The Impact of the Local Church Showing Compassion: Lessons from the Syrian Crisis

Abstract

The Church in the Middle East has been under increasing pressure from radical elements in society. Yet the Syrian crisis is bringing a profound change in some of the churches as they see this as strategic opportunity to move from the margins of society to becoming a vital member of the community. Through the humanitarian assistance that they have been providing, the unexpected result has been in thousands of Muslim expressing an interest in Christ. The church, which has never been seen as a partner in frontier missions in the Arab world, is suddenly a key component. This paper shares lessons on local churches balancing providing humanitarian aid with its core identity as a church.