IMPACT…

By clicking below, find out how we are serving God and helping His Church

Church planting

“Imagine a church that is passionate about Jesus and is touching people with the love of father and the power of spirit in every place.”

Christianity is reportedly the fastest-growing religion in Iran. We believe we can make a significant difference for the underground house church movement.

Christian converts who want to exercise their faith in fellowship with others, have to meet in the privacy of their own homes for worship services – in so-called “house churches”. House churches are usually small in terms of membership and can be linked to networks abroad or local/national networks.

Several sources indicate that the Christian underground movement has been growing in recent years and the movement is growing as a result of a targeted missionary activity by Christian organizations abroad.

Whilst Iran has the world’s ‘fastest-growing church’, every year World Watch List ranks it in the ten most dangerous places in the world to be a follower of Jesus.

In spite of their constant fear of persecution, Iranian converts find Christ worth the risk so the underground House Church movement in this nation is alive and growing!

Believers are forced into the underground movement which is spreading like wildfire through newly established cell groups and house churches. More people are coming to Christ and becoming His followers than ever before.

Only churches and organisations that have a mission at the heart of their life and culture will consider planting. It is our plan at SMRC to support the leaders of these groups and focus on church planting. Fulfilling the great commission is the focus of our mission.

The church is growing, so we need more leaders to look after the newcomers. SMRC is equipping new leaders of these small groups to meet in peoples’ homes and help to organise networks of groups.

This ministry is a real blessing. We feel called by God to help Christians in Iran, strengthening them and their church groups.

“Planting new churches is the most effective evangelistic methodology known under heaven.”

Peter Wagner

PrayER point: Ask the Holy Spirit to give church leaders wisdom and courage as they pastor their members through the crisis, praying for God’s continued protection and blessing for them. Thank you

Formation Conferences

We hold intensive formation conferences for trainee leaders. The focus is on helping to grow leaders for the persecuted Christian churches and will include times of teaching and encouragement. There is a planned programme of conferences, some of which will use the co-operative model and some will be SMRC conferences.

Why a Conference?

1. Helps Us Grow

We believe that gathering with other believers for long periods of time is an essential discipline for the growing Christian life. So, our Leadership Development team co-ordinate conferences that are accessible to delegates coming from the Middle East and other countries of the region. They focus on face-to-face training of those in Christian leadership roles within their country.

2. Reminds Us We're Not Alone

Spending quality time with other Christian leaders and church members who have a shared experience of persecution is a real blessing. We see more spiritual growth and change in their walk with Christ during a week-long Christian conference than people might see in a whole year of regular church attendance and participation in Bible studies.

Our conferences INCLUDE:

LEADERSHIP CONSULTATION FORUM, Mission, Evangelism and Outreach for MENA (LCF):

We hold an International conference each year, bringing together people from all over the world to hear about the needs of the Iranian churches. We are confident that God will bless the Iranian churches globally as our delegates respond to these needs by providing generously what they are able to share. The may be material resources, teachers, discipleship or leadership programs or training opportunities.

We hosted our first international conference in July 2019 and invited leaders from different ministries and churches around the world. This experience has given us hope that God will bless the Iranian churches globally through His work.

Discipleship and Leadership Conference:

We have created our simple study guide to accompany the Disciple-makers and Leadership course to enable those we are helping to learn and apply these powerful principles in their own life and spheres of influence. In addition, for those attending this course, we hold an annual Formation Conference in MENA.

SMRC Ministry works in partnership with other Christian organisations as part of a wider movement committed to sharing God's Word with our brothers and sisters in the Middle East.

Prayer point: Pray to extend our capacity. Ask the Lord to provide new teachers and tutors with the right skills and spiritual maturity for the conferences.

Evangelism and Mission Discipleship Trip

We believe that God is calling us to be missional disciples who are bold and courageous, unafraid to take risks and step out in faith.

There are exciting opportunities for Gospel growth through and among communities of Iranian and other immigrant people who have had to leave their home country. SMRC has helped enable mission among these communities and has seen a large number of Iranians and other nationalities come to faith in Jesus through this work.

SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Evangelism and mission trips:

SMRC has seen the benefits of the evangelistic mission of holding international conferences based in MENA where pastors, Christian leaders and delegates from the wider world can meet to be informed of the spiritual climate and needs in the Middle East; what God is doing among the Iranian diaspora and local populations there and local Christian communities.

SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS IN THE WEST

Ministerial Practice:

As our base is in the UK, we have been able to provide help to some Christian refugees through evangelists and trainers as well as providing food supplies and other help.

Service and Reflection and Evangelism:

We offer conferences and gatherings in cities across the UK and Europe where there is teaching and prayer as well as the opportunity to go out in small teams to bless churches across the city. In this way, we are establishing close relationships between Christians in the West and churches in other countries.

We are passionate about equipping people for missions. Our Evangelism and Missions Discipleship Trip is an opportunity for local churches, ministries and organisations who want to serve and win those who don’t yet know Jesus. They can also create strong relationships between churches in the East and the West. Through this mission, we learn how God works among other nations, how He meets the challenges they face and we can improve the effectiveness of their missionary endeavour.

Prayer Point: We urge you to prayerfully consider the work God has given us to do and the needs He has identified that we can help to meet in Him.

Training LEADERS

Growing Deeper in our relationship with God and in our relationship with each other.

Biblical inspiration and foundations for the Institute of Training

Jesus said: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matt 28:19-20a.

