Disney Experience Journal
Joelle M. Blockmon
Levant Ministries
School of Business, Liberty University
Dr. Nicole Lowes
February 5, 2023
Author Note
Joelle Blockmon
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Joelle M. Blockmon
Email: jgarrett70@liberty.edu
Disney Experience: Journal 1
Disney Experience: Journal – Levant Ministries
Our first full-day experience, Monday, January 9, 2023, started with a bus trip to the
Levant Ministries' local site to attend an informational session on the mission, vision, and present
status of operations for the Levant and NexGen programs. The presentation was delivered by Dr.
Fares Abraham, the founder and president of Levant Ministries. Levant Ministries is focused on
one mission, to reach the next generation for Jesus and empower them to become disciple-
makers. They try to get hundreds of leaders to share the love of Jesus in a real way. By doing so,
they are reaching out to new communities by meeting sacrificial needs, strengthening the local
church's work, and training new and growing believers to be faithful followers of Jesus.
Description of Learning Experience
The initial activity was the speaking presentation to elaborate in depth on the path of the
birth of the Levant Ministries. Dr. Abraham (actually Abu Farha). He also showed video media to
help us learn more about what was happening in the Middle East because Levant Ministries was
there. The relevancy of the visual aids, background awareness, and the petition for ideas for
further exposure is due to the high risk associated with Christianity in those parts of the world.
With more information and understanding, it might be easier to understand the lack of something
that most people in the United States take for granted.
Observations
While listening to Dr. Abraham speak about the path he had to take to oversee God's
purpose for his life, I could hear the passion in his voice. He is confident that this is his calling to
honor God's desire for him. The most critical moment was his remembrance of the struggle to
bring Christianity back home to his people in the Middle East, knowing he was putting not only
his life but also the lives of his family and the people who wanted to give their lives to God. One
critical thing he mentioned was how baptism is often done in secret.
Initially, I thought, "Why to hide giving your life to God?' 'Shouldn't you want to show
everyone as an example of the love that God has freely given to you through the direction of
God's Word?' It disconnected me from what I thought was discipleship in the Levant Ministries.
Nevertheless, nothing is worse than a question unasked and an assumption made without clarity.
I realized others needed clarification. So, Dr. Abraham addressed the question. He was
appreciative that we left with an understanding. He told us that people kept the baptism secret
because becoming a Christian could have harmful effects. It could cost them their lives if the
wrong people found out. The situation created a shared experience with some of my cultural
experiences.
Evaluate
The connection with my discipline of leadership and management would be the examples
provided by Dr. Abraham concerning the development of the ministry from the ground up to
where it is now. He talked about how important it was to train well those who would go out and
become disciples. Leadership ability is best developed through service to others. Think of them
as people and give them power over their lives, not just over how well they do their jobs (Keller,
2012). Leadership experience stems from my management of serving others. My example of
kindness while helping inspired others to follow my actions. I became a leader without trying to
be a leader. To lead others, one must first master the ability to follow.
Analyze
The crucial factor from this experience was to value the opportunities of freedom to serve
God whenever we want. This is essential because there are so many churches at our disposal that
we tend to take God for granted as a pastime. There is no urgency to know Him or worship Him.
People are risking their lives to know God and then disciple others. Others walk for miles in
other countries to attend a revival brought to them from the United States to accept God. Yet we
won’t even drive around the corner to acknowledge God if it is inconvenient or interferes with
our plans. Another point to remember is that serving others is not an act of doing those in need a
favor. Service should always be an expression of the love God has for us.
Interpretation
Serving God is one of the essential tenets of the Christian journey, and Christians are
required to contribute to the discipleship process with a pleasant attitude. "Love each other."
"Respect one another." Pray for each other. Support each other. "Assist each other." Advocate for
each other. "Nurture one another." Proverbs 19:17 describes our connection with God and others
through service. 'Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for
what they have done' (Holy Bible, 1989). We must remember that helping those in need might
not always be effortless, but it will be eternally pleasing to God. Moreover, remember that
nothing is insignificant for God to utilize. Nothing that we accomplish for God is ever a waste.
Service is intended to improve our souls and understanding.
Conclusion
Dr. Abraham's work through Levant Ministries to bring God's salvation to the Middle
East is important because it shows how hard he tried to do what God had called him to do. It is
an experience to inspire others to self-evaluate their relationship with God. In the end, Levant
wants to hear ideas about how we can help raise awareness of the NewGen movement in the U.S.
and help them raise money for the organization. Because of the high risk of the consequences of
embracing Christianity, simple bake sales to raise funds for awareness may be detrimental to
those in the Middle East.
Final Thoughts
It was realized that there was another commonality. Many ministries are now stepping
away from that in the traditional church setting. They are leaving the church to teach people who
do not have the chance to go to church or are afraid of what people will think of them if they do.
It would be advantageous for the Levant Ministries to partner up with the college ministries and
clubs to bring awareness to others about the work they are doing. These clubs could include
Campus Crusade for Christ, Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, and the Student Christian
Movement.
Furthermore, what better way to connect NexGen with others their age when they go off
to college? Many cultures attend universities and colleges and are easily influenced. So other
Arabic students must be aware of Christianity once they come to the United States to attend
college. This partnership could be an excellent way for them to connect to Christianity in the US
and still participate with others from their home. The experience could prepare them as disciples
to return to their Middle Eastern homes and join the mission with Levant Ministries to spread
God's love..
