The Seventh-day Adventist Church's official television network debuted on the DirecTV satellite network today, a move that church leaders say is a chance to minister to millions of additional viewers in North America.

The network, Hope Channel, which features Christian lifestyle programming, is available on channel DirecTV channel 368.

"To have a full time channel, 24/7, sharing God's message of hope into millions of homes is an awesome development," said Hope Channel director Brad Thorp.

Last month, the church began construction on a new studio, which network executives said would help improve the quality of programming as the network competes in new markets.

Some users may need to reboot their DirecTV system to receive the new addition of the Hope Channel.

For more information see hopetv.org.