What started as a simple Christ-centred radio program has grown into something much larger. 

Square One World Media is a Christian media organization that started more than 70 years ago in 1947 by a small group of Bible College students who dreamt of using radio to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with their English-speaking Winnipeg neighbours. 

Back then it was known as Gospel Light Hour. Three years later in 1950, Gospel Light Hour became an agency and the vision quickly expanded to include radio broadcasts in several languages.

"It started with English, then low German, then Russian, then Spanish and Ukrainian. They have also now added Arabic and Persian," explains Shoaib Ebadi, president and executive director of Square One World Media.

Almost 20 years later, and still, under the direction of the Manitoba Mennonite Brethren Conference, Gospel Light Hour experienced its first name change, becoming Mennonite Brethren Communications in 1976.

In 1996, Mennonite Brethren Communications began using a new name: Family Life Network. The name marked the beginning of the ministry's journey as an independent agency, separate from the Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba. Family Life Network became incorporated in 2000.

Determined to keep pace with a changing media landscape, Mennonite Brethren Communications and Family Life Network introduced digital media into its lineup of projects, producing content for various online platforms.

The ministry's most recent transition occurred in 2014 as Family Life Network Inc. became Square One World Media Inc. Shoaib Ebadi joined as president and executive director of Square One World Media in 2016.

"As we approach our 75th anniversary in 2022, I think one of the things that has never changed is the heart of our ministry. The names have changed, but the heart of the ministry has never changed," says Ebadi.

"The heart of our ministry is to spread the life-changing message of Jesus Christ through media. We've done that for 70 plus years and God willing, hope to keep going."  

Today on Connections, he shares how and why he got involved with Square One World Media. He also chats about some of the programming that the ministry is currently working on.