CIPT on ZOOM

Greetings!

While in the Lord’s wisdom our wings are clipped during this season with Covid 19 virus, our Carey team are still actively seeking to stay connected with and encourage pastors and leaders around the world.

During the week of 22-27 June , Dr. Tim Beavis our VP of International Operations taught a systematic theology course to a group of 17 pastors and church leaders in the Middle East. Most of these joined the call from Lebanon but several others from Egypt also took advantage of the live translation into Arabic.

This was Carey’s first fully online course, and while nothing beats the kind of interaction that live in-person teaching affords, we are thankful for the technology that allows us to serve even when we can’t physically be there. During each day of the 6-day course, the pastors logged on from their own homes (lockdowns continue to be in effect in this region like many others) and engaged in the study of God’s Word together. Just as many of us have become accustomed, and no likely experienced, there were a few occasions where the screen froze, somebody’s child came walking in to view, or where the translators power went out due to common rolling blackouts in the region. Nevertheless, we are grateful to the Lord that there were no major technological challenges and or delays in communication.

While teaching for multiple hours a day over Zoom is tiring for both the teacher and the students, it was encouraging to see all 17 leaders fully engage in discussions every day. Eli Berro a Lebanese church leader wrote after the course saying,

"Thanks doctor, may the Lord bless you. I just want to tell you that I really enjoyed studying with such a Godly talented teacher like you. I did not feel bored at all. May God bless you and your family and your ministry abundantly, looking forward to meeting you another time. Many blessings"

We particularly thankful to have been able to hold this Zoom training for these pastors in Lebanon as last November and again in January, we had to cancel our training there due to security issues caused by political and economic unrest.

Although this zoom course in the Middle East went well, and we are looking at the possibility of holding another one later in the year, most of the other regions in which Carey works do not have stable enough internet access for us to use this teaching method more broadly.

Praise & Prayer Requests:

· We give thanks to God for the opportunity to teach these pastors and church leaders in the Middle East through this means and pray that the instruction they received will bear much fruit.

· Pray for the believers in Lebanon as they face the challenges of the political and economic crisis that began late last year, with the additional pressures of the Covid virus.

· Continue to pray that our Carey team would have wisdom to know how to encourage and minister to the pastors and leaders that we serve all around the world, even during this season when we cannot be with them.

· Praise God for the many new requests that Carey is receiving, asking us to begin new training centers. Ask that the Lord will grant the wisdom and the resources to respond as He would have us do.