Barnabas Gifts by Barnabas Fund

barnabas gifts Gifts of Love for the Persecuted Church

2012-2013 Barnabas Fund Gift Catalogue

www.barnabasfund.org

Contents Welcome How we help What did your gifts achieve last year? Where we helped Disaster relief Special feature: Sponsor a Christian family in Syria Feeding School-place sponsorship Small business Gift form Gift cards Victims of violence Convert care Leadership training Pastors and evangelists Water Medical care Church buildings Christian resources About Barnabas Fund Commendations

3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 i-iii iv 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

WELCOME TO THE 2012-2013 BARNABAS FUND GIFT CATALOGUE Dear Christian friend, In the following pages you will find many options for gifts large and small that you, your small group or your church can make to support persecuted Christians in many parts of the world. The gifts listed on each page are examples of what can be bought with donations of specific amounts made to designated projects. In the past year Barnabas Fund has supported such projects in nearly 60 different countries. Our funding for them is made possible only by the commitment and generosity of our supporters, whose prayers and gifts make such a difference to our suffering brothers and sisters. Please give whatever you can, and please encourage others in your congregation or fellowship to do the same. Twelve ways to bring hope and aid The catalogue highlights twelve key areas in which Barnabas Fund strengthens members of our Christian family who endure discrimination, harassment and violence because of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. These range from relief for the Christian victims of natural disasters to the provision of basic needs such as food, water and medicine; from training and support for church leaders to the funding of Christian resources and church buildings; from the sponsoring of Christian school-children to start-up costs for small businesses and help for converts and victims of violence. In all these ways God can graciously use your gift to transform the lives of Christians living

under pressure and where churches struggle to grow or even survive. Single and regular gifts Single “one-off” gifts are an invaluable means of supporting vital ministries while also providing a great alternative present for your loved ones. Why not buy your Christian friends Barnabas Gifts for Christmas this year? Regular gifts (such as a Direct Debit in the UK) help us to minimise our overheads and maximise the amounts we send to support needy Christians. They also make it easier for us both to respond quickly to new and urgent requests and to plan ahead for the longer term. Gift card If you choose to support a project as an alternative gift, we will supply you with a delightful “thank-you” card, which you can send to the person on whose behalf you have made the donation. Please turn to page iv of the pull-out gift form for further details. The Bible calls us to help everyone, but especially our brothers and sisters in Christ (Galatians 6:10, emphasis added). This catalogue offers us an opportunity to fulfil the “especially” part of this verse. Please give generously, and please also pray as you read.

Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director

How We Help Medical Pastors and care evangelists clinics and life-saving healthcare

Feeding

spreading the Word, strengthening the Body

basic needs supplied through local churches

support for those who turn to Christ

Disaster relief

Leadership training

emergency aid in times of calamity

equipping the ministers of Christ

Christian resources

Water digging wells, ensuring supplies

resources for growth and encouragement

Small business strengthening Christians through self-sufficiency

Convert care

School-place sponsorship Church buildings enabling ministry on firm foundations

Victims of violence helping Christians who suffer violence or injustice for their faith

Christian schooling for Christian children

What did your gifts * achieve in the last year? In contexts of pressure and persecution…

…Barnabas Fund supported:

21, 000

1200

7,000

over 1,200 Christians with small-business and income generation projects

more than 21,000 Christians who were victims of violence

over 7,000 Christian children in Christian schools or educational programmes

279

108 279 evangelists and 108 pastors

leadership training for Christian leaders in 21 countries

11 safe houses and helped persecuted Christian converts in 14 countries

…Barnabas Fund provided:

142, 680 emergency relief to over 142,680 Christians

60,000 food to over 60,000 Christians

267, 300

10, 000

267,300 pieces of Christian literature and 10,000 Bibles

38 resources for the construction or repair of 38 churches and other Christian buildings

* From 1 Julyy 2011 to 30 June 2012 5

Where We Helped

Albania Algeria Angola Armenia Azerbaijan Bangladesh Burma (Myanmar) Burundi Bulgaria Cambodia China Egypt Ethiopia Georgia Holy Land India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ivory Coast Kazakhstan Kenya Kyrgyzstan Lebanon Mali Moldova

