What is the First Arabic Partnership?

About a year ago, a small group of churches from our presbytery met together to discuss mutual support and joint ministry with First Arabic Presbyterian Church (FAPC). Since that that time, the group has continued to meet periodically and work together in support of FAPC. Churches participating include representatives from First Arabic-Des Moines, Heartland-Clive, First-Grinnell, Covenant-WDM, St. Paul-Johnston, and United-Lenox, along with the presbytery’s Sudanese Support Team, and Amgad Beblawi, presbytery ministry & mission executive. The group recently chose a name for itself – the First Arabic Partnership – which reflects the strong sense of community that has developed as needs are shared and church partners respond.

The churches’ support comes in a variety of ways:

• Heartland (Clive) & First (Grinnell) volunteers assist regularly with the children’s Sunday School program at FAPC.
• St. Paul (Johnston) includes First Arabic’s Outreach Center in their annual Alternative Giving Mart.
• St. Paul TE Bill O’Connell, chair of the New Worshiping Communities Task Force, led elder training.
• Several of the churches have held exchanges with FAPC (members visiting each other’s churches).
• Many churches (partner churches and others) contribute financially to FAPC and/or to its outreach arm, the Arabic Outreach Center.

However, this partnership is not one-sided. It was due to FAPC’s initiative that our presbytery was able to sponsor a trip to Triennium last summer. Eighteen youth and young adults travelled to Louisville, KY, for this inspiring four-day event. Of that group, 10 of the young people were from FAPC, with others from Heartland and Sioux City. Amgad said, “This trip would not have happened without the efforts of First Arabic.”

FAPC also inspires and uplifts those who partner with them. Heartland TE Alex Thornburg shared that both Heartland and First Arabic church members have had great joy in working with the Sunday School, and First Arabic TE Ekram Kachu concurred, saying that the children are very excited to participate now. Sudanese Support Team co-chair Ginny Hancock says, “Working with FAPC has been an enriching and life-changing experience for me, and I think all others on our Sudanese Support Team would agree.”

If your church, or you as an individual, would like to join the First Arabic Partnership, please contact Amgad Beblawi. The First Arabic Partnership holds in-person meetings in Des Moines, with Zoom as an option for anyone who would like to attend online. Meetings are held three or four times a year.