In some of the world’s most dangerous places, simply communicating with a known Christian can be punishable by death. Yet God’s power is undeniable. And He’s using digital pathways to ignite a movement of faith in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Global Media Outreach’s (GMO’s) MENA team faithfully serves Seekers across 25 countries in five languages: Arabic, Farsi, Turkish, Urdu, and French. Despite the risks, the team is seeing powerful spiritual growth every day through what they call “the spiral journey.”
GOD’S PATH TO DISCIPLESHIP
Christians in Western cultures view spiritual growth as linear—evangelism, salvation, then discipleship. But Seekers from Islamic backgrounds follow a spiraling progression.
When Seekers from Islamic backgrounds first engage with our Online Missionaries (OMs), they bring a lifetime of deeply ingrained beliefs. To them, Christianity is often seen as immoral, corrupted, or tied to Western politics. Their entire identity is rooted in Islam.
Yet these Seekers feel dissatisfied with Islam. They are hungry for truth, longing for answers to forbidden questions. An OM shares the Gospel, and the Seeker shows genuine interest and engagement. Then, after talking with family or religious authorities, the Seeker doubts, sometimes cutting off communication with the OM entirely.
This process is not a failure; it is a typical pattern for Muslims who decide to follow Jesus. Their journeys spiral up and down, each loop representing the dismantling of old beliefs and the creation of a new identity in Christ. What’s important is that the journey continually brings them closer to Jesus, even as the spirals take them on spiritual highs and lows.
To guide Seekers effectively through this complex dynamic, the MENA team uses a successful four-phase approach that ensures the Gospel mission becomes the Seeker’s own:
- Exposure: Seekers contact an OM, initiating the relationship.
- Invitation: OMs invite them to build a deeper relationship.
- Empowerment: The relationship moves from teacher-student to a discipleship partnership.
- Ownership: The new believer takes on the mission of the Gospel, creating opportunities to influence other Seekers for Christ and multiply their impact.
LIFE-CHANGING OUTCOMES
God is transforming lives and entire communities. Across the Middle East, our language team is seeing an awakening. New believers with swords on their belts gather for Bible studies. A former Taliban member disguises his Bible as a copy of the Quran to protect his life and the members of his local discipleship group. To these Christ followers, the reward is worth the risk.
The OMs serving the MENA region are faithful laborers in this difficult harvest. God is providing safe digital spaces where hungry hearts receive truth, compassion, and His love. Many times, this is a Seeker’s first conversation with a Christian, and the OMs are always ready to guide them to the Gospel.
In overwhelming darkness, God is using digital pathways to reach the unreachable—one unique discipleship journey at a time.
Will you join us? Generous giving partners have pledged a $225,000 end-of-year gift to support the MENA region—and they’re challenging GMO’s incredible supporters to match that amount before Dec. 31, 2025. Give today and help us impact future generations for Christ.