes I watch for 4-5 hours a day. I owe the changes in my life to SAT‑7’s programs; I don’t have any other source, as I have no Christian friends and no Bible."
— Lebanon
The live social media program Church4Kids returned for a new season this month, using interactive Bible studies and games to help children across the Persian world connect with their Heavenly Father, the Bible, and each other.
Church4Kids is broadcast weekly on Instagram and YouTube for children ages 5-15, using an attractive virtual set. Each entertaining episode begins with host Maryam Rassouli introducing a new topic and sharing a relevant Bible passage, which viewers must do their best to remember in order to take part in the competition held later in the show.
“The more we read the words of the Bible, the better we know Jesus,” said Maryam. Her heart for young viewers to know the God of the Bible shines through every broadcast. “The better you know someone, the stronger the relationship. When you just meet someone, it’s hard to trust them and be relaxed around them, so it’s really important to read our Bibles so that we have a relationship just like one between parents and their children.”
“You Care for Us”
Feedback from young viewers and their parents from the previous season of Church4Kids demonstrates the impact the program is making.
A teenage girl from Afghanistan said that she appreciates how every topic discussed is connected to the Bible, and she remarked that the competitions motivate her to read the text more thoroughly. She added, “Your efforts help us learn about love, forgiveness, humility, and so many other important values. I love Church4Kids and see how much the staff dedicates themselves to us. It’s clear that you care for each of us equally and treat us all with kindness. Thank you for everything you do for us.”
Participation in the program is strongly encouraged: young viewers can send messages to the Church4Kids team, take part in games, join in worship songs, or call in to speak with Maryam during the live broadcast. As viewers talk with the team and hear the voices of other young Christians, they can sense a real connection to the body of Christ, which is a valuable and rare experience in Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan.
“It is Helping Me to Grow”
Topics covered in Church4Kids have included: “Getting to know the Bible” (in five parts), “Forgiveness,” “Wisdom,” “Children of God,” and “What does it mean to be holy?”
By engaging with these topics and the accompanying Bible passages, young viewers are developing an active faith. One said, “I try to act out in my life the things that I learn from Church4Kids and learn from the mistakes I make.”
A 13-year-old girl from Iran is learning about God through the stories of famous Bible characters. “I am getting to know more about the Bible and the people God mentions in the Bible, explaining who they were, what they did, and what I must do,” she said. “It is helping me to grow and to know God better.”
It is particularly encouraging when Christian parents contact us to give positive feedback about our programs. “I am a parent, and I am personally blessed by the videos you include in your programs that have teaching content,” Farzaneh, a mother from Iran, said after watching Church4Kids. “Dear Maryam, I can really see the kindness in your heart as you bring God’s Word, listen to the children, and encourage them. This is incredibly valuable. I really know the worth of what you are doing, and I am grateful for you. You are a wonderful daughter of the Lord.”
