ACCTS September 2021 Newsletter

"With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand." Psalm 78:72

Dear Friends and partners,

This Bible verse is our road map to train our people: upright in heart and skilled in hand. What an exceptional month of great seeds sown in the lives of Arab women and youth! We set out on a journey with two new groups through our youth initiative conference and the authentic leadership training this September.

The type of interaction and responses were phenomenal and gave us a boost to be persistent and keep on the good work for expanding the kingdom. It opened eyes, motivated change, and equipped our beneficiaries to service and influence.

We are mourning the loss of our local Baptist church, Pastor Samir Kawar, who passed away on September 17 due to COVID. I, Nabeeh, became the senior pastor in this transitional phase to fill the gap and cope with this challenging, sudden, and painful situation. Would you please pray for wisdom and strength for me to carry the responsibility of this new role?

Nabeeh and Ruba Abbassi

The youth program is expanding

When our youth become committed and deep-rooted as good Christian citizens, our country succeeds.

After a journey of four years with our first group of young men and women, we now believe that there is no limit for the young citizens to be empowered, equipped, and developed as future leaders.

During the 10th and 11th of September, we started a new journey with a new youth group. They began their journey with our main guiding topics, such as social media impact on public opinion, my role as a Christian in presenting the truth without bias and communicating it effectively. These two days were eye-opening for them to start thinking differently about their roles in their country based on the obedience of authority's principle in Romans 13: 1-7.

We led our youth to the right resources from which they can take their knowledge in a world of chaos and doubt, filled with delusions and manipulative, malicious lies where nobody can stand apart from the word of God.

"Your True North"

AWT held its first leadership training that served some elite women in leadership positions outside the church walls. God expanded our borders to reach the community with Biblical principles and handy tools. Your True North is a journey that holds women accountable to activate their inner compass towards influential, authentic leadership focusing on the five aspects: self-awareness, values, motivators, support teams, and the intrinsic, integrated life that helps them achieve fulfillment.

The impact on women leaders was phenomenal, and we witnessed for the first time an unprecedented level of persistence and discipline that is leading to some tangible change. Women leaders encouraged each other and took the lead within the small groups. Remarkable harmony, cooperation, and life-sharing experiences distinguished this training and brought life to it.

This training involves setting a personal and leadership development plan that the beneficiaries would create, and AWT coaches and volunteers will follow them up in a discipleship process that continues for 2 to 6 months. 46 Arab women aged 23-53 years participated from nine different countries of origin or immigration.

Sharing with you some encouraging quotes from the sessions:

"If we know, as women, that we are equal and can be independent, we will have time to search for our motivation. That's why I thank you for what you are doing; educate the women about their values as human beings capable of searching for their motives within challenging circumstances."

"The training opened my eyes to many things that will help me, especially having passed through painful challenges."

"I feel able to describe leadership and my true north more now."

A motivational 6-year-old story

Beatrice is a unique trainee who has been walking this discipleship journey with AWT for six years. We have been witnessing her substantial growth. We saw her grow from a participant to an influential trainer who leads the teams and equips them. She has been active on a church and community level, using her talents and creativity to expand the kingdom of God. Proud to have her as an ambassador. What distinguishes her is her passion, teachable heart, authenticity, and dedication to put into action the learned knowledge to influence the lives of others. She grew this multiplication mentality to disciple others.

The leadership training helped her make an important decision that was difficult for her and her team. She transformed knowledge into immediate practical application and added to her leadership strengths.

During the training, she shared, "Many sentences flashed before me. I got to know my team better that helped me initiate change. I found guidance for building another internal team within the big team so that they can later take their rightful place.

I began to be more vulnerable and learned to reveal my true self before the team. I realized the importance of explaining some details for better teamwork and collaboration. I recognized my values: compassion, guidance, and the necessity of growing passion within my team and releasing them to work, creativity, and to lead other teams. I clearly distinguished what I was going through, which helped me not to be discouraged. I now feel that things are going better with my team.

You have been a gift from our Lord to my life and leadership. You are not people who merely give training, but God uses you just in the perfect timing when I mostly need your support. This training required that I go deeper and deeper and think. It had me look at my experiences and values ​​in the midst of situations then reflect on my past and the path of my life with its bad stages and pains as well as the good stages and successes."

Awareness workshops

• One of the center's trainers gave training on identity to a group of 40 female teachers at the Alliance Academy of Jordan (AAJ). It was fun and interactive, emphasizing the importance of having the correct image of our identity to understand our capabilities, behaviors, and values.

• Analyzing the feedback of our past training and workshops, we witnessed a great need for some supportive emphasis on topics about identity, values, and setting boundaries. It's why AWT conducted three consecutive weekly sessions on how women can love and communicate with themselves, set boundaries, and manage them internally and with others, learning how to confront and live in healthy relationships. Engy Michel, A Positive Psychology Counselor, a certified Marriage, Family & Parenting Coach, led the sessions.

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