Amon* has led a church-planting team in the Near East for 15 years, which focuses on reaching the Druze, a sect of Islam. He lives in a Druze village and sees the calling that God has on his life and his team to be peacemakers among these people.
The work is relational and takes significant effort and time. The team uses literature and other resources, such as movies, to communicate the gospel clearly. Due to the nature of the Druze belief system, it is a very slow process for a Druze to make a commitment to Jesus.
The Druze are a receptive people, welcoming and willing to listen, and some even make outward statements of faith. But on the inside, in the core of their worldview, they are very resistant to accepting Jesus. This can be at times a frustrating and difficult ministry. Yet over the 15 years, Amon has made a significant impact for the work of the gospel.
There are currently 200 believers within Amon’s network of fellowships, and the core team that he leads, disciples and trains is over 30, all from a Muslim background, who themselves are now ready to disciple others.
Currently, this core team works part time and spends the rest of their time doing ministry. This has proven to be more effective than full-time ministry in the culture in which they live, but they still face the challenge of financial support.
When these individuals gave their lives to Christ, many of them were rejected by their families; the cost was great and they were left with very little support base other than the local church. The vision is that this core group will themselves go on to plant churches, using their own testimonies and experiences to impact the lives of the people around them. However, there is still a need for further training so that they can be equipped for the ministry.
Amon also oversees a team in a neighbouring country, which he visits on a monthly basis. Recently, the team has seen significant fruit with approximately 30 new believers who are now being discipled. Amon’s vision is not simply to plant a church, but to plant a church that will, in turn, plant more churches.
There is also a strong focus on holistic ministry. Amon’s church, along with OM, provides over 1,000 people with food packages, medicine or even finances for rent in some circumstances.
Pray for Amon and his team, that the Lord would provide for them financially and also give them the opportunity to get training and experience in church planting and discipleship. Pray also for the increased provision of good literature that this team can use to reach out and disciple others. Praise God for the breakthrough that is taking place in the region and pray that it would be the beginning of greater things.
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