Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development (LSESD)

More Information:
Founded: 1998

Beginnings:
LSESD, also known as the Lebanese Baptist Society, was begun in 1998 to take over the three main ministries founded in the 1960s by the Southern Baptist Mission. It has since worked hard to expand and improve these ministries, as well as adding several others; some with a local, some a regional and some a global impact.

Activities:

In March 2011, LSESD opened a centre for Smart Kids with Individual Learning Differences (SKILD) in Mansourieh on the outskirts of Beirut to help address the issue of special needs education in Lebanon. SKILD's specialised services - in Arabic, English and French - have a transformational impact on families, children and teenagers who struggle with learning differences, as well as benefitting professionals who work with such students. By tailoring their approach according to the particular strengths and learning requirements of the individual, the SKILD team cater for their academic, social and emotional needs and enable them to become active citizens in their environment. The minibus in the photo above was bought thanks to a grant from BibleLands.

In addition to the SKILD Centre, LSESD also runs the following programmes:

• Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS), with students from across the Middle East.
  
  
• Dar Manhal Al Hayat publishing house, producing Christian resources in the Arab language.
  
  
• Beirut Baptist School, whose academic excellence makes it very popular with Muslim as well as Christian families.
  
  
• Children & Youth Ministry including camps for children and an annual conference for youth workers.