After a year of planning, praying and producing, World Mission Broadcast in the Middle East premiered the first-ever Nazarene television show on SAT-7, the largest Christian satellite channel in the Middle East November 9.
The team just finished production on 26 episodes––a complete first season––of Aktar Min Kalam (“More Than Words”), a 30-minute program featuring interviews, discussions, music and Biblical teaching on a different topic each week.
The show's title refers to the fact that the Bible is more than just words on paper, said host Ayman Kafrouny in a recent audiocast interview.
"It's life."
The show is the creation of Kafrouny, who is World Mission Broadcast Arabic Coordinator and host of a Nazarene Arabic radio program, Foshat Amal ("Journey of Hope"), a 15-minute weekly radio devotional that airs on Middle East radio as well as through the Internet.
Every episode focuses on a topic or problem, such as fear of death, addressing it through a fast-paced succession of short segments that alternate between Kafrouny's devotional thoughts from the studio and interviews with people on the street, expert commentators and testimonies from real people.
The testimonies are dramatized through re-enactments in two parts, beginning with the person's experience of the show's topical problem, and concluding with how Christ changed the person's life.
"The rhythm of the program is very fast," Kafrouny said.
Because SAT-7 has viewers across the Middle East, the show highlights people from throughout the region.
The show is partially funded by church offerings to World Mission Broadcast, and Kafrouny works creatively to raise the rest of the financial support needed to produce the show.
"There is a hired production crew and a rented studio," said Brian Utter, global coordinator for World Mission Broadcast. "Some young people from the church there are volunteering to help produce the program. We eventually would like to put in video editing equipment there and train local members to edit the program. That will dramatically drop production costs."
SAT-7, which claims 8.7 million viewers, gears its programming for both Christian and non-Christian viewers, children through adults.
"They are very excited to have quality Arabic produced material," Utter said, "and Ayman's popularity as the prominent Arabic Christian worship leader always opens doors. (People) are watching Arabic Christian television and it is making incredible in-roads and young people are beginning to ask questions."
Kafrouny was a popular secular singer throughout the Middle East before he accepted Christ; afterward he continued singing in televised worship services and revivals, as well as began developing Nazarene Arabic radio and TV ministry in 2004.
Pray that the Lord will use this program to allow many to experience His love through Jesus Christ,” said Kafrouny, “and may this step help the ministry of our church to grow in this part of the world.”