A Christian pastor was recently shot and wounded by religious zealots in Pakistan, only one week after non-Christian slogans were written on the walls of his church building. When the assailants ordered him to recite an anti-Christian creed, Rev. Eleazar Sidhu refused and was subsequently shot. This came shortly after the church where the pastor served was defaced. After he removed the vandalism, Sidhu was threatened yet again. This attack is just one in a long list of injustices against Christians in Pakistan.
Our mission is to share the truth of Jesus, and the message of hope, with those who are deeply connected to religious influences through cultural tradition and pressure from their leaders. And just like Reverend Charlie Byers did more than 77 years ago when he launched the Gospel Tide Hour on the airwaves in Chambersburg, PA, we are still determined to keep a spirit of originality. We accomplish this through not only our popular radio broadcasts, but we also continue to come up with new and creative solutions that are designed to best engage as many people as possible with the Gospel.
One creative way we are engaging the world is through our Middle East Children’s Program, which is designed to provide a creative and attention-catching forum to break down barriers children in the Arab and Muslim societies may experience, allowing them to learn about God. By utilizing a series of videos involving puppets, these programs answer key questions about Christianity in a way children can understand, as well as declare the salvation message and invite children to accept Jesus as their personal Savior.
The puppet shows are aired on all Arabic satellite channels, including the most-watched Christian satellite channel in the Middle East. In addition, the programs are posted online through various digital media channels. We expect a minimum of 5 million children to watch throughout the Middle East region through these avenues; allowing those who desperately want to know the truth about Jesus, but might feel intimidated or scared to learn more, can easily find hope in the safety of their own home. Seekers merely need to tune into our life-giving programs to find a loving Christian community and the assurance that comes from placing their hope in Christ alone.
If you would like to be a part of what God is doing through the ministry, we invite you to partner with us through prayer and financial support as it is through supporters like you, we are able to provide hope to this fallen world.