Under the Theme “Living Water”

Beirut – Sunday, September 6, 2026

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) inaugurated the Season of Creation 2026 in Lebanon on the evening of Sunday, September 6, at the National Evangelical Church in Beirut, through an Ecumenical Prayer Service held under this year’s theme, “Living Water.” The Service brought together representatives of various Church Families in an encounter of Prayer, fellowship, and reflection on the gift of water and humanity’s responsibility to care for creation.

The celebration was attended by Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, and MECC President for the Evangelical Family, and the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs, along with Bishops, Priests, Pastors, Monks and Nuns, Representatives of Churches, organizations and youth movements, as well as many believers.

The Prayer Service included hymns performed by choirs and chanters from different Christian traditions: the Laudato Si’ Choir with Subdeacon Charbel Bou Machrek Chanter Deacon Ghazar Koushkrian, accompanied on the piano by Hampik Marderosian, a choir from the National Evangelical Church’s youth, and the St. Theophan the Hymnographer Choir. Together, they presented a rich musical tapestry reflecting the diversity of Christian traditions in the unity of Prayer and praise.

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) concluded the Ecumenical Youth Camp in Lebanon, organized as part of the Youth Leadership Building (YLB) Program, in cooperation with the Bible Society, Ithraa’ Center, and the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF), with the support of Kerk in Actie. The camp brought together young men and women from various Christian Church Families.

The fourth and final days of the camp featured a diverse program combining learning and interaction, along with opportunities for participants to express their talents and exchange experiences.

With great hope, the third day of the Ecumenical Youth Camp in Lebanon was held as part of the Youth Leadership Building (YLB) Program, organized by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in cooperation with the Bible Society, Ithraa’ Center, and the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF), with the support of Kerk in Actie. The camp brought together young men and women from various Christian Church Families.

The third day of the camp had a spiritual, training, and interactive atmosphere. The program included times of Prayer and reflection, providing a spiritual foundation for the various themes addressed throughout the day.

The young participants also took part in a training session led by Mr. Naji Fakhoury from the Bible Society, in which he presented many topics related to leadership, its importance, and ways of strengthening leadership skills. In addition, a Bible study session was led by Pastor Asadour Mncherian, providing an opportunity for dialogue and deeper reflection on the Word of God, as well as connecting the Biblical text and its teachings to everyday life. The program also included a personal testimony, during which one of the leaders shared his story and personal experience.

The activities of the second day of the Ecumenical youth camp in Lebanon continued as part of the Youth Leadership Building (YLB) Program, organized by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in cooperation with the Bible Society, Ithraa’ Center, and the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF), with the support of Kerk in Actie. The camp brought together young men and women from various Christian Church Families.

The second day’s program included group and individual Prayers and reflections, as well as interactive games. It also featured a training session on leadership and its concepts, led by Mrs. Rita Zakhour from the Bible Society. In addition, Pastor Asadour Mncherian delivered a session on leadership from a Biblical perspective. Participants also took part in a session during which they listened to a personal life testimony highlighting the importance of leadership and its impact.

It is worth noting that the second day was attended by the Secretary General and Executive Director of the Bible Society Dr. Mike Bassous, and the Regional Secretary of the World Student Christian Federation Ms. Melissa Bridi.

The first day of the Ecumenical Youth Camp in Lebanon, organized by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) as part of its Youth Leadership Building (YLB) Program, took place, bringing together a group of youth from various Church Families.

The program is implemented in cooperation with the Bible Society, Ithraa’ Center, and the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF), with the support of Kerk in Actie.

The day began with the arrival of participants, introductions, and a welcome, followed by an overview of the camp’s rules and teams’ organization. The program also included several icebreaker activities and team building games designed to help participants get to know one another, contributing to stronger communication and cooperation among the youth.

The Middle East Joins the Prayers with Great Hope

The 2026 “Season of Creation” was inaugurated under the theme “Living Water” and the symbol “Immersion in Living Water,” inspired by Ezekiel 47:9 and 12, through a global online Prayer gathering held on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, which also coincided with the Feast of Creation. The gathering was organized at the invitation of the Season of Creation Global Steering Committee, which includes members from various Ecumenical bodies, including the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and other international organizations.

The gathering brought together Church and Ecumenical Leaders, faithful, and representatives of Church Families, institutions, and organizations from around the world. It featured various Prayers, reflections, and readings centered on the Season of Creation, calling participants to glorify, praise, and give thanks to the Lord for all His blessings and gifts. The gathering also emphasized the importance of responsibility towards creation and of strengthening efforts to care for our common home.

MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs:

“Water-related topics must be integrated into school curricula and public awareness campaigns to cultivate citizens who are concerned about the future of humanity through their concern for water”

As the 2026 Season of Creation is celebrated, believers from various Church Families in the Middle East and the world come together in Prayer, reflection, and action to protect God’s creation. This year, the Season of Creation takes place at a time when the world is facing increasingly severe environmental and climate crises. Therefore, this Season calls for greater care for the environment and creation, with all that it encompasses, in order to ensure a safer future for the inhabitants of the planet.

On the occasion of the Season of Creation, which this year carries the theme “Living Water” and the symbol “Immersion in Living Water,” the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, addressed a message published in the global Season of Creation guide for this year, alongside messages and reflections from Religious and Ecumenical Leaders from around the world. These contributions affirm that caring for creation is not merely an environmental issue, but a shared faith-based and human responsibility.

From the heart of the Middle East, Professor Michel Abs noted in his message that “the Good Friday hymn proclaims, “Today He who hung the earth upon the waters was hung upon the cross,” alluding to the primacy of water over all other elements of nature during creation. Furthermore, the incarnate Lord declared, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” He was baptized in the Jordan River, an act we consider foundational to the doctrine of salvation”…

Are Pleased to Invite You to the Ecumenical Prayer Service

Celebrating the Season of Creation 2026

Guide of the Season of Creation 2026 Celebration in Arabic and English: https://www.mecc.org/mecc/2026/6/23/the-middle-east-council-of-churches-issues-the-season-of-creation-2026-guide-in-arabic.

Together We Unite in Prayer and Supplication to God the Creator

As every year, the Ecumenical family in the Middle East and the world comes together for an environmental and Ecumenical occasion which is the “Season of Creation.” This is a time dedicated to Prayer, reflection, and action for the care of Creation and the preservation of our common home.

The Season extends from September 1, the Feast of Creation, to October 4, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron saint of ecology.

As part of the celebration of this Season, you can find the text of the “Season of Creation” 2026 Prayer.

“Living Water”

With deep hope and great joy, the Season of Creation 2026 begins on September 1, carrying the theme “Living Water” and the symbol “Immersion in Living Water,” inspired by Ezekiel 47:9 and 12. This Ecumenical environmental season brings together the Ecumenical family in the Middle East and around the world in joint Prayer and work to protect God’s creation and preserve our common home.

Noting that this Season is observed annually from September 1, the Day of Creation, through October 4, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, Patron saint of ecology. It is a spiritual and environmental season aimed at fostering greater awareness and responsibility towards the Earth and all that it contains.

The Season of Creation invites believers to renew their relationship with the Creator and with creation through a journey of celebration, repentance, and commitment. This is done through deepening our understanding of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ, as well as via efforts to strengthen environmental values and encourage initiatives dedicated to protecting our common home, the Oikos of God.

Let us raise together our praise and glorification to the Lord, the Creator, the God of justice and peace. Let us give thanks to Him for all His gifts, blessings, and abundant graces that He has bestowed upon us!

“Living Water”

Carrying the theme “Living Water” and the symbol “Immersion in Living Water,” inspired by Ezekiel 47:9 and 12, the Ecumenical Family in the Middle East and around the world unites to celebrate the “Season of Creation” 2026. This season constitutes an Ecumenical, Christian, and environmental station to contemplate and care for our common home, the Oikos of God.

Each year, the Season’s celebrations begin on September 1, the day that many Church Families celebrate as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and others celebrate as the Feast of Creation. It ends on October 4, with the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of ecology.

In this context, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), which is a Member of the Season of Creation Ecumenical Steering Committee, issues the guide for the “Season of Creation” 2026 in Arabic, after the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department translated into Arabic, as is customary annually.

Tuesday, September 1, 2026 – 4:00 pm

The world and the Middle East are preparing to participate in the “Season of Creation,” an annual Ecumenical environmental observance during which Christians from different Church Families come together to glorify God the Creator, renew their commitment to working together to protect creation, and preserve our common home.

On this occasion, the “Season of Creation” 2026 will be launched through a global online Prayer gathering, on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at 4:00 pm. You can joint it through the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnho_aeql2w.

The gathering will include Prayers, reflections, and interventions from many Ecumenical Leaders from around the world. It will be held under the theme “Living Water” and the symbol “Immersion in Living Water,” inspired by Ezekiel 47:9 and 12.

It is worth noting that the “Season of Creation” is observed annually from September 1, the Day of Creation, to October 4, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, Patron Saint of Ecology.

Together We Unite in Prayer and Work to Protect Our Common Home! 

Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

The Ecumenical family around the world is preparing for an environmental Ecumenical season, a season that holds a lot of hope for glorifying, praising and thanking God the Creator for all His blessings and gifts. It is the “Season of Creation,” a station that extends annually between September 1, the Feast of Creation, and October 4, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Ecology. 

The Season of Creation is an Ecumenical celebration for praying and responding together to the cry of creation. Hence, its calls on us to renew our relationship with the Creator and creation by learning and working, through studying the Holy Bible and delving deeper into the Teachings of Jesus Christ, as well as through commitment to the environmental issue and making efforts to protect our common home, Oikos of God. 

As is customary yearly, the season adopts a specific theme and a special slogan. This year, we will unite around the theme “Living Water” and the symbol “Immersion in Living Water,” inspired by Ezekiel 47:9 and 12. Hence, when did this season start? And how was it launched?… 

Emphasis on the Need to Strengthen Media Cooperation

Father Dr. Rifat Bader, General Director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media in Jordan, Publisher of “Abouna” Website, and Representative of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for Media Affairs, visited the Council’s headquarters in Beirut on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. He was received by the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs, and the General Secretariat team, in the presence of the Journalist Rafi Sayegh, from “Abouna” Website.

The visit took place as part of Father Bader’s participation in a seminar organized by MECC entitled “Ecumenical Media: Mission and Ethics,” where he delivered a lecture addressing the subject of Ecumenical media and the importance of its role today in serving the Church and society.

Are Pleased to Invite You to the Ecumenical Prayer Service

Celebrating the Season of Creation 2026

Guide of the Season of Creation 2026 Celebration in Arabic and English: https://www.mecc.org/mecc/2026/6/23/the-middle-east-council-of-churches-issues-the-season-of-creation-2026-guide-in-arabic.

Global Webinar on the Occasion of the Ecumenical International Youth Day 2026

A Gathering Affirming the Importance of Youth in the Present and Future of the Ecumenical Movement

On the occasion of the Ecumenical International Youth Day 2026, a global online Ecumenical webinar was held under the title “Healing Spaces”, organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC), in partnership with ACT Alliance, Oikoumene Pasifika, and the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC).

The webinar took place on Thursday, August 13, 2026, under the theme “Restore – Empower – Strengthen – Thrive.” It brought together youth from around the world, alongside representatives of many regional and international Ecumenical organizations and bodies. Among the participants were Ms. Maria Bzdigian, Project Coordinator in the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department, and Elia Nasrallah, Communication and Media Officer in the MECC Communication and Public Relations Department.

Pastor of the National Evangelical Church of Beirut and President of the National Evangelical Union of Lebanon

By an MECC Delegation Led by Secretary General Professor Michel Abs

Professor Abs: Reverend Rima is a worthy successor to a worthy predecessor, and the Evangelical Church carries a rich heritage of thought, culture, and learning

Reverend Rima: Ecumenical work lies at the heart of our faith and heritage… and it is essential to continue our cooperation with the Council

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, accompanied by an MECC delegation, visited Reverend Dr. Rima Nasrallah, the Newly Elected President of the National Evangelical Union of Lebanon and Pastor of the National Evangelical Church of Beirut, on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at her office in Beirut.

The delegation included the MECC Associate Secretaries General Father Dr. Nicolas Bustros and Mrs. Seta Hadeshian, Director of the Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, Director of the Lebanon’s Office of the Diakonia and Social Service Department Ms. Nina Hallak, Coordinator of the Dialogue, Social Cohesion, and Human Dignity Rehabilitation Programs Professor Laure Abi Khalil, Media and Church Relations Coordinator Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, Social Media Officer Johnny Antoun, and Media and Communication Officer Elia Nasrallah. As well as, Associate Secretary General Reverend Dr. Rifaat Fikry joined the meeting virtually from Egypt.

Father Georges Al-Amil, Assistant Parish Priest of Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish in Ain Ebel, visited the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs at the Council's General Secretariat headquarters in Hamra, Beirut. Their meeting focused on the current situation in the villages of Southern Lebanon and the social, economic, and humanitarian challenges that their residents are facing.

During the meeting, Father Al-Amil outlined the difficult living situations endured by the residents of Rmeish, Debel, and Ain Ebel, as well as the situation of displaced families from the villages of Qawzah, Alma Al-Shaab, and Yaroun. He conveyed what the people of the region are suffering from in terms of escalating crises and the repercussions of the current circumstances on their daily lives and livelihoods.

Both sides also reviewed the latest developments in Southern Lebanon and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the Middle East Council of Churches, the Church, municipalities, and other relevant stakeholders. Their discussions focused on supporting local communities, enhancing the resilience of residents, and helping them remain on their land.

A Reflection by Fr. Dr. Nicolas Bustros, MECC Associate Secretary General