How good and how pleasant

Local Christians call it the country’s biggest church. It’s “famous” among the believers in the country, according to our Entrust colleague, Fuad.

It’s the annual family camp envisioned by Fuad and launched in 2009. He dreamed of inviting local pastors, church leaders and their families to a peaceful region of this Middle Eastern country to share worship, teaching and rest.

He invited, they came, and the camp grew tremendously year after year. Family camp 2025 was the largest yet, with 230 people including attendees and leaders.

People came, as they have each year, from multiple denominations, ethnicities and language groups. So many wanted to come that Fuad had to develop a waiting list and to give first-timers priority over eager returnees.

In the past, foreigners helped conduct the camp. However, this year, all the leaders but one were local Christians, mentored by Fuad into their various roles. This aligns with his vision to mentor others who can eventually take on his organizational role.

One foreigner, an American much loved and respected in the region, was the Bible speaker for the adult sessions. His talks (translated into several languages) about the Lord’s Prayer elicited comments from pastors, elders and others, saying they sensed the Holy Spirit as they gained new understanding of prayer.

Meanwhile, kids of all ages had their own learning sessions. In a first for this camp, all 30 teens in attendance made either first-time commitments to Jesus or recommitted their lives to him. Each received a Bible verse card to carry in their Bible, to remind them of their decision.

Volleyball and swimming, craft opportunities (where even the men got involved making jewelry for their wives) and an all-camp talent show added to the fun and relationship building of the jam-packed three days.

Several broken relationships began to heal during those three days, as people acknowledged interpersonal issues and prayed together for forgiveness and reconciliation. This growth in unity between people of varied theological persuasions and historical backgrounds demonstrates the reality of the camp’s reputation as the nation’s “biggest church.”

That unity is something only the Holy Spirit can create. Something David celebrates in Psalm 133:1, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity.”

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They want more!

Being a pastor in an environment like theirs is not easy. It’s a Middle Eastern country where Christians are a minority, churches are few and far between, and resources – material and financial – are scarce.

These men hunger to learn, to grow, and to fellowship with others in similar situations.

Family camp offers some of that. An annual pastors’ retreat, also organized by Fuad, offers more. The next retreat, set for November, will bring men together to gain valuable Bible teaching and deeper personal connections.

In addition, the pastors have asked for regional training seminars. Fuad hopes to arrange for 1- or 2-day sessions in various cities, bringing pastors together from surrounding towns and villages, for even more in-depth Bible training.