Nepal Niger Nigeria North Korea Pakistan Philippines Rwanda Russia Senegal South Africa Sierra Leone South Sudan Sudan Sri Lanka Syria Tajikistan Tanzania Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine Uzbekistan Vietnam Zimbabwe

* Some of the countries where Barnabas Fund supported projects from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012

Sustaining Christians when disaster strikes

Disaster Relief

This Malian woman and her husband are the only Christians in their large families. Here she receives emergency famine relief supplied by Barnabas

ÂŁ5 ÂŁ9.30 ÂŁ3,685

supplied a Christian family in Pakistan with mosquito nets after flooding provided a Christian in East Africa with shelter and food for one month rebuilt a house destroyed by civil war in Sri Lanka

Reference number: 00-634 (Disaster Relief Fund)

he Sahel region of Africa has recently been stricken by another severe drought and resulting food shortages. In some places the price of basic foodstuffs has doubled or even trebled, and some Christians have resorted to begging or eating leaves. Barnabas Fund has provided rice and grain for hungry Christians in Mali and Niger. When disaster strikes an area where Christians are in a minority, they can often receive less aid than others or be passed over altogether. In these contexts Barnabas seeks to ensure that they suffer no worse than the majority population. We provide food, medicines and shelter to meet their immediate needs, and longer-term help to rebuild their lives. Among many other relief projects in 2011-12, Barnabas has provided emergency aid to Christians displaced by devastating floods in Sri Lanka. We have also rebuilt houses and supplied seed and fertiliser for Christians who lost everything in the Pakistan floods of 2010 and 2011.

Sponsor a displaced Christian family in Syria

Special feature

This Christian family in Syria is one of many receiving help from Barnabas Fund

ÂŁ25

can help a Christian family in Syria for one month

ighteen months ago a Christian family of five was living peaceably in Homs with both parents earning an income in the city. But then rebel fighters threatened them with death, took over their home and looted or destroyed their furniture. The family lost their means of income and are now struggling to make ends meet, having fled to a village near Homs where they are living in a small unfurnished apartment. Tens of thousands of Christians in Syria have found themselves in a similar or worse plight as the country has descended into chaos and civil war. Threats or violence, often specifically against Christians, have caused them to flee their homes, and they are now caught up in a growing crisis of homelessness and poverty. Many are camping out in parks in the open air or sleeping temporarily in schools and church halls. Barnabas Fund is providing thousands of needy Christian families in Syria with food, medicine, money for rent and other essentials through local churches and ministries.

Reference number: 00-1032 (Middle East Fund to help Christians in Syria) 9

Basic needs for hungry Christians

“T Feeding

A Pakistani woman with her food package from Barnabas

£6 £55

fed a Christian orphan in Zimbabwe for a month

provided 150 Christian orphans in Burma (Myanmar) with food for one month

Reference number: 00-636 (Feeding Fund)

he help we are getting from Barnabas is like an ointment on our wounds.” Bashir, an impoverished Christian in Pakistan, receives a regular food package through Barnabas Fund. It means he can save a little money to pay the medical bills for his sick wife and has enabled him to send his son to school and now college. Barnabas provides food for tens of thousands of Christians who are trapped in poverty as a result of discrimination or persecution. We have fed families in Egypt for many years, and recently we have extended our programme to some who have been badly affected by the revolution and its aftermath. We also have a long-term feeding project in Pakistan. Barnabas also helps those who are threatened or displaced by anti-Christian violence. We provide food for Iraqi Christians, both in Iraq and refugees in neighbouring countries. The eruption of civil war in Syria has driven large numbers of vulnerable Christians from their homes. So we have now expanded our feeding programmes for Iraqi Christians in Syria to include needy Syrian Christians throughout the country. (See page 9.)

