Near East School of Theology (NEST) Update
Some of the most meaningful conversations begin with an honest question.
That was true this summer when Near East School of Theology (NEST) welcomed AfterDark, the college and young adult ministry of nearby Resurrection Church, to its campus for an “Ask a PhD Anything” event.
The program brought dozens of young people between the ages of 18 and 22, ranging from “seekers” and young believers to more mature Christian youths of the church, to the NEST campus in the heart of Beirut, Lebanon.
The invitation was simple: ask any question. Nothing was off limits.
And they did just that. The questions spanned diverse topics: God’s existence, the reliability of Scriptures, church history, church and politics, philosophy, sexuality, and gender.
“The room wasn’t looking for easy answers. It was looking for truth,” reflected one of the leaders. The panel, consisting of multiple PhD-level scholars, provided honest dialogue and thoughtful reflection.
After the large group conversation, they broke into smaller groups, each led by one of the scholars. These more informal conversations continued to explore questions of truth, faith, suffering, purpose, identity, and what it means to follow God in today’s world. They went on for more than an hour.
It’s not the type of event you would find at just any seminary, but it is one that demonstrates the purpose of NEST. Operating in the heart of Beirut as the oldest Protestant seminary in the Middle East, NEST exists to serve Christ’s church as it shares in the preparation of men and women for the work of ministry. It provides students with the necessary theological knowledge, spiritual formation, pastoral training, educational skills, and leadership aptitude needed to serve the church in the modern world.
NEST also desires to become a gathering space for the younger generation, a place where students can connect their studies to their faith. A resource center that anyone, but especially young people in Beirut, can come to interact and be formed in faith.
“It is in this spirit,” President Martin Accad reflects, “that we have been transforming spaces within NEST into more welcoming venues for youth, including our project of transforming our library into a more interactive learning venue, and the creation of an urban garden in the NEST front yard that will become a welcoming green space for the community to find rest, restoration, hospitality, and wellbeing, as well as a model for environmental stewardship in Beirut’s urban jungle.”
It might seem like a small step, but as an urban seminary rooted in its neighborhood, perhaps it is one way the seminary works toward the transformation of society, one life, one question at a time.
THE OPPORTUNITY
We ask you to join us as we pray for the work of NEST as they continue to raise up the next leaders for the church.
In addition, The Outreach Foundation is seeking gifts to support the mission and ministry of the Near East School of Theology in Lebanon. You may make a gift by mailing a check to the address below with NEST on the memo line. You may also make a gift on the GIVE page of our website www.theoutreachfoundation.org.
