Scripture Engagement through Social Media (SESaMe)

In a place with severely limited access to the Bible and very few Christians, tens of thousands of people have encountered the gospel through the online outreach of Scripture Engagement through Social Media (SESaMe). Christar workers Ned and Cindy* started this outreach in April 2021, prompted by a continuing burden for the people of a Central Asian country where they ministered for several years before returning to the U.S. Through SESaMe, they create and send bite-sized text and audio content that encapsulate portions of Scripture for easy consumption.

In early 2022, Ned and Cindy set up a chatbot that automatically sends SESaMe content to those who are interested in reading God’s Word. This allows their audience to receive the next story or passage in sequence when it is convenient for them, and it enables Ned and Cindy to devote more time to building personal connections with those like Brent who are seeking the truth.

“I would like to have information about how to worship God,” Brent* had requested after finishing a series of biblical stories received through the chatbot in just one day.

When they responded to Brent, Ned and Cindy told him that sin has separated humans from their Creator, thus making their worship not acceptable to God. After reading a second series of stories about sin, Brent admitted that he is a sinner. After just two months of reading God’s Word, he decided to follow Jesus.

Since 2021, over 65,000 people in Muslim communities have gained access to the good news through SESaMe. Of these, 37 have expressed that they believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which represents a significant change from their Muslim beliefs and upbringing. And two dozen have professed faith in Christ and their desire to follow Him.

In spite of the severe consequences they could face for following Jesus, many of those who have believed are sharing the good news and connecting Ned and Cindy with others who are hungry for the hope of the gospel. Ivan, the first to trust in Christ through SESaMe, connected his friend Jay with the couple, and he embraced the gospel in 2022. Since then, his whole family of six has decided to follow Jesus and want to be baptized. He has been zealous to reach his own extended family, friends, neighbors and colleagues for Christ, and recently two of his extended relatives have shown interest in receiving Bible stories.

Engagement Beyond Social Media

Due to prevalent persecution of Christians, not all professing believers are willing to meet with other believers, even online. For those who are, Ned and Cindy founded a weekly online worship gathering, as well as separate Bible study groups for males and females in view of this highly segregated people group’s cultural need to maintain distance between the sexes.

Through seeds of Scripture sown in good soil, God is producing 2 Timothy 2:2 disciple-makers, who in turn are passing on what they have learned to others. Your gift will further enable the widespread scattering of these seeds among a least-reached people group in a country where there is no visible church.

Participate in the Ministry of Scripture Engagement through Social Media (SESaMe)

By Supporting Financially:

• $80 pays for a month of social media ads.
• $100 covers one month of the chatbot subscription.
• $125 covers the cost of the project’s website domain for a year.
• $250/month supports local believers in creating culturally appropriate ads and messaging, as well as in assisting in follow-up efforts.

By Praying:

• Praise God for Brent and others who are responding to Scripture through this ministry, and for good soil like Jay’s that is bearing much fruit.
• Pray that people who are hungry for truth will have consistent, reliable access to the internet and places where they feel comfortable accessing Scripture-based content.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to convince people who encounter Scripture through SESaMe of the worthiness of Jesus, despite the high cost of following Him in their homeland. Pray that believers would not fear persecution, and that God will grow them into 2 Timothy 2:2 disciple-makers.
• Ask God to move among the women of this culture, who face increasing restrictions and have less access to the Bible than men. Pray that God will burden the hearts of all believing men to share the gospel with the women and children in their extended families.