Confident and secure at school

School-place Sponsorship

Barnabas Fund is enabling thousands of impoverished Christian children in Pakistan go to school

ÂŁ3

ÂŁ30

can help a Christian Dalit child in India learn in a Christian environment

can pay the wage of a Christian nursery teacher in North Africa for one week

Christian mother in North Africa is amazed how her two children have changed since they started attending a Christian nursery, funded by Barnabas. The youngsters now share their toys, pray for one another and dream of being like David and Gideon, heroes from the Bible whose stories they hear at the nursery. All the Christian parents of the 20 under-fours are extremely grateful that their children can learn about their Christian faith in a loving environment in a country where 99% of the population is Muslim. Christian children going to mainstream schools in areas where the majority of people are hostile to their faith will often become fearful and withdrawn because they experience discrimination, pressure to convert, and sometimes even physical violence because of their faith. Changing to a Christian school can change their world around; many regain their confidence and start to feel a lot more happy and relaxed. In the longterm it can mean that they can break free from the cycle of poverty and help build up their Christian community. Thanks to Barnabas Fund over 7,000 Christian children can attend Christian schools.

Reference number: 00-794 (Christian Schools for Christian Children) 11

Building businesses for God’s people

M Small business

A Christian woman in Niger tending the two goats she received from Barnabas

£8

£19 £64

can provide fabric for one month at a sewing and literacy centre in Pakistan can provide a Christian family in Pakistan with a goat

can purchase a piglet in Turkmenistan to help set up a pig farm

Reference number: 00-356 (Small Business Start-up Fund) 12

any young Christians in Egypt struggle to find work because of the discrimination against them. Increased violence against Christians since the Arab Spring has also made it more difficult for Christians to travel to their jobs, especially for Christian women. At a sewing training centre in an impoverished Christian area of Egypt Christian girls are acquiring tailoring skills with support from Barnabas Fund. These will enable them to make products that can then be sold to earn an income. Livestock is another simple and effective way to provide Christians with a means of income. Last year 150 Christian families in Pakistan received two goats per family. In Niger around 340 goats were given to Christians. Christians in many countries experience discrimination in employment. Some careers are closed to them; they may be passed over for promotion or be able to secure only the most menial and badly-paid jobs. Barnabas Fund helps them become self-sufficient through training and the provision of start-up costs or equipment and materials. In this way their suffering is alleviated and their Christian witness is strengthened. Our support can also help them build up their local church.

Gift Form To make a Gift of Love for the Persecuted Church, please use the following forms. You can either set up a regular donation, or make a single donation to the General Fund or to one or more of the projects listed throughout the booklet*. Simply fill out your contact details below and then fill out p. ii for single donations or p. iii for regular donations. If you are a UK tax-payer, please complete the Gift Aid Declaration below to enable us to reclaim tax on all your donations at no extra cost to you. If you would like us to send you a gift card(s) following your donation, please also complete p. iv with details of the wording required. When complete, please pull the form out of the catalogue and send it to your nearest Barnabas Fund office (addresses on the back cover).

GIFT AID DECLARATION

I / We would like to help the persecuted Church: (Mr / Mrs / Miss / Ms / Rev / Dr) Name .............................................................................. Address .......................................................................... ........................................................................................... ........................................................................................... ........................................................................................... Postcode ................................................................... Telephone .................................................................. Email .........................................................................

(Applicable to UK tax payers only) Name of charity: Barnabas Fund Please treat as Gift Aid donations all qualifying gifts of money made: (Please tick all boxes you wish to apply)

today in the past 4 years in the future I confirm I have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax for each tax year (6 April to 5 April) that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all the charities or Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) that I donate to will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year. I understand that other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify. I understand the charity will reclaim 28p of tax on every ÂŁ1 that I gave up to 5 April 2008 and will reclaim 25p of tax on every ÂŁ1 that I give on or after 6 April 2008. Signature ______________________ Date __________________________ Please inform us if you want to cancel this declaration, change your name or home address or no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains. If you pay Income Tax at the higher or additional rate and want to receive the additional tax relief due to you, you must include all your Gift Aid donations on your Self-Assessment tax return or ask HM Revenue and Customs to adjust your tax code.

*If the project chosen is already sufficiently funded, we reserve the right to use designated gifts for another project of a similar type.

