barnabas gifts Gifts of Love for the Persecuted Church
Barnabas Aid Gift Catalog www.barnabasaid.org
2015
Contents Welcome ........................................................................... 3 How we help ..................................................................... 4 What did your gifts achieve last year?........................... 5 Where we helped.............................................................. 6 Special feature: Assisting displaced Christians in the Middle East .........8 Basic needs ............................................................................................9 Water ....................................................................................................10 Disaster relief ........................................................................................11 Medical care .........................................................................................12 Gift form ........................................................................ i-iii Gift cards ......................................................................... iv Victims of violence ................................................................................17 Convert care .........................................................................................18 Small businesses ..................................................................................19 Leadership training ...............................................................................20 Christian workers ..................................................................................21 Christian resources ...............................................................................22 Church buildings ...................................................................................23 School-place sponsorship .....................................................................24 About Barnabas Aid ....................................................... 25 Commendations .............................................................. 26
Welcome Dear Friend, I am delighted to present to you the Barnabas Aid gift catalog for 2015. Here is an opportunity to present a gift of love to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering for their faith. This catalog offers many options for gifts that you, your small group or your church can make to help Christians suffering discrimination and persecution in various parts of the world. These range from relief from natural disasters to the provision of food and other basics for the needy; from help for converts and victims of violence to sponsorship of schoolchildren and start-up costs for small businesses; from training and support for leaders to funds for resources and buildings. On page 8 you can also read about how to help displaced Christians from northern Iraq and Syria who have fled from the brutality of ISIS. Please prayerfully consider your response to the needs set out in this catalog and give what you can, and please also encourage others in your congregation or fellowship to do the same. Single and regular gifts Single “one-time” gifts help to support vital ministries and also make attractive alternative presents for friends and family. Why not give a Barnabas gift as a birthday or Christmas present this year?
Regular gifts such as recurring gifts help us to minimize our overheads and so maximize the amount we can send to support persecuted Christians. They also allow us to plan ahead with more confidence and to respond quickly to new and urgent requests. Gift cards If you choose to support one of our projects 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. Paul encouraged the Christians in Galatia to “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). May you know God’s rich blessing as you consider how to identify yourself with the plight of our persecuted brothers and sisters. Please pray for them as you read their stories. Yours in the service of Christ, Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo International Director
How we help
Basic needs
food and other essentials supplied through local churches
Christian workers
Water
digging wells, ensuring supplies
Leadership training equipping the ministers of Christ
spreading the Word, strengthening the Body
strengthening Christians through self-sufficiency
Small businesses
Christian education
Convert care
Victims of violence
Church buildings
support for those who turn to Christ
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helping Christians who suffer violence or injustice for their faith
Christian schooling for Christian children
enabling ministry on firm foundations
Medical care
clinics and life-saving healthcare
Christian resources
resources for growth and encouragement
Disaster relief
emergency aid in times of calamity
What did your gifts achieve in the last year?* In situations of pressure and persecution‌
‌Barnabas Aid supported:
20,181 Christians who were victims of violence
264 evangelists and 137 pastors
leadership training for 27,472 Christians in 27 countries
6,165 Christian children in Christian schools or educational programs
6 safe houses and helped persecuted Christian converts in 9 countries
912 Christians with small-business and income-generation projects
37 water projects, including wells and hand pumps
5 clinics or care centers
‌Barnabas Aid provided:
emergency disaster relief to 13,406 Christians
resources for the construction or repair of 397 homes for Christian families and 27 churches
resources for the construction and repair of 7 other Christian ministry buildings
food and other basic needs for 116,383 Christians
122,000 pieces of Christian literature *From July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014 5
Where we helped*
Algeria Argentina Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bangladesh Brazil Bulgaria Burma (Myanmar) Burundi Cameroon Central African Republic Chad China Democratic Republic of the Congo Egypt Ethiopia Germany Ghana Greece Guinea-Conakry Holy Land India Indonesia Iran Iraq Kazakhstan
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Kenya Kyrgyzstan Lebanon Mali Moldova Nepal Niger Nigeria North Korea Pakistan Philippines Russia Rwanda Senegal Sierra Leone Solomon Islands South Africa South Sudan Sri Lanka
Sudan Suriname Syria Tajikistan Tanzania Turkey Uganda Ukraine United Kingdom United States of America Uzbekistan Zimbabwe
* Some of the countries where Barnabas Aid supported projects from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014. Projects in Western countries are usually assisting Christians from places of persecution. 7
Assisting displaced Christians in the Middle East
Special feature
Y
ou no longer have to feel powerless when watching distressing news coming out of the Middle East about Christians. Besides praying, you can help our suffering brothers and sisters by donating to our Middle East Fund. This will bring clean water, food, medicines, clothes and other essentials to hundreds of thousands of Christians from Iraq and Syria who have been forced to flee their homes to escape the brutality of ISIS and other militants. Some of the displaced believers have taken refuge in public buildings, but many have nowhere to go and are stranded in streets and open fields.
