Building Hope in lives that lost it, planting love in hearts that forgot it, to build a better tomorrow.

Introduction: Finding a home in Jerusalem
Our church—your church—in Jerusalem is facing eviction in less than 15 months. Muslim leaders in the community insisted that our landlord end our congregation’s lease. Eventually, he did. This kind of opposition is not new. Instead of pursuing another landlord we are seeking a permanent and safe location for our Calvary Church community.

Our dream for a new church home includes its use as a multi-purpose complex, giving our congregants freedom to grow both physically and spiritually. This especially includes our young people, with a goal to empower them in their faith so that they become a blessing to all Israel, fully integrated into its culture.

A project of HOPE in Israel

Our Church
As the leading Evangelical Christian Arab ministry in Israel and the Palestinian Territories with 7 unique ministries throughout the Land, Holy Land Missions is touching thousands of lives, teaching them to live a biblical life, fully connected with God. In just the past few years, our congregation in East Jerusalem, Calvary Church, has grown more than 1,400 percent. Our faith family now numbers more than 200. And we continue to grow.

Our ministry’s emphasis is fulfillment of Luke 18:16 — Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Providing a future for the next generation will help prevent a mass exodus of Christian Arabs from the Land.

Our People

Many of our parishioners were once Muslims. Others come from mainline Church communities native to the Land. There are only 10,000 Christian Arabs living in Jerusalem, a number that includes those from every Christian tradition. A born again faith community is a recent phenomenon—and all the more rare. Many in our family are grappling with physical threats and a lifetime of distorted theological-cultural-political beliefs. Our community of faith is a true fulfillment of Acts 14:22 — "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God."

Our Programs

Our programs include family counseling, sports, music, and women’s health awareness initiatives. Other projects that have a huge impact in the Arab community are Food Distribution, Medical Outreach and Youth Leadership Development initiatives. The fruit of these programs is hope where there has been no hope, hope that is rooted in the love of Jesus. His compassion for all people is winning respect in our Arab-Muslim community at-large. And the result? Hearts and ears are opening to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

FOOD DISTRIBUTION INITIATIVE

One of the biggest challenges facing the Arab Christian community is poverty. Many of our parishioners and their neighbors lack financial means to purchase basic food supplies for a healthy diet. Our Food Distribution Initiative provides nourishment for over 500 families. Right now we can only do this periodically. Our heart’s desire is to expand this initiative so that we can help families on a consistent basis. We have found a Jewish organization to partner with us to develop a food-card program that is accepted by local supermarkets. The card itself will have logos of our church and our partner’s organization. We are seeking $250,000.00 project to fund $100 per month for the purchase of healthy food for 500 families.

MEDICAL OUTREACH INITIATIVE

More than 75% of our Christian Arab families do not have healthcare coverage. As part of our yearly Medical Outreach Initiative, we fly in eye specialists and dentists from the United States to help our elderly with cataract surgeries, other eye ailments and dental work. In 2011, we helped over 3,000 people. Our goal is to provide this service every quarter instead of every year. And bring in a variety of medical specialists to address other health concerns that are prevalent in our community. In order to do this, we need new funding in the amount of $100,000.00.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

When they finish high school, many Arab Christian youth settle within a 3 mile radius of their parents’ neighborhoods. Why? Most are completely unprepared, unequipped to enter Israel’s mainstream workforce. This lack of preparation includes a fundamental inability to communicate with Israel’s larger Jewish society. The goals of our Youth Leadership Development Project are to…

1. Prepare participants with skills and tools they can use in Israel’s workforce
2. Learn and appreciate the different cultures in which they live, including their unique outlooks on life, religion and values
3. Forge lasting bonds among the Israeli Jewish population that will help dispel misunderstandings and at the same time create mutually beneficial, collaborative relationships

Participants enroll in a variety of activities such as workshops, simulations, seminars, collaborative artistic endeavors, athletic activities and community outreach programs. Students are provided ongoing opportunities to interact with the majority culture, sharing perceptions and ideas, learning about each other’s religions and finding areas of mutual concern which they can address together.

My heart’s desire is no more tears, seeing smiles instead of fear.
-Pastor Steven Khoury

Our Need, Your Opportunity
With an imminent need to relocate, Calvary Church seeks to find a permanent home that is:
• Safe to worship without fear of physical reprisals from Muslim neighbors
• Centrally located and close to public transportation in to accommodate to our elderly members
• Close to a young, dynamic Christian community in East Jerusalem
• Spacious enough to grow and to house all of our programming initiatives

What then shall we do?
Israel is the birthplace of Christianity. But the Christian Arab population is slowly declining both in numbers and in spirit. The need is hope for a better tomorrow.
With your help, with your participation, your brothers and sisters in Christ can be strengthened, discovering spiritual renewal and opportunities to remain in the Land.

Costs:

General Cost for Purchasing of Land and Plan to Build:
A. Government Fees & Paper Work: $150,000.00
B. Land, 2 Hectors: $2,000,000.00
C. Building Phase: $1,600,000.00
Total: $3,750,000.00
 
Or…
Available Buildings Ready to Purchase to OWN:

Option 1: A 6-story building with some land on which to build: $3,300,000.00
Option 2: A 3-story building with a large amount of land on which to build: also $3,300,000.00

CONTACT:
www.holylandmissions.org
www.hakal.org

Pastor Steven Khoury
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Israeli Phone: 054.460.3337
U.S Office: 417.942.0392