ADOPT-A-Church
Adopt-a-Church Initiative
STRENGTHENING BONDS AND EXPANDING SUPPORT
Our flagship project, Adopt-a-Church, stands as a testament to the power of partnership and solidarity. Originating from a successful six-year collaboration between a persecuted church in the Middle East and a sister congregation in the United States, this initiative has been spearheaded by WAM to foster similar bonds globally.
Since its inception, Adopt-a-Church has seen remarkable growth, reflecting a groundswell of support for vulnerable congregations in the Middle East. Starting with just two partnerships in early 2022, our community has expanded to include 14 churches by now, demonstrating the profound impact of cross-cultural collaboration.
We’re on a mission to extend this lifeline to even more persecuted churches and we need your help.
Join us in fostering these vital connections, and be a part of a movement that not only supports churches in need but also unites diverse communities in hope and mutual respect.
THEY NEED OUR SUPPORT. WE NEED THEIR FAITH.
THE PROBLEM
The single-largest threat to Christianity in Lebanon and the Middle East is emigration of Christians from the Middle East. Wars, civil conflict, persecution, rise of extremism, economic hardships, failed governments, lack of leadership, and regional conflicts have triggered an epic exodus of believers.
Since 2011, more than 500,000 Christians have left Syria due to the ongoing war. Today, Syrian Christians number less than 200,000. In 2003, Iraq had 1.3 million Christians. Today, there are less than 210,000. In recent years, Lebanon has lost more than 300,000 Christians.
The local church is the best partner in missions. It shares our vision to reach the lost for Jesus. Since it knows its community, it knows how to address the complexities of lostness, poverty, and injustice.
WAM partners with more than a dozen Churches and Christian NGOs in the region, bringing in resources, building capacity, funding, and empowering the local body.
Our vision is to see a strong and prosperous church shining bright like a beacon, reaching out to the millions in need around them.
The Church is not immune to the economic and political crisis that has handicapped the region. Church members are equally poor, disenfranchised, displaced, victimized, and struggling to feed their families. They are part of the societal fabric, feeling the same pain felt all around them. Outside support has been crucial, allowing the Body to respond, be the hands and feet of Jesus, and show what true Christianity looks like.
The constant needs and demands churches face have started to affect them. Many pastors feel alone, burnt out, abandoned, unable to feed/serve their own families, let alone the church members and the community. WAM has been trying hard to fill the gap, but the needs are immense, and resources are limited; we need serious help.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The Adopt-a-Church program is our proven approach to planting churches through empowered partnership. We partner your group, business, organization, or church with a vulnerable Mideast church that seeks to transform its community through sharing the Gospel, eradicating poverty, and fighting injustice.
We believe the local church is the only organization that, through preaching and living the words of Jesus Christ, can deliver community transformation. Our pre-vetted partners contextualize our holistic ministry model to the various needs of their communities and provide dignified compassion that changes lives.
Beyond merely receiving monetary support, local churches receive personal care and training through a collaborative team of committed local, regional and international support staff and subject matter experts.
This initiative strives to build sustainable local capacity through investing in local initiatives that fit into the 4-fold approach:
- Reaching the lost,
- Training leaders,
- Helping communities, and
- Building for the future.
OUR GOAL FOR LOCAL PARTNERS
Build long-term ministry capacity that empowers local churches to reach their communities in one of the toughest places on earth to be a believer.
OUR GOAL FOR SPONSORS
Provide a personal, localized, transparent and results-oriented ministry platform for reaching the lost in the Middle East.
HOW TO LEARN MORE
If you or your group, organization, business, or church are interested in adopting a church or learning more about the process, let us know!
ADOPT-A-CHURCH UPDATES