GOL 2012

For Single Donations Please supply your address on p. i and send us all four pages I / We would like to help the persecuted Church: Here is my/our gift of £

...............................................................

Please use it: where it is most needed (General Fund) or for ............................ (give reference number of project to be supported)*. I enclose a cheque/voucher payable to “Barnabas Fund” Please debit my

Number Expiry date

Visa

Mastercard

Maestro

Solo

American Express

CAF/other charity card

Maestro Issue Number

Issue Date

/ /

Signature .................................................................. Date ................./................./................. I DO NOT require an acknowledgement Please send me a gift card for this donation (see p. iv of this booklet for details). Please return this form to your nearest Barnabas Fund office (addresses on the back cover). If you are a UK tax-payer, please complete the Gift Aid Declaration on p. i to enable us to reclaim tax on all your donations at no extra cost to you.

Other ways to donate: SMS You can donate £3 by texting “Barnabas” to 70007. You will receive a confirmation message which includes an option to complete a Gift Aid Declaration. For terms and conditions please visit www.barnabasfund.org/terms Direct credit to our Barnabas Fund bank account Please make your transfer to: Account Name: Barnabas Fund; Account Number: 50133299; Sort Code: 20-26-46. It is really helpful if you show as your transaction reference your postcode, the project number you wish to donate to, and indicate if you would like us to acknowledge your gift by including the letters TY. This enables us to allocate your gift correctly and claim Gift Aid if appropriate. A sample reference would be TY/SN154TR/940 If in any doubt please email finance@barnabasfund.org for clarification. Credit card donation Please phone 0800 587 4006 (from outside the UK phone +44 1672 564 938) or visit www.barnabasfund.org

*If the project chosen is already sufficiently funded, we reserve the right to use designated gifts for another project of a similar type. Barnabas Fund is a company registered in England number 4029536, Registered Charity no. 1092935

GOL 2012

For Regular Donations I / We want to bring hope to the persecuted Church by a regular gift, to be used where it is most needed (General Fund) or for ________________ (give reference number of project to be supported)*. I will pay: by bank Direct Debit, and have filled in the form below (for UK supporters only) by regular credit card donation which I will set up via www.barnabasfund.org by regular cheque/voucher payable to “Barnabas Fund” (please complete your address details on p. i of this form) My first payment of ________________ to cover __________ months is enclosed. Please return this form to Barnabas Fund and not to your bank. See back cover of this catalogue for address details. If you are a UK tax-payer, please complete the Gift Aid Declaration on p. i to enable us to reclaim the tax on your regular payments.

DIRECT DEBIT (for UK supporters only) I would like to give a regular gift of £___________ (amount in words)____________________________ Starting on 1st / 11th / 21st (please encircle) of (month) _________________ and then every month / quarter / year (delete as applicable) until further notice. This Direct Debit is a new one / in addition to / replaces an earlier Standing Order / Direct Debit in favour of Barnabas Fund (delete as applicable).

Instruction to your bank or building society to pay by Direct Debit Please fill in the whole form in a ball point pen and send to: Barnabas Fund, 9 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EX

Service user number

Name and full postal address of your bank or building society To: The Manager

Bank/building society

Reference (Barnabas Fund to complete)

Address Postcode

Name(s) of account holder(s)

Bank/building society account number

Branch sort code

Instruction to your Bank or Building Society Please pay Barnabas Fund Direct Debits from the account detailed in this instruction subject to the safeguards assured to by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this instruction may remain with Barnabas Fund and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my Bank/ Building Society.

Signature(s) Date DD18

The Direct Debit Guarantee This Guarantee is offered by all Banks and Building Societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits. If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit Barnabas Fund will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being

debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request Barnabas Fund to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request. If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit by Barnabas Fund or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount

paid from your bank or building society. If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when Barnabas Fund asks you to. You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

iii

A Lasting Legacy to the Persecuted Church M

any people have savings and assets which for good practical reasons they cannot share during their lifetime. A bequest to help the persecuted Church in your will enables you to express a desire to be generous that you may not have been able to put into practice in any other way. Please consider remembering Barnabas Fund in your will.

