In-depth training provides knowledge and practical tools for serving communities effectively in MENA.
Thirty-nine MENAU workers attended a training to gain deeper understanding of the local religion and to learn Bible study methods that help them connect authentically with people across cultures, sharing God’s love in practical, culturally sensitive ways.
A guiding principle for this work comes from the words of Ellen White in Ministry of Healing, p. 143:
“Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.’”
Understanding religious practices and beliefs, cultural values, and worldview is essential to our ability to effectively mingle with people in meaningful and respectful ways. Throughout the training, invaluable insights were shared by a wide range of presenters from the Middle East North Africa Union (MENAU) and the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (GC), including Dr. Petras Bahadur, Dr. Samuel Lumwe, Patricia Gustin, Amir Ghali, Ricardo Palacios, Ashraf Fawzy, Amal Fawzy, Labiba Zaky, Rafael Porto, and Mioty Andriamahefason.
Participants also explored Bible study methods that engage learners through the narratives of Scripture. Story-based learning opens hearts more naturally, allowing biblical truths to be grasped experientially rather than merely as information. In many non-Christian contexts, for example, discovering the Sabbath within the Creation story feels both appealing and intuitive. With no prior tradition of Sunday worship, the Sabbath arises simply and clearly from God’s original design, making understanding and acceptance far more natural.
Participants included local workers who offered valuable insights from within their own cultural contexts. Shared worship, testimonies, prayer, and fellowship built a spirit of unity and deepened the group’s passion for serving with purpose. Attendees left encouraged and eager to apply what they had learned in their home contexts.
Let us pray: Dear God, thank you for becoming one of us and for being God with us, making a way for our salvation and for us to know you. May we be willing to draw near to others as you drew near to us—listening, understanding, and loving in real and tangible ways—so that your love may be seen and known through us. Amen.