Beirut Church of the Nazarene in Lebanon held an outdoor Pentecost celebration 27 May. The service was held on a playground in the Karm El Zeitoun neighborhood where 170 people gathered to sing, pray, and hear the gospel.

The church invited a nearby African evangelical church to join. This partner church helped expand the reach of the event by distributing around 1,000 invitations to people in their community.

“People were surprised," said Andrew Salameh, pastor at Beirut Church of the Nazarene. "They came and asked questions, [and many] new people from the community came to the event.”

During the service, nearly 50 people went to the altar for repentance, prayer, healing, and to seek the Holy Spirit. Church volunteers invited people to leave their names and contact information if they would like someone to follow up with them. A few responded to the invitation, but many more asked questions and expressed interest in the church.

This event is one of the many ways that Beirut Church of the Nazarene is trying to reach out to those in their community.

They also cook meals throughout the week and deliver them to elderly and disabled people who live near the church, host educational programs for refugee children who are not enrolled in public schools, and they even operate a used clothing store to provide inexpensive clothes for refugees and other economically disadvantaged people in the area. 

“Our vision is to transform the city where the church is located,” Salameh said.

--Church of the Nazarene Eurasia