ISIS marked Christian homes in Mosul with the Arabic letter N that stan ds for “Nisrani” (Nazarene i.e. Christia n)
$11
$25
pays for a hygiene kit for a displaced Iraqi Christian family
provides a food basket for a displaced Iraqi Christian family, to last approximately ten days
Reference number: 00-1188 (The Middle East Fund)
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At the time of writing, ISIS is in control of large tracts of northern Iraq and Syria. Christians are fleeing from the northeastern region of Syria as ISIS continues to seize towns. In Iraq, 200,000 Christians are on the move after ISIS seized the Nineveh region, traditionally the homeland of Christians in Iraq. A Syrian pastor said in thanks to Barnabas Aid, “[Your support] was a clear declaration to all people that Jesus Christ is there for them during their toughest and darkest times.” Will you stand with these displaced Christian believers and help them through the severe trial they are now facing?
Food for survival
Basic needs
W
hy not start supporting one of our food programs by donating to the Feeding Fund? We are currently providing food on a regular basis to Christian families in Bangladesh, Egypt and Pakistan. For many, the food can be a real life-saver. One of the families in Pakistan is headed by Munir and Ruqqiya. “The food from Barnabas Aid is a big support,” said Munir. “I can feed my children and am very thankful.”
A Christian woman in Pakistan carries food she received from Barnabas Aid
$8 $30
will provide a Christian child refugee from Burma (Myanmar) with food and hygiene products for one month will feed a family in Bangladesh for one month
Munir has struggled to find sufficient work to support his family since his wife was falsely accused of blasphemy in 2008. They live in hiding and in continual fear of attack by Muslim extremists. Sadly, Ruqqiya’s release and acquittal by the High Court in 2012 has not decreased threats. With all those concerns, the monthly food packages ensure that the family do not have to worry about their children going hungry. “Many people would not give me daily labor work because I am a Christian,” said Kuru in Bangladesh about the problems his family faced after converting from Islam to Christianity. “I knew Jesus suffered a lot, therefore I am also ready to suffer. I am praying for those who are regularly supporting the food program.” We also frequently send short-term support to Christians who are temporarily in need.
Reference number: 00-636 (Feeding Fund) 9
“With joy you will draw water” (Isaiah 12:3)
Water
W
hen Christians are a despised, impoverished minority, they may lack access to life’s most essential resource: water. We help provide wells to make sure needy communities have a clean, constant supply. Muslim-majority Bangladesh is one country in which Christian communities can struggle without access to water. The entire north of the country suffers severe water shortages between March and July, and Christians are often prevented from drawing water from public wells by Muslims.
Barnabas has prov ide congregations in Pa d nine needy kistan with hand pumps
$30 $255
twenty-five gifts of $30 paid for a tube well for 15 Christian families in Sri Lanka
provides a hand pump for an impoverished Christian community in Punjab, Pakistan
Reference number: 00-635 (Water Projects Fund)
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Thanks to the wells that Barnabas is helping to build in Bangladesh, believers do not have to rely on public resources. “We are very happy and give thanks to our God,” said one Christian whose church now has its own well. Before the well was built, the congregation had to carry the water they needed for long distances. Supporting our water projects helps to radically improve the lives of suffering believers, and can also lead to other, unexpected blessings. When Barnabas helped to build a well in a Central Asian village in 2013, the Christians allowed local Muslims to use it for free. The Muslim neighbors, surprised at this kindness, developed a more positive attitude to the church, and persecution lessened in the area.
