Saturday 30 November 2013

December and Christmas Charity - Embrace the Middle East Syria Appeal

Embrace the Middle East is the exciting new name for BibleLands, a Christian charity which was set up in 1854.  In its 150+ years of existence they have worked in many countries in the Near and Middle East.  Currently Embrace supports projects in Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and Egypt. Although they do not routinely work in Syria, during the current crisis there, they have been supporting the work of local church leaders to bring food to internally displaced persons.

Detailed research showed that the previous name conjured up an old-fashioned image and led people to believe that they distributed Bibles or were an overtly evangelistic charity.  While Embrace believes in the importance of the Word of God and its dissemination, distribution of Bibles is not part of their charitable purpose. Embrace the Middle East was chosen because it described the work and reflected the Christian calling to welcome the stranger, feed the hungry and help the homeless (Matthew 25).  It was also felt that embrace was a very Biblical concept, one that invoked the inclusiveness that goes to the very heart of the Gospel.

One paraphrase translation of Jesus’ comments in Mark 9 verse 37 reads: "Whoever embraces one of these children as I do embraces me, and far more than me - God who sent me."

Embrace the Middle East is a non-governmental, inter-denominational charity supporting Christian-led humanitarian projects in the Middle East. Embrace seeks to improve the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the Middle East in partnership with local Christians, focusing on education, healthcare and community development – regardless of their faith or nationality.

Babies in the land of Christ's birth are going without vital medicines and nutrition. An Embrace-supported Well Baby clinic, run by Gazan Christians, is working under extreme pressure to bring medicines and nutritional support to babies at risk. The clinic provides milk, iron supplements and medicines free of charge. The staff monitor growth and advise parents on how to make sure their children's food retains as many nutrients as possible.  Please help reach them before it's too late.

www.embraceme.org    

Registered Charity 1076329

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