Prayer Update: New Church Believers' Training Retreats

A huge thank you to all those who responded prayerfully to our Call2Prayer in July for the 12 New Church (NC) believers attending our two ministry retreats run by the Gulf office. We praise God that He kept the whole group safe for the duration of the conferences, and that He used this time and space powerfully to work in the lives of these believers.

For this group to be gifted the opportunity to spend some time away from the dangers and stressors of their home country, to focus on being in the Lord’s presence and receiving from him, was a phenomenal blessing. In the West, we can take for granted the relative safety of our homes, conference centres and churches as places where we can freely practise and express our faith in the Lord Jesus. One of our leaders remarked:

“The time spent in worship and prayer took them to a place of rest. They were able to accept their vulnerability and open up about their struggles. They shared their hearts and prayed for one another in groups and on personal basis. They needed to rest in the Lord’s presence.”

As well as having the time to rest and receive, this time away was an important team building opportunity for a number of the individuals who are emerging leaders in ministry and evangelism to those from their background. These individuals attended a conference held by our Gulf team back in December 2021, and at this time, they struggled significantly to work together as a team and there was a persistent lack of trust in one another. Our team have therefore been working hard to disciple and mentor these individuals over the course of the year, to help them build trust, understanding and empathy for one another, and to grow in humility and grace. This July, to God’s glory, a huge transformation was seen:

“By the end of the conference, they were able to work together on planning a project on discipling new believers. They spent 4 hours together, came up with a detailed plan, and are now ready to implement it. They were able to appreciate their differences and utilise them for God’s glory. None of them said, “My way or no way.” There was a sense of trust and respect. Praise God.”

Our team saw incredible answers to prayer in the life of one particular believer, who we are calling Hanif*. Hanif originally denied the opportunity to attend the conference, owing to his family and work commitments. Though, our team persisted in prayer, as they recognised he was becoming increasingly distracted by the world and away from his ministry calling. At the very last minute, Hanif asked if he could still join – of course, the answer was a resounding yes! Not only did he engage and respond spiritually, but he was instrumental in bringing the whole team of new leaders together in their plans. He also took the opportunity to share his testimony in a local church whilst they were away. Hanif’s testimony impacted the local pastor so deeply, that he felt moved to pursue greater partnership with our group of Arab believers and the local church in this country.

We thank our great God for the many ways His hand was seen over the course of these two retreats. We continue to pray for these individuals, their ministry and leadership potential, and God’s calling upon their lives.

*pseudonym