Highlights 2024

VISION 2024: SAMA

With the start of 2024, we focused as a church on growing together deeper in the Word of God: SAMA: "سوا مع الكلمة”.

Together we:

1. Equipped our leaders with a deeper understanding of the word of God and empowered them to lead SAMA communities:

●     41 pastors and 32 potential pastors were trained intentionally through formal instructional, coaching, and mentoring sessions by a team of 18 mentors and teachers.

●     25 pastors' wives and women pastors as well received additional monthly coaching and mentoring sessions.

●     318  Life Group Leaders were trained regularly: 287 of them in regular instructional training sessions and all of them in monthly mentoring and coaching sessions.

●     17 SAMA moderators were trained to lead bible study groups both physically and remotely.

●     11 preachers were trained by Ps. Hikmat and peer accountability was formed.

●     24 youth leaders and 78 children workers were trained to serve and disciple youth and kids.

●     20 worship teams and leaders across the 44 different tribes were coached and mentored weekly  or monthly to support them in their spiritual life, skills development, and leadership journey.

As a result of all the faithful work of pastors, leaders, workers, and teachers we had:

●      150 people graduated the POD committing to a life of discipleship, and 107 of them got baptized in Lebanon, and 24 in Syria.

●      61% from the committed congregation in our Baabda campus participated in SAMA groups by mid of the year.

●      More than 600 volunteers were equipped to serve in their gifting in different capacities and locations and especially during the past war.

●      3,541 families (representing 400+ life groups) seeked to faithfully live a life of discipleship and to commit to being part of the Resurrection Church family in 13 different locations in Lebanon.

●  4,245 Kurdish and 1,169 Arabs, across 12 countries, were committed to faithfully live a life of discipleship with 274 of them growing weekly together in the word of God, through 19 life groups, and divided upon 4 online spiritual tribes.

●    184 individuals of the online congregation deepened their faith through 8 online courses.

●      Giving and generosity of all the congregation was more responsive when focused on community projects.

●      Worship & prayer life of the church was evident in smaller groups that met weekly, and others daily, especially during the war.

2.  Integrated deeper discipleship strategies throughout all the church’s activities and events:                                                                                         

●      Our Sunday services helped the 44 spiritual tribes experience a life of worship and a deeper understanding of the word of God. The intentionality of connecting with people after services played a crucial role in integrating newcomers, especially with Philadelphia and birthday lunches.

●      More than 3,000 people were reached from the community through various seasonal and intentional events such as: Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Village, recreational weekly indoor events, football and basketball clubs and tournaments. All these big events were possible to take place under the safe roof of the iron tent that covered the land in Baabda.

●      1,043 kids, juniors, teens, and young adults were intentionally reached with the Gospel through creative activities, weekly clubs, retreats, and seasonal day camps. The kids summer camp was an exceptional attraction for families within our community.

●      More than 150 new kids, juniors, teens, and young adults committed to growing spiritually on a weekly basis totaling to 592 kids/juniors, 213 teenagers, and 112 young adults in weekly meetings.

●      99 juniors, teens, and young adults are currently serving at a high capacity in various ministries.

●      200 women were reached with 6 of them committing totaling to 40 women attending “Crowned” monthly meetings which emphasized their personal growth and active role in their family and community.

●     More than 30 men bonded in monthly meetings, and were discipled on how to integrate Biblical values and truths to their daily lives focusing on Biblical leadership.

●     More than 500 individuals from the Lebanese influential society were intentionally reached with the Gospel with a total of 25 committing to weekly Bible study groups,15 of them taking the POD, and 5 baptized.

●     1,868 internally displaced people, from the war, were integrated in our church worship services and life groups as a result of all the relief efforts to more than 5,500 individuals (representing 709 families).

●     More than 7,000 families and elderly from our community and congregation were served holistically, mainly through the James Community Center (JCC) which was fully renovated and dedicated on June 1, 2024. During the war crisis, the JCC also became our safe central operating space.

○      2,574 families (representing an average of 7,722 individuals) received regular food and hygiene packages resulting in 264 families committing to tribal congregational meetings. Additionally, more than 3,700 individuals received regular hot meals, sandwiches, and food parcels during the war for a period of 2 months.

○      More than 600 families received a total of 5,098 winterization items including mattresses, blankets, winter clothing, and diesel oil for warming their homes.

○      2,694 patients, more than 400 of them affected directly by the war, were served at Al-Shafy Clinic (total visits 5,764) through free & subsidised medication, consultation, and lab work fees.

○      221 serious cases were supported intentionally and through hospitalization fees.

○      More than 300 patients were prayed with and followed up with spiritually, resulting in 18 people committing to one of our congregational and/or youth meetings.

○      More than 100 adults and kids benefited from awareness sessions as a preventive and educational strategy to public health care.

○      43 people got emotional and psychological support through individual or group therapy sessions from our team and/or specialist referrals.

○      140 kids and their parents had intensive psycho-social sessions focused on healthy family dynamics and parenting topics.

○      A parenting course curriculum was developed by the counseling and teaching teams, which was used in a pilot church’s family conference with a total of 49 families.

○      42 families from our congregation were provided shelter as they were displaced by the war in the last quarter of the year.

○      5 persecuted families were supported and cared for holistically.

○      56 students in our literacy program graduated from computer and English classes. Some students used their learnt skills to serve in ministry and others in their personal and professional lives.

○      151 school scholarships were given to help support the next generation in pursuing their education.

○      125 students were enrolled in Resurrection Music Academy (RMA) with more than 65% of the students being from the community. The RMA not only served as an entry point to introduce people to our church and to help enrich cultural and musical skills, but also developed a next generation of worshipers who are equipped professionally, with 20 students serving on the worship teams.

3. Developed our impact to reach beyond our 13 different physical locations through deepening our networking and partnerships across the Middle East and North Africa.                                                    

●  2 major productions were done for Easter and Christmas and were broadcasted on 6 local and international TV channels, including some of the most influential channels in Lebanon.

●  Through the partnership with Sat7 Channels and Belight FM Radio, our Sunday services, as well as additional teachings and worship segments, were broadcasted to help those who follow us be exposed to the life of worship and deep Biblical teaching.

●  More than 2.8 million accounts were reached across our church’s main social media accounts and Ps. Hikmat’s accounts.

●  10 Arabic devotional plans were published on YouVersion to facilitate people’s daily devotions. At least 1,323 people subscribed to the plans and 265 completed them.

● 385 regional indigenous leaders were trained on life group movement, counseling and trauma therapy, leadership development and character formation topics, and church management topics.

●  19 indigenous leaders, 2 churches, and 1 BAM project were financially supported in 5 Arab countries.

●  4 churches and 4 ministries in Lebanon were supported to grow the impact and the presence of the church in different spaces and regions.

● A leadership center in the mountains of Lebanon was acquired to host regional and local indigenous leaders’ training, investing in their lives on a regular basis.

●  An investment building (Block A & Block B) was acquired to help generate income for the missional ministry of the church.

● Our relationships and partnerships with at least 50 churches and 10 NGOs and ministries in Lebanon were deepened, especially through the Kingdom Partnership Network as well as the Supreme Council of Evangelical Churches.