A booklet entitled A Christian Guide to Making and Changing Your Will is available free of charge. Simply tick this box to receive a copy

Gift Cards

If you choose to support a Barnabas Fund project as an alternative gift for a friend or relative, we can supply you with an attractive “Thank you” card, which you can send to the person on whose behalf you have made the donation. Please fill in the details as you would like them to appear on the card and please complete your name and address on p. i. Please write clearly. “Dear _______________________ A gift of £_____ has been received on your behalf from ___________________________________ This gift will assist Christians who are persecuted for their faith. With many thanks on behalf of the persecuted Church” Please state your preferred card choice (see below): ____ Tick here if you do not want the amount to be stated on the card Tick here if you do wish details about the project to be included on the card

A Gift of Love for the Persecuted Church

If you would like to have the card sent directly to the recipient, or if you would prefer to receive blank cards and fill them out yourself, please contact your national office (address details on back cover). If you would like more cards, please photocopy this page or attach a separate peace of paper with the details for extra cards and send it with your donation. You can also call your nearest Barnabas Fund office with the details and pay by credit card over the phone.

Please send this pull-out form to your nearest office (addresses on back cover). UK address: 9 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EX

Shattered lives rebuilt

Victims of Violence

A trauma counselling workshop for a church in Nigeria affected by anti-Christian violence

£53

can provide one month’s housing for a Christian family who have fled the violence in Mali to find shelter in Bamako, the capital

£25

provided a one-month food package for a Christian family fleeing anti-Christian violence in Maherabad, Pakistan, following a false blasphemy accusation against a Christian girl with Down’s syndrome

nti-Christian violence has blighted Northern and central Nigeria in recent years and has escalated sharply since the Islamist group Boko Haram declared war on Christians in early 2012. Barnabas Fund has sent aid to Christians who have lost their houses, property or businesses or been injured, and we have also provided trauma workshops for churches. Christians in many countries live at constant risk of violence and injustice. Their property may be looted and their churches and homes torched. Their communities may turn them out and injure or even kill them, while hostile authorities can throw them into jail and have them murdered or executed. Barnabas provides various kinds of practical help to Christian victims of violence. Recent projects have included practical help for a Christian couple accused of blasphemy in Pakistan, medical fees for a pastor’s daughter in Uzbekistan injured in a brutal police attack, and support for a ministry among Christian women unjustly imprisoned in Sudan.

Reference number: 00-345 (Victims of Violence Fund)

Standing firm in Christ

Care for Converts

Discipleship training for converts from Islam

ÂŁ63

paid for a convert from Islam to attend a workshop in Burundi providing Christian teaching and evangelism training

ÂŁ77

purchased a sewing machine to train a convert from Islam in tailoring in Uganda

Reference number: 00-113 (Convert Fund)

ministry supported by Barnabas Fund provides practical and spiritual help for converts in a Muslimmajority area of Uganda where many Muslims are becoming Christians. It supplements its intensive discipleship programme with the provision of emergency food and transitional housing for converts who have been driven from their homes, basic medical care, and vocational and literacy training. Christian converts, especially those who leave Islam to follow Christ, often face persecution from their families and communities, and sometimes from the authorities too. They may lose their spouses and children, their jobs and their homes; frequently they suffer threats and violence; and they can be thrown into prison or forced to flee abroad. Some are even killed. Our Convert Fund provides a variety of support for converts, including safe accommodation, skills training, small business start-up costs, education and discipleship training. In the past year we also helped with the medical expenses of a Ugandan pastor, a convert from Islam, who was badly injured in an acid attack.

