With so many turning to Christ, discipleship is crucial. In recent years, there has been a healthy emphasis on one-on-one discipleship in the Iranian church, made possible by Elam’s Safar discipleship journey. Through this 30-step discipleship roadmap, a mature believer walks alongside a new believer, helping them establish firm foundations of faith.  

The current war deepens the challenges of discipleship in two ways. One is security. Government checkpoints have been set up on city streets, increasing the risk of being searched and arrested.  

Another major challenge, given that many new believers are engaging with Safar online, is the internet. After a complete blackout for weeks following the massacres in January, connection was again cut during the war for nearly three months. There is a credible threat that the government could cut off the internet again at any time.  

These challenges need prayer. Whatever the future holds, let us pray that the Iranian church remains committed to, and empowered for, deep, lifelong discipleship.