MENA (MNN) — The old model of serving the Great Commission often saw westerners leaving their homes to share Christ in different countries or on faraway continents. But today, as more national churches grow, it is arguably more important and impactful to equip local believers instead.
Support Local Believers
(Photo courtesy of SAT-7)
SAT-7, a satellite TV ministry to the Middle East and North Africa, wants to do exactly that. SAT-7 is making God’s love visible through its TV channels in homes across the MENA region. What’s more, the shows produced are created by people from the MENA region for the people of the MENA region.
“This is what the Lord said, ‘You are the salt and the light’. In this MENA region, the Church is the salt and the light. They have to be equipped and ready for reaching their neighbors and the nations,” Michael Helmy, SAT-7 ARABIC Channels Director says.
“It’s very important because it’s more effective for locals to reach locals, for the local church to reach the local people, because they have the same culture, the same background. They share the same life.”
(Photo courtesy of SAT-7 USA via Facebook)
Furthermore, local believers are more influential and understand the social and security challenges of welcoming someone new to a church. And if local believers are the ones inviting people to their place of worship, Helmy says they are more likely to accept the newcomers, too.
“In some regions, there is a problem that after they do outreach…the local church is not ready to accept these new members in the church [because of] a lot of issues; security issues, culture issues, your family traditions,” Helmy explains.
Pray for MENA Church
(Photo courtesy of SAT-7)
Pray for openness in these local churches and for God to calm their fears and for wisdom for local believers as they navigate the complexities of welcoming strangers into their church walls.
Pray for the churches in the MENA region to have creativity and encouragement as they make God’s love visible. Also, pray for these churches to persevere in their work. Pray for the protection of these believers and the impact.
Finally, pray for SAT-7. Pray for the organization’s work as it equips believers in the MENA region and for the necessary resources for SAT-7 to continue its work of making God’s love visible on TV screens in the MENA region.
To find more specific ways to pray SAT-7, click here.
Help support SAT-7’s work here.
Header map courtesy of Wikipedia.
