Serving in the West Bank: “We want to be the hands of Jesus”
Elias Najjar of the Palestinian Bible Society tells Embrace staff how life in the West Bank has been affected by the war in Gaza, of the mounting challenges facing everyone there and how Palestinian Christians are responding.
THE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
Elias also told us about the role the Palestinian Bible Society’s Leadership Academy plays in supporting young Palestinian Christians:
‘The Leadership Academy is playing a role in putting the new generation on the right path to connect them with the land. It’s important to engage them with God and with the culture and give them skills - and God will give them the goal to serve in this land.
‘Through the Leadership Academy, we are trying our best to show them, “What is your purpose in this land?” Yes, unfortunately the youth are thinking of emigration, searching for a better life, but when you connect them with God, the culture in this land and the history of the Christians in this land and the role they played, a lot of them change their point of view. They start to think, “Ah, what is my role? What is my purpose in life? Is it just to enjoy life or to make God’s will in this country and in this life?”
‘So, through the Leadership Academy we are showing them how they can be influential, how they can be affective and the purpose of their life and how God can use them. In the Leadership Academy we tell them, you think that you can only do small things, but God has no limitations on what he can do through you and with you. We prepare them to be leaders, to carry their ministry in their mind and in their ability. We equip them to engage them with their community and to show them how God can work through them and with them to build themselves and their community.’
