Reaching Middle East Cultures With the Gospel

The three biggest misconceptions westerners have about the Middle East are that all Arabs are Muslims, all Muslims are terrorists, and the Arabic world is all desert and camels.

Such erroneous thinking has given the region a black eye and caused suspicion and fear of an entire culture, especially to those of us in the Western world. While even those who live there can understand a bit of that, the truth is that there are many Christians. And that means there are people and churches who share the truth of the gospel to those they serve.

Joe Costa and his family continue to do that despite the obstacles.

Gospel Hindrances

First of all, the percentage of Christians in the Middle East varies from country to country, and although it is the birthplace of Christianity, the Middle East’s Christian communities are declining in numbers due to low birth rates, emigration and, in some places, persecution and violence.

Ninety-three percent of the Middle East’s population is Muslim, and the remaining seven percent identify as Christians. But just like self-described Christians in the U.S., that number includes agnostics, nominal Christians, and do-gooders.

Lebanon is the only country in the region where once-dominant Christians still retain any political power, and thirty percent of Lebanese label themselves Christians. Currently the Costa family and their team are ministering to hurting people during possibly the worst time in Lebanon’s history due to the following:

• a revolution against the Lebanese government, which has been corrupt for more than 30 years 
• an economic crisis that has left more than 55% of people under poverty level 
• currency that has lost more than eleven times its value 
• the explosion that rocked the city of Beirut, killed more than 200 people, and did more than 15 billion dollars worth of damages. 

Reaching the Cultures

Despite these setbacks and Covid-19 issues, God has opened doors for Joe Costa, along with his family and Lifeword team members, to share the gospel to Lebanese in several different ways, even during the lockdowns and quarantines.

One of those ways of reaching people is through social media, particularly ShiBiFeed (“something useful”), his media ministry. For three decades the Costa family have been Lifeword global partners, and now the Lifeword Cloud allows Joe to reach not only Arabic speakers in the Middle Ease but also the broader Arab world through Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. 

More than 28% of the population in the Middle East is between the ages of 15 and 29, so Joe’s goal, he says, “is to create relatable content for young people that can challenge them to think about their relationship with God, others and themselves.” This Bible-based program targets youth and young adults from thirteen to thirty years old. 

Using a team of sixteen people who write, produce, and create content then engage with responders, ShiBeFeed videos also target various cultural groups such as millennials, agnostics/atheists, women, the LGBTQ community and teenagers. These engagements begin conversations with the ShiBiFeed team, who then invite them to Zoom Bible studies and eventually help integrate them into churches. 

Joe’s ministry also includes meeting people’s mental, personal, and physical needs. “God has allowed us to show love in times of pain and suffering and help 350 Lebanese families a month all around Lebanon through food vouchers, school tuition fees, and pharmacy needs.”

After the explosion in August of 2020, ministry workers have helped repair the homes of more than 60 families affected by the explosion. Through their collaboration with like-minded churches, ministry workers have helped more than 450 families. Along with their physical needs, people need mental help as well, someone to cry with them and help process their pain.

In addition Joe is involved in Arabic youth events where he observes and evaluates youth groups, trains leaders, and listens to their struggles. Currently, he is conducting bi-weekly training of youth leaders where he encourages leaders to be involved in outreach and produce a system that raises up young leaders. Recently his ministry has also included trainings in Syria and Jordan and to Catholic and Presbyterian youth groups. He says his goal in doing so is to share the true message of Christ to these denominations.

Finally, Joe conducts discipleship and Bible study groups with the marginalized and with people who refuse to attend church and struggle with Christianity. He says these groups develop outside church settings where attendees have been hurt by religion and religious people. Joe is also active in discipleship for young men and women as they go to the mission field. By “just living life with them” he wants to equip them to be effective missionary and ministry leaders.

Growing up in a ministry-focused family, Joe Costa knows no other way of life. Along with his wife Mira, father Charlie, mother Mona, and sister Rana, their mutual goal, he says, is to “reach people of the Arab world so they may draw closer to God, and reach people in Lebanon so God may heal their pain and suffering. We pray for open doors so we may reach people with the message of the gospel. “

ShiBeFeed is an incredible ministry for the Arab-speaking world and, through Lifeword.org, reaching new generations. Their intentionality to answer questions and respond to comments from people who are seeking answers is a powerful way of reaching the lost with the gospel.