Israel

In Israel, FELM does not have a partner Church; instead FELM works in collaboration with congregations of Messianic Jews. FELM staff attempt to build bridges between the Jews and Palestinians.

FELM staff work in the areas of

• Diaconia and help for the elderly
• Guest workers
• Child sponsorship
• Coordination

Ministry and Congregational work

Activities in Israel are centered around the Shalhevetjah centre that FELM owns. A congregation by the same name congregates at the centre.

The main activities at the centre are:

• Sabbath day Church services
• Bible study and prayer groups
• Family and single parent support
• Diaconia and counseling services
• Children and young people’s clubs and the organization of King’s Kids

Services in Finnish are held once a month. The Shalhevetjah centre supports other Christian churches by offering them its facilities for use. A Chinese congregation meets at the centre and there are Amharic language services. Seminars, children’s summer camps and youth Bible study camps are organized at the centre.

An important component of FELM’s work with Church members and guest workers is supporting the availability of Bibles and Christian literature. Christian literature and Bibles are made available in Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, Romanian, Thai and Chinese. The Shalhevetjah centre also coordinates, in collaboration with the Israeli Humanitarian Assistance, food aid and clothing to those in need.

One FELM staff member works in diaconia in the Immanuel church in Jaffo. FELM also supports Caspar, a theological research and training centre, and work among children in Ramle that is carried out by the Evangelical Episcopal Church (EECME).

Community Support and Peace Building

There are many Asian migrants in Israel who are primarily engaged in the building industry and agriculture. Since 1997 FELM has worked with guest workers from Thailand and China. For this reason FELM has staff who speak Thai and Chinese.

In addition to their spiritual needs, guest workers who do not speak the local language often need assistance in dealing with their employers and the authorities. For providing guest workers with legal assistance, FELM collaborates with Israeli non-governmental organsations. FELM staff also carry out visits to jails and hospitals.

Child sponsorship supports the Hebrew language Makor HaTikva School. This school is a branch of the International Anglican School and targets as pupils the children of Messianic Jews. The school receives no financial assistance from the government and as such relies solely on school fees and charitable contributions.

Since 2004, the children of church members who belong to the Shalhevetjah centre can benefit of the sponsorship programme. Many families are financially constrained due to recent social service cuts in Israel.

FELM also supports the Ebenezer nursing home that was established in 1976 to cater for the elderly Jewish and Arab Christians. One FELM staff member works at the nursing home.