Some years ago, the Lord was calling me to pastor in our Arabic community, it took me years seeking God for His confirmation to my calling. Sometime in Mid-2017 and through Pastor Gayle Hill, I was introduced to North Baptist church in Craigieburn. My wife Martha and I started attending the church and seek God’s confirmation to His calling to start the Arabic ministrys at the church.
Launch of Arabic Service – Martha Kaldas; Ros Pritchard (North Church Secretary); Michelle Mitchell; Samy Kaldas
In June 2018, I was locally ordained to start my pastoral role in the church. It was a good journey with ups and downs, encouragements and support from God, the pastoral team, Elders and the Arabic brothers and sisters, God has established the ministry so rapidly with joy and success.
Early days of the Arabic Service at North Church, Craigieburn
Due to the closure of the of the rented facility at Craigieburn, God moved the Arabic Ministry to Mill Park Baptist Church (MPBC). With this move, our ministry expanded beyond North of Melbourne to North East of Melbourne. On 1st March 2020, just a couple of weeks before the Covid-19 pandemic hit us here in Victoria, the Arabic Ministries started at MPBC.
Through God and the support and prayers from the MPBC pastoral team, elders and senior pastor Geoff Shepherd, we are expanded our Arabic Ministry online and reaches more people than before the pandemic. Our Facebook and YouTube online Sunday Arabic service reaches almost 2000 to 3000 people weekly with almost 1,200 to 1,500 regularly watching the service, from Victoria, Australia, and other parts of the world.
Our ministry extends out from the main service on Sundays, through to prayers meetings every day. The ladies meet twice a week; Sunday school runs once a week; youth and young adults meet twice a week, and a bible study group meet once a week.
My wife Martha puts in huge efforts, praying, preparing for the ladies meeting, Sunday school and pastoral care for women. She resigned from her work a year ago to support me in our Arabic Ministries. The Lord has also appointed a lot of brothers and sisters in the Arabic congregation to get involved deeply on all these service. We are praying for God to grow us more to know and serve Him until He comes again.
We see the Covid19 pandemic as a very positive experience as it really grows the Arabic Ministries at MPBC beyond what we can imagine. One of the ladies recently requested that we keep the bible study meeting online as she cannot attend it on Fridays in the church – but she can attend it via zoom. She has never missed a zoom meeting and I am sure others have similar sentiments. I pray that once we are back to normal, we can still do the bible study at the church but also run the zoom meeting at the same time so any one can always join us.
We all see the positives of what God has allowed all of us to go through during this pandemic that we all sure it will pass on His great time, All praises to our Almighty God.
Samy Kaldas
Associate Pastor (Arabic Ministires)
Mill Park Baptist Church
Source: BUV News