What Jesus said means we must bring all parts of the body of Christ to spiritual growth. Col 1:24-29. God is calling his disciples all over the world to serve Him, to preach, teach and shepherd. But there are challenges for those who want to follow Jesus and take care of His people, especially how to improve their biblical understanding and empower themselves and their fellow believers to share the gospel clearly and confidently with those they are called to serve. These leaders need quality resources to help them clearly articulate God’s Word in the Bible to the people of God.

Our mission is to inspire, train and develop the skills of those who feel ready to take responsibility as leaders for inspirational home groups, worship services, leadership groups or ministries in their home country. We have designed and prepared materials and resources for anyone engaged in teaching God's Word.

Some of the Modules which we cover include:

Discipleship making  /  Online course: 15 lectures with resources. We design and produce discipleship resources that strengthen all church members, particularly those engaged in teaching God’s Word. (We're thrilled to announce that we started working on our school, where our primary focus is achieving key objectives for an exceptional learning experience: To see a vibrant and mature church, united in their love for God and one another, transforming the Persian-speaking world for Christ.)

Leadership and Group Dynamics (5C)  /  Online course: 20 lectures.  We focus on training individuals who feel called to lead home groups, worship services, leadership teams, and ministries in their home countries. We provide leadership resources, lectures, and pastoral care programs designed to equip them with the necessary skills for effective ministry.

Creative Evangelism  /  In person, with  annual conference and  mission trip in Middle-east: SMRC has a strong focus on missions. We aim to spread the Gospel in areas with limited access to Christianity and support believers in persecuted regions. Our work includes church planting, evangelism trips, and supporting the underground church.

Counselling : Basic Ethos and Basic Counselling Skills for Mentoring  /  This course is  in SMRC CBT Training Centre.

We also aim to offer our disciples the opportunity to develop their general skills and training by investing in their studies on courses in local schools, their workplaces, home groups, and Christian institutes of training with whom we are in partnership to provide courses that can help the church in the future.

Counselling Centre

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Center

We are providing online access to mental health training. The CBT,m… course will be open to leaders and members of the affiliated house churches and home groups within Iran and outside Iran. It will equip church leaders to support their congregations in a holistic way. We are pleased to inform you that we are now accepting face-to-face meetings within our office.

The weekly lectures, seminars and workshops will utilise online and face-to-face teaching formats and will include:

Trauma & PTSD
CBT Integrative Wellness Life Coach Accredited Certification
Schema Therapy
Character recognition
An Introduction to Change
CBT, Cognitive Behavioural Anxiety Management Life Coach
And more…

The Centre is staffed by a team of experienced and professionally qualified therapists, a number of whom hold professorships from recognised academic institutions.

We also intend that the Centre will establish an ongoing research programme, populated by data from students on the Course and other data inputs. We will prepare bulletins, information and guidance on mental health issues. This original material - as well as much of the content of the Course - will respond to the counselling and psychological needs of different settings. These may be individual, family group or social settings and will take account of cultural sensitivities, with the aim of promoting good mental health and ultimately helping to reduce social harm.

"Our centre operates with a dedicated team, website, and administrative support. We also hold intensive formation conferences annually."

Prayer point: provides training for leaders who ARE struggling with psychological challenges. Pray that these courses will bear fruit and that believers will be given the practical care and counselling support they need to grow healthy in their life and faith.

Mentoring Ministry

An element of the CBT Project

All Christians, as we mature in our faith and sanctification, should seek to mentor others. Help them become more like Christ. Part of our mission is to disciple and pastor leaders.

Graduates from the CBT course will meet regularly with experienced mentors to enable them to apply all they have learned and successfully help others in the best and most useful ways.

Our vision is that every church and small group leader has the pastoral skills to take care of the spiritual and emotional well-being of their flock and help them to become like Christ. Through this project, our leaders will experience the love and care of a committed mentor who demonstrates the model of leadership that Jesus laid down.

In addition, we will provide the support they need so that their skills can be disseminated locally and the network of equipped Church leaders will grow.

Access:

Christian Mentoring is a one-on-one relational experience in which one person empowers another person by investing their God-given wisdom and resources. It can create a strong relationship between mentors and mentees.

We will deliver this project in two ways:

1. Face to face mentoring:

When the mentor and mentee are able to meet together in person.

2. Online mentoring:

This is where the mentor and mentee meet via the Internet, for example through e-mail, FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, etc. The advantage of this method is that we can include mentors from around the world and also leaders who are travelling will not miss out on this support.

Pastoral care

Yes, more people are coming to Christ in Iran than ever before but on the other hand, churches have been closed down, the Bible in Persian banned, Christian leaders murdered, and hundreds of men and women sent to jail or forced into exile. This has been part of the Islamic Republic’s policy over the past 40 years.

The church is growing but at the same time, mature leaders are leaving the country. We need to develop more leaders to look after the new Christians. SMRC aims to:

Develop and support new leaders who will play key roles in making new networks of home groups successful through discipleship, pastoral care and mission.
Equip disciples, so that they will go on to become leaders.

Caring for One Another

Jesus calls us to care for one another as he cares for us: Galatians 6:2, Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfil the law of Christ. So, in His name and His strength, we reach out to one another.

Everyone in the home group needs:

Someone to talk to.
Someone to visit them.
Someone to pray with them.
Someone to help them.
Someone to give them advice and encouragement.

What we do:

Our Pastoral Cares team aims to respond to the needs of the home groups by providing:

Someone to talk and pray with straight away
Someone to run a weekly home group meeting
Contact with trained Mentors
A Personal visitor
Together, we can lead the way by doing something concrete right now – Small actions can make a big difference.

PrayER point: That God would keep using these network leaders to courageously share the gospel with people and their home groups. Pray that God would encourage and protect secret underground churches.