Training persecuted leaders

W Leadership Training

A young pastor in Côte d’Ivoire is deepening his theological knowledge with support from Barnabas Fund

£10

trained a Christian leader in Uganda in Muslim ministry

£34

paid for a Christian leader to be trained in leadership in a South-East Asian country where Christians are severely persecuted

here do you go for leadership training if your government has closed down all the Bible schools in your country? Pastors and Christian workers in Uzbekistan face this problem. Many are converts from Islam with a strong desire to serve the Lord but limited understanding of God’s Word. Earlier this year 300 house church leaders in Uzbekistan attended a leadership training session supported by Barnabas Fund, and another 42 Christians active in church ministry graduated from a nine-month Bible school. The school remained undetected by the authorities because two people stood guard with a portable radio transmitter during classes; the teachers were alerted if anyone walked by. Barnabas Fund recognises that training leaders is one of the best ways to strengthen the persecuted Church. This is why Barnabas supported leadership training for church leaders and Christian workers in 21 countries last year. This is given at many levels, from basic courses to post-graduate. We also provide discipleship training to converts from other religions.

Reference number: 00-430 (Leadership Training Fund)

Supporting ministry in places of hardship

Pastors and Evangelists

A church planting couple in Indonesia in their church

£27

£28

can help support a pastor in Pakistan for one month

can contribute towards the living costs of a church planter in Indonesia for one month

Reference number:00-477 (Pastors’ Support Fund): 00-478 (Evangelists’ Support Fund) 16

“W

hy do you look so happy?” people often ask a Christian family living in a rural, mainly Muslim village of Indonesia. They answer that it is because they have Jesus. The family are part of a 30-40 member congregation, most of whom converted from Islam after an evangelist couple, with support from Barnabas Fund, planted a church there several years ago. A total of 38 church planting couples were enabled with help from Barnabas to start up churches around the same time in Muslim-majority areas of Indonesia. Their beginnings were very humble: most of the pastors started leading church services in their simple homes and tried to build up relationships with an often hostile and resistant Muslim community. Around the world Barnabas Fund is contributing to the living costs of hundreds of pastors, evangelists and church-planters who are serving in areas where Christians are in a minority and suffer harassment and persecution. Ministering in their homeland or among their own people groups, they are persevering in service to the Lord in contexts of hardship and hostility.

Brimming with life

“T Water

A new hand pump in South Sudan

£8

£55

can provide clean water for a children’s home in Kenya for a month

A hundred gifts of £55 can provide a borehole with hand pump in South Sudan

he people are very excited. We trained a local water team to be responsible for maintenance, cost sharing and promoting hygiene regarding drinking water,” said a project coordinator in South Sudan after a borehole was drilled there with support from Barnabas. Having a communal water well dug in their village, or receiving water connections in their homes, can make an enormous difference in the lives of poverty-stricken Christians who are living as a despised minority. It can save Christian women and girls in rural Egypt and in sub-Saharan countries hours of walking, often in dangerous conditions, hauling and carrying heavy loads back to their homes for daily household tasks. It also brings them clean, diseasefree drinking water. The lives of some converts from Islam to Christianity in Central and South Asia are threatened because they are denied access to water. They are deliberately blocked from the communal wells by their Muslim neighbours. Having wells dug on their properties means that they can continue living there.

Reference number: 00-635 (Water Projects Fund)

Healing for persecuted believers

“T Medical Care

Christian women in rural Pakistan listen to a presentation on women’s healthcare

£272

10 gifts of £272 provided a Kenyan evangelist with two leg operations after an accident

£5,000

paid for medical care for Ugandan pastor and convert Umar Mulinde after an Islamist threw acid in his face

Reference number: 00-671 (Medical Fund)

his was the first time … that Christian refugees could get this type of service with all the doctors being Christian and the service being free of charge and provided with compassion and love.” In 2011 a Christian medical team supported by Barnabas ran a week-long clinic in Turkey for poor and needy Christians, mostly refugees. Heart disease, diabetes and chest problems were among the illnesses treated. Christians trapped in poverty as a result of oppression and discrimination, or forced from their homes by persecution, often cannot afford to see a doctor, buy medicine or pay for treatment. Barnabas Fund helps to provide affordable medical care for them, both by paying medical expenses for individuals and by sponsoring clinics and hospitals that supply their services free or at very low cost. In 2011-12 our medical projects have included surgery for Christian victims of violence in Egypt and the provision of an ante-natal care room for a Christian primary health unit in South Sudan.