A helping hand when disaster strikes
Disaster relief
“I
give thanks to God for this gift that has fallen from heaven. I thank all the donors from my heart. May God bless them abundantly!” Soumana is one of more than 1,000 disaster-affected believers from Niger’s vulnerable Christian minority who were going hungry until Barnabas stepped in to provide food aid. Because of droughts and occasional flooding, Niger endures almost constant food insecurity.
Barnabas provided food for Christians displaced by flooding in Chad
$49
$70
paid for a 100 lb bag of rice for a hungry, drought-affected Christian family in Niger
provided a needy family in Pakistan with food and hygiene supplies following flooding
Reference number: 00-634 (Disaster Relief Fund)
As Soumana’s joyful words show, receiving emergency aid from Barnabas makes a huge difference to Christian lives blighted by natural disaster. When believers are a hated minority, they sometimes miss out when aid is distributed. Barnabas Aid is there to support them, both in the short term and for longer periods where necessary, to make sure they do not suffer more severely than others around them. A gift to our Disaster Relief Fund not only helps us provide aid, from food and medicines to new livelihoods and new homes; it also helps show devastated believers that, although they may have lost everything, they are not alone in their distress. “Thank you very much”, said Khurshid, a Pakistani Christian who received flood relief. “We were hungry and looking help from God … Then we were given good news of Barnabas Aid, who are always near to poor Christians in Pakistan.” 11
Life-saving medical aid
Medical care
Y
our gift to our Medical Fund can mean that an impoverished Christian facing great pressure can get that checkup or medicine or life-saving operation. Many Christians around the world are so poor, through marginalization and persecution, that they have no resources to fall back on when they have an accident or fall sick. Our Medical Fund steps in at such times to help pay for their doctor’s or hospital fees.
A child in South Sudan receives a check-up
$8
paid for a Christian’s treatment at a clinic in Baghdad
$53
covered the daily medicines dispensed at a mobile clinic in South Sudan
Reference number: 00-671 (Medical Fund)
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In Egypt, a mobile clinic brought medical services to hundreds of Christians in remote areas of Upper Egypt with help from Barnabas Aid. These impoverished believers, for whom access to medical care has become more difficult since the Arab Spring, only had to pay a nominal sum to receive treatment. The same ministry also provided medical care to 200 Christians in Egypt suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer, kidney failure and heart disease. A mobile clinic in South Sudan was able to provide a worried Christian father with health education and a regular supply of milk and vitamins for his newborn son last year. The child’s mother had died when the little one was just one week old. A doctor wrote, “The relief on the father’s face that he was not alone in caring for his son was a beautiful sight.”
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 whose reference numbers are listed throughout the booklet. Simply fill out your contact details below and then fill out page ii for
single donations or page iii for regular donations. 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.
I / We would like to help the persecuted Church:
GOL 2014
(Mr / Mrs / Miss / Ms / Rev / Dr/ Other.......................) (Please Circle)
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When complete, please pull the form out of the catalog and send it to your nearest Barnabas Aid office (addresses on the back cover).
i
For Single Donations
GOL 2014
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)*.
Here is my single gift of $ .................................................................................. I enclose a check/postal order payable to “Barnabas Aid� OR Please debit my Visa Mastercard American Express Discover Card Number CV Number (last 3-4 numbers on back of card) Expiration Date / Signature.................................................... I do not require an acknowledgement of this gift
Please supply your address on page i and send us all four pages. Please return this form to your nearest Barnabas Aid office (addresses on the back cover).
