Seventy-five Evangelical Christians from 10 countries landed in Israel this weekend for what is being dubbed a “service tour of hope and healing” to support border communities affected by the October 7 massacre.
“We believe that when someone you love is suffering, you show up in their place,” said Michael Mistretta, CEO of the Fellowship of Israel Related Ministries (FIRM), which is leading the delegation.
“We are seeing this wave of Christians coming to Israel, even in times of war, not just to tour, but to serve the people of Israel, to show up in person and say, ‘Israel, we are with you . We want to be by your side if needed.
“These Christians came to say, ‘We love you, Israel.’ »
An international effort
Christians come to Israel from the United Kingdom, Moldova, Ireland, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Portugal, Singapore, Kenya and the United States. Most are evangelical, although some Catholics and Christians of other faiths also take the tour.
FIRM director of educational development Casey Tait said many Christians had contacted the organization and said they were praying and donating money, but wanted to do something else to help. So, “we mobilized quickly and came up with all kinds of different projects.”
Visiting Israel in Wartime
Members of the delegation range in age from 13 to 93 and are the largest Christian delegation to visit Israel since the start of the war.
They will spend the week traveling across the country, including planting hundreds of trees in an October 7 memorial garden in Kela Alon and preparing family-sized grocery boxes to feed hundreds of families across Israel. They are carrying out light renovations in several kibbutzim and organizing a fun day for 400 children from displaced families from northern communities – temporarily living in Afik and Midreshet HaGolan.
This Wednesday, the delegation will participate in a “National Day of Service” initiative in Dorot and Ein HaBsor, orchestrated by FIRM and supported by local partners. Working with a dedicated team of 500 Israeli volunteers, the group will engage in various activities, including harvesting and planting crops such as flowers and sweet potatoes. Additionally, they will contribute to the community by undertaking cleaning tasks and making light repairs to homes and schools with non-structural damage.
These efforts aim to prepare local infrastructure for the return of displaced families, fostering a sense of restoration and renewal.
Finally, they will meet with community leaders, local government officials and families affected by the war.
FIRM IS an eight-year-old non-profit organization that serves a network of 74 Jewish and Arab Christian messianic missionaries in Israel, as well as in Israel at large. Messianic Jews are often people who were born Jewish but now believe in Jesus, which is extremely controversial in Israel and throughout the Jewish world. However, today many evangelical Christians have joined messianic congregations.
These groups also often focus on converting Jews to Christianity.
Tait said “missionization is not the primary role of the organization.” While admitting that “we obviously want to share the love of God (Jesus) and the people we work with in Israel will share their stories,” she said there was no forced proselytizing and that the NGO made it clear to all volunteers that their travels are not a path for evangelization.
“That’s not the goal at all,” Tait stressed. “We understand the complications and live by our values, but the goal is not to evangelize through acts of service. »
There are approximately 310 Messianic Jewish congregations in Israel. Tait said about 700 Messianic Jewish soldiers serve in the military, including elite units.
SINCE OCTOBER 7, Christians have contributed more than $10 million to an emergency crisis fund facilitated by FIRM for numerous war relief projects. These collaborative efforts provided 2,200 ceramic body armor, 1,700 helmets for reserve units, tactical equipment and critical supplies for first responders. As part of a major food initiative, 15,000 boxes of groceries were distributed through 10 centers across the country, ensuring the livelihood of 50,000 displaced people. In addition, 60,000 hot kosher meals were served to soldiers and their families.
FIRM has partnered with hotels across Israel to provide shelter and support to displaced families, housing approximately 1,500 people, including more than 400 children, in seven sites.
“The Jewish people feel alone in the world, like they don’t have many friends,” Mistretta said. “It’s one thing when Jewish families come to serve and another thing when non-Jews come to serve – not only in good times but also in difficult times. »
He said FIRM plans to organize a similar trip at the end of January and hopes hundreds of volunteers will join it then.