Building for ministry and mission

“W Church building

This village church in Bangladesh, built with funds from Barnabas, is a great blessing to the local congregation

£10 £485

provides an iron sheet for a church roof in Burundi

12 gifts of £485 build a church in a poor and floodaffected part of Pakistan

Reference number: 00-637 (Church Building Fund)

e are very happy to receive this blessing and all of us could come and worship our living God. Weekly service will enrich our spiritual development and encourage each other.” With these words a pastor in Bangladesh gave thanks for a new church building in his village, built with support from Barnabas Fund. Previous church buildings had been destroyed by a Muslim mob. In countries such as Bangladesh where Christians are very poor, or places where they face repressive restrictions, they may be unable to buy, build, repair or extend church buildings. Those they have may be destroyed by violence or forcibly closed, and they may be prohibited by law from meeting elsewhere. The provision of a building not only enhances their worship, ministry and mission; it can also bring them respect and dignity. In 2011-12 Barnabas has funded the construction of new churches in Sri Lanka after the original buildings were destroyed in the civil war, supplied a heating system for a church in Kyrgyzstan to make it fully useable in the bitter winters, contributed to building work for a new church centre in Albania, and supported many other church building projects.

God’s comfort through resources

“T Christian Resources

Christian youngsters in Central Asia colouring in a picture in a popular Christian magazine

£2

can print a copy of a children’s Bible in Urdu for young Pakistani believers

£3

can provide Christians in Turkey with a classic devotional book in Turkish

Reference number: 00-360 (Christian Literature Fund); 00-362 (Bibles and Scriptures Fund); 00-479 (Resources Fund) 20

he pastors are thrilled that these Bibles are being printed, and are highly anticipating their arrival into Burma,” reported a Barnabas partner early this year just before a truck full of Lhaovo Bibles reached a group of church leaders. It was the first time that Christians from the Lhaovo minority in Burma (Myanmar) could read the Bible in their own language and unique writing system. Many had gone without a Bible of any kind for a long time after the Burmese army had destroyed and burned down their homes. Christians experiencing violence, poverty and oppression for their faith are perhaps in even greater need of Christian resources than Christians in the West; good Christian literature and other media can help them make sense of the suffering they endure for their faith and encourage and strengthen them in their walk with the Lord. Sadly, many do not have ready access to such resources. This is why Barnabas actively supports the translating, printing and distributing of Bibles and other Christian literature, and the production of DVDs, documentaries and television and radio programmes for persecuted Christians.

ABOUT BARNABAS FUND As part of the family of God, Barnabas Fund stands with our Christian brothers and sisters around the world, including the West, where they suffer discrimination, oppression or persecution as a result of their faith. In this way we witness to the love of Christ and build His Kingdom.

1. We encourage prayer for the persecuted Church by providing comprehensive prayer materials. We believe in the power of prayer to change people’s lives and circumstances, either through grace to endure or through deliverance from suffering. 2. We channel money from Christians through Christians to Christians. Donations from individual Christians and churches are forwarded to local ministries and Christian organisations in contexts of persecution, mainly in Muslim-majority environments, to bring about practical and spiritual transformation in the lives of suffering believers. We fund projects that have been developed by local Christians in their own communities, countries or regions. Thus we act as equal partners with the persecuted Church, whose leaders often help to shape our overall direction. 3. We tell the untold story about the plight of persecuted Christians and speak out on their behalf, making their needs known to Christians around the world and to governments and international bodies. We seek to tackle persecution at its root by making known the aspects of religious and secular ideologies that result in injustice and oppression of Christians and others. We also equip Christians in the West to meet the challenge that other religions pose to the Church, its mission and society. We believe in the clear Biblical teaching that Christians should treat all people of all religions and none with love and compassion, even those who seek to persecute them. We carry out our vision and purpose accordingly, but we will not compromise what we believe the Word of God teaches.