Other ways to donate Regular giving options Any gift you are able to give will make such a difference to our persecuted brothers and sisters. But if you are able to commit to giving a set amount on a regular basis, this allows us to respond effectively to urgent needs, to plan ahead effectively and to minimize our overhead. Donate by Recurring Gift - Gifts made by Recurring Gift require no ongoing effort on your part. Once your Recurring Gift is set up, a regular amount set by you will be transferred to Barnabas Aid from your US credit card, at an interval of your choice. Recurring Gifts can be set up by filling out a recurring gift form, available from the US Barnabas office by calling 703 288 1681 or emailing usa@barnabasaid.org Donate by bill pay - You can give directly to Barnabas Aid via bill pay through your on line banking. Please see Barnabas bank deposit details below. Account name: Barnabas Fund, Inc. Account number: 435003025411 Routing number: 051000017 Donate via your local bank - You can go into your closest Bank of America and deposit a donation into the Barnabas Aid US bank account by giving the details below. Account name: Barnabas Fund, Inc. Account number: 435003025411 PLEASE NOTE: As the reference for your donation, please quote EITHER your constituent id number or your full name and zipcode so we can process a receipt for your donation. Please also include the project name or number. THANK YOU! *If the project chosen is already sufficiently funded, we reserve the right to use designated gifts for another project of a similar type.
ii
For Regular Donations
GOL 2014
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 donate: by bank Recurring Gift, and have filled in the form below (for US supporters only). Alternatively, Recurring Gifts and regular credit card donations can be set up via www.barnabasaid.org by regular check payable to “Barnabas Aid� (please complete your address details on page i of this form) My first payment of............................. to cover...............................month(s) is enclosed. Please supply your address on page i and send us all four pages. Please return this form to your nearest Barnabas Aid office (addresses on the back cover).
Recurring Gift: (for US supporters only) I would like to give a regular gift of $............ (amount in words)................................................ Starting on 1st / 11th/ 15th / 21st (please circle) of (month)....................and then every month / quarter / year (cirlce as applicable) until further notice. This Recurring Gift is a new one / in addition to / replaces an earlier Recurring Gift in favor of Barnabas Aid (cirlce as applicable).
Please debit my
Visa
Mastercard
American Express
Discover
Card Number CV Number (last 3-4 numbers on back of card) Expiration Date
/
Signature..........................................................................................................Date .............................. I do not require an acknowledgement of this gift
*If the project chosen is already sufficiently funded, we reserve the right to use designated gifts for another project of a similar type.
iii
A Lasting Legacy to the Persecuted Church
M
any people have savings and assets that 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 Aid in your will. A booklet entitled A Christian Guide to Making and Changing Your Will is available free of charge. Simply check this box to receive a copy
Gift Cards If you choose to support a Barnabas Aid 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 ....................................
..................................................................................................... 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 right): ____ Check here if you do not want the amount to be stated on the card Check here if you do wish details about the project to be included on the card 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).
Please send this pull-out form to your nearest office (addresses on back cover).
iv
A A Gift of Love for the Persecuted Church
B
A gift of $.................. has been received on your behalf from
If you would like more cards, please photocopy this page or attach a separate piece of paper with the details for the extra cards and send it with your donation. You can also call your nearest Barnabas Aid office with the details and pay by credit card over the phone.
A Gift of Love for the Persecuted Church
A Gift of Love for the Persecuted Church
C A Gift of Love for the Persecuted Church
D A Gift of Love for the Persecuted Church
E A Gift of Love for the Persecuted Church
F
Help to survive, support to heal
Barnabas supports Christian orphanages in Burma (Myanmar) where Christian orphans displaced by violence receive protection and loving care
$18
$28
paid for a blanket for a Christian displaced by violence in South Sudan pays one month’s living expenses and school fees for a Christian girl at a rescue home in Kenya
Victims of violence
W
hen believers are violently targeted because of their faith, the consequences are devastating. Christian victims of attack suffer physical injury and psychological trauma. Many see their homes and churches destroyed, or are forced to flee. Others are arrested, imprisoned or even executed. However they are affected, Barnabas Aid provides the support that targeted Christians need. For example, this year we provided survival kits, containing food, basic household items and a Bible, to Christian families displaced by violence in the Central African Republic. All 589 families had lost at least one member in attacks by the Islamist Seleka rebels. As well as meeting immediate basic needs, we help with medical expenses, safe houses, trauma counseling and rebuilding destroyed homes. Giving to this work helps us to reach out to Christians such as the families who lost breadwinners in the horrific bombing of All Saints Church in Peshawar, Pakistan, in September 2013. By providing monthly financial support, Barnabas has been ensuring that the families have enough to eat. Our support also allows the bereaved believers’ children to continue attending school as their families rebuild their lives.
