By Janee Angel, CBF field personnel

This October will mark my 20th anniversary of living in Belgium. Over the last two decades, my Syrian husband and I have seen the addition of several Arabic churches in the country. We have seen one of the original churches lock its doors and sell the building after over a decade and a half of ministry. We have experienced the hurt of leadership abuse more times than we can count. We have carried a heavy burden of the brokenness of Arab church on so many levels and longed for healing.  

Over the last year, we have felt the shift in the desire of a handful of people waiting and expecting more among Arabic speaking sisters and brothers. And knowing that what was attempted in the churches over the years wasn’t working, we decided to try something new.  

We noticed that among the normal church go-ers, they simply show up (late) to a church service, as if looking to check a box on a to-do list each week, or month. People came looking for some kind of help from the church but not necessarily to be a part of the church. There seemed to be a lack of desire to serve Jesus and love others so that they too could enter this life of knowing God.  

So together with our local ministry partners, a couple from Egypt, we began a discipleship school. Over the last six months, a little more than 20 people show up each month to learn how to serve. Many have never read the Bible, so that seemed like a wonderful place to start. Now they are spending time each day reading no less than 10 chapters of the Bible. They are now almost finished reading the Bible for the second time in two different translations. They spend time each day in private worship and prayer, and together they learn about different areas of ministry and service.  
 
We try to teach not just theology but also basic behavior in the kingdom. One of my favorite practical lessons included how to behave at a church potluck. They were taught that, as servants, they should not be the first in line, but they needed to make sure there was enough food for everyone and to be willing to go without in order that others could eat. And if they did eat, they could not be the one to eat all the rolled stuffed grape leaves. Seriously heartbreaking news to some in the group! 

We have laughed a lot together. We have also cried, celebrated and held each other up in prayer. We are a relatively small group, but for the first time in two decades, we feel things are changing. God only knows where He will take us, but we are building a new kind of community.  One that is learning to wash one another’s feet and welcome all who come seeking. It’s a beautiful new beginning.