About This Project

Nahr al-Hayat, meaning “River of Life,” is a relational network of indigenous Christian ministry leaders serving across the Middle East, North Africa, and neighboring regions. Almost all of these leaders come from Muslim backgrounds and are working to share the Gospel, make disciples, strengthen local believers, and help new churches take root in their own nations and beyond.

River of Life is intentionally relational rather than institutional. The network does not own the ministries or churches connected to it. Local leaders remain responsible for the work God has entrusted to them in their own communities. River of Life provides a trusted family in which leaders can pray together, receive pastoral care and mentoring, share resources and experience, collaborate across borders, and encourage one another through hardship and persecution.

A particular priority is identifying and equipping indigenous leaders who can reproduce what they have received. This happens through personal mentoring, regional gatherings, discipleship and leadership training, Bible and ministry resources, pastoral care, and initiatives such as Antioch Mission School. We seek to release believers to walk faithfully in obedience to Jesus and to make disciples who make disciples.

Since 2019, River of Life has grown from relationships in just four nations and a handful of house fellowships into a network spanning dozens of nations and thousands of churches and home groups. Through ministry leaders directly connected with the network, well over a million people have heard the Gospel, thousands have come to faith in Christ, and hundreds have been baptized. As those disciples make disciples of their own, the wider River of Life family has grown to include tens of thousands of followers of Jesus. The growth continues as new leaders, churches, and nations are connected each year.

Many of these believers live and serve in difficult circumstances, including religious persecution, displacement, war, poverty, and social isolation. Donations help make possible leadership development, regional gatherings, pastoral care, Scripture and discipleship resources, travel and ministry logistics, and compassionate assistance when local believers face urgent needs.

Our desire is simple: to see streams of living water continue to flow through places where the Church has often been hidden, isolated, or small, as indigenous believers are strengthened to follow Jesus and carry the Gospel to others.