“As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10, NIV emphasis added

Commendations Barnabas Fund is a wonderful gift to the Church, keeping us informed about the persecuted Church whilst challenging us to come to the aid of those who are suffering. It has my wholehearted support. Rt Rev Wallace Benn, Bishop of Lewes, UK

I wish to warmly commend the strategy of (the) Barnabas Fund in providing support for Christians B tthrough support of local projects. While others work through the organs of state and thus are influenced by the policy of the state in which the aid is given, Barnabas works by supporting groups already working on the ground which enables these groups close to the needy to provide the aid where it is really needed and is delivered by those intimately acquainted with the needs and position of those whom Barnabas and their supporters feel should be helped. Lord Mackay of Clashfern K.T., P.C.

I have followed the work of Barnabas Fund for many years and heartily recommend their vision of m bringing hope and practical aid to Christians under b persecution around the world. Barnabas Fund has played a key role in bringing home to Christians in Britain the reality of life for brothers and sisters in many other countries. In so doing, Barnabas Fund encourages informed prayer and channels aid to where it is desperately needed. I have always been deeply impressed by the calibre of research which underpins Barnabas Fundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advocacy and ensures the appropriateness of the aid it provides. Also, from my own experience of working with persecuted Christians in many places, I know that their priority request is always for prayer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and I greatly value this emphasis in the work of Barnabas Fund. Baroness Caroline Cox

An increasing number of suffering and persecuted Christians around the world need a voice to speak for them and a hand to reach out and help them. Barnabas Fund provides both and I am honoured to be associated with its ministry. Rev Peter Grainger, Pastor at Large, Charlotte Chapel, Edinburgh

Barnabas Fundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial and prayer support has a marvellous impact on the lives of families through the feeding programme. The financial assistance provided to Christian workers has brought enthusiasm; the churches are growing numerically and in maturity. Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education has also improved, and there is more outreach to the non-churched communities. Yunis Lal Din, Brethren leader, Pakistan

I and my church have been supporters of Barnabas Fund for many years and are delighted to be associated with its work. I particularly support its emphasis on practical support for Christians suffering due to living in countries in which they do not have full freedom of religion. Pastor Martin Charlesworth, New Frontiers UK

The ministry of Barnabas Fund to the persecuted Church is a Biblical imperative. Barnabas visibly demonstrate the very heart of the Gospel, boldly venturing into places where Christians suffer greatly; speaking, working and making real the love and compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a vital ministry which I wholeheartedly support. Pastor Emmanuel Mbakwe, National Leader, Apostolic Church UK

UK 9 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EX Telephone 024 7623 1923 Fax 024 7683 4718 From outside the UK Telephone +44 24 7623 1923 Fax +44 24 7683 4718 Email info@barnabasfund.org Australia PO Box 3527, Loganholme, QLD 4128 Telephone (07) 3806 1076 or 1300 365 799 Fax (07) 3806 4076 Email bfaustralia@barnabasfund.org Jersey Le Jardin, La Rue A Don, Grouville, Jersey, Channel Islands JE3 9GB Telephone 700600 Fax 700601 Email bfjersey@barnabasfund.org New Zealand PO Box 27 6018, Manukau City, Auckland, 2241 Telephone (09) 280 4385 or 0800 008 805 Email office@barnabasfund.org.nz

International Headquarters The Old Rectory, River Street, Pewsey, Wiltshire SN9 5DB, UK Telephone 01672 564938 Fax 01672 565030 From outside the UK Telephone +44 1672 564938 Email +44 1672 565030 USA 6731 Curran St, McLean, VA 22101 Telephone (703) 288-1681 or toll-free 1-866-936-2525 Fax (703) 288-1682 Email usa@barnabasaid.org Germany German supporters may send gifts for Barnabas Fund via Hilfe für Brüder who will provide you with a tax-deductible receipt. Please mention that the donation is for “SPC 20 Barnabas Fund”. If you would like your donation to go to a specific project of Barnabas Fund, please inform the Barnabas Fund International Headquarters in Pewsey, UK. Account holder: Hilfe für Brüder e.V. Account number: 415 600 Bank: Evang. Kreditgenossenschaft Stuttgart Bankcode (BLZ): 520 604 10

www.barnabasfund.org Barnabas Fund is a Company registered in England Number 4029536. Registered Charity Number 1092935