SAT-7 TÜRK’s longest-running programme, Words of Hope, has now beamed God’s Word to Turkish speakers more than a thousand times. As SAT-7 marks 15 years of Turkish broadcasts, Words of Hope presenter and pastor Haluk Bilgen reflects on the programme’s years of witness and impact.
“In the beginning, I used to worry and wonder, ‘What am I going to share with viewers today?’ But week, after week, after week, God brought more and more varied topics into my life and heart that I wanted to share with viewers through the program. As time went on, I was so amazed at how God spoke to me. And He still speaks to me, so I want to continue to serve this ministry and share my heart through this programme as much as I can,” shares Haluk.
Over a thousand episodes of Words of Hope have been produced since SAT-7 first began broadcasting Turkish programmes in January 2006, initially on the SAT-7 ARABIC channel. Through 10- to 15-minute biblical devotions addressing different issues in everyday life, the programme shares the Good News with viewers in Turkey and beyond in a fresh way each day. SAT-7 TÜRK began airing as a separate channel online, where it increased its broadcasts to 24 hours a day.
Breakthrough
The real breakthrough came in February 2015 when SAT-7 TÜRK achieved its goal of broadcasting as a 24/7 satellite channel on Turkey’s official media platform. Its programmes are also shared on the video-on-demand and streaming service SAT-7 PLUS and the team reaches a whole new audience with video content designed for and shared on social media.
“When we first started, there were only five or six of us, but God has blessed the effort,” says Haluk, who was born in Turkey and has spent his entire career in ministry. “Now, there are around 50 people working at the SAT-7 TÜRK studios. I am just privileged to be part of this team. What we watch on air is the result of amazing teamwork. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of those people out there that pray for this ministry.”
There remains a great need for hope in God in Turkey, where the Christian faith is widely perceived in a very negative way in Turkey despite its ancient roots in the country.
Please give thanks with us for how God has continued to use Words of Hope and the many other SAT-7 TÜRK programmes over the years. Pray that these will continue to transform the lives of many more viewers in Turkey.