Reference number: 00-345 (Victims of Violence Fund) 17
Standing with converts
Convert care
“Y
our support has made a significant impact in my life,” wrote Rose, a young woman in Uganda. The help she received from Barnabas Aid through our Convert Fund enabled her to obtain a diploma in secretarial studies at Kampala University after turning to Christ. “I [now] have a hope which had eluded me for over two years when I could not go to school,” she added. Like many other converts from Islam experience, Rose’s family disowned her, leaving her abandoned and destitute at a young age.
Rose is now using her sec retarial skills to assist a pastor in startin ga in her Muslim-majority hom church e town
$15
$37
paid for two weeks’ ministry training for a Turkish convert from Islam in Bulgaria covered tuition fees in teacher training for one month of a convert from Islam in Uganda
Reference number: 00-113 (Convert Fund) 18
Here is an opportunity to show love to more Christian converts from other religions. Many have lost everything in order to gain Christ. Your help will not only transform their circumstances, but will also send them a message of solidarity and care during difficult, and often lonely, times. In Burundi, twelve converts, who are marginalized by their Muslim neighbors, were each given a cow. The milk from the cows is now providing income for them. Your gift could provide safe accommodation for converts in danger, small business startup funds for those in need of an income, education, pastoral care or meet many other needs.
Road towards self-sufficiency
Small businesses
Y
ou could be instrumental in enabling marginalized Christians to have a livelihood. By providing training and tools for their trade, we enable converts to start a small business and earn money to provide for their families.
A Christian woman in Niger kneels beside the goats she received from Barnabas Aid
$40 $106
can pay for a goat to generate income for a Christian pastor working in a Muslim-majority area of Sierra Leone provided for a sewing machine and a year’s training in sewing and literacy for a Christian woman in Pakistan
Reference number: 00-356 (Small Business Start-up Fund)
Sudha, a Christian widow in Sri Lanka, received a sewing machine to re-start her sewing business. She lost everything during the civil war. Her husband was killed and she and her children ended up in a camp for displaced people. After the war, Christian widows like Sudha did not receive adequate assistance from the government. The gift from Barnabas Aid has changed her circumstances. She said, “I am happy that I can stay at home and earn money for taking care of my kids.” In some situations, a simple, but effective gift like this can provide the means for survival. When Christians are refused entry to the workforce, then starting a business can provide the solution to bringing in money for their family. It can also enable Christian workers to support themselves. “From the pair of goats I received last year, I now have five,” a pastor in Sierra Leone said. The two goats, farming tools and seeds, and training in animal rearing and farming that 80 pastors received are enabling them to work and live in poor, rural, Muslim-majority areas of the country. You could help another pastor in Sierra Leone become self-sufficient. 19
Leadership training for ministry under pressure
Christians in Kyrgyzstan study at a three-day conference for church leaders
$25
$52
C
hurch and ministry leaders in situations of persecution need to be well trained to help their congregations stand firm in the face of discrimination, hostility and even violence. But many have had little or no opportunity to have even basic Bible training and cannot afford the costs. Barnabas Aid enables faithful servants of God to be trained in theology, Christian leadership skills and also in specific skills needed for their particular contexts. For example, in several Central Asian countries, believers in unregistered churches face harassment and legal penalties by the state for taking part in Christian activities. Christian leaders are particularly vulnerable to being harassed by the authorities and particularly need to be strengthened and equipped for the ministries to which the Lord has called them.
pays for evangelism training for an impoverished pastor in Sierra Leone
Barnabas-funded leadership training courses are helping needy Christian leaders in Central Asia to grow and develop their knowledge and skills. Zarina, who attended a two-year Biblical training course in Tajikistan, gained an improved understanding that she can now share with others. Zarina said, “Now I know how to explain to people many spiritual things from the Bible.�
enabled a church leader in a repressive country in South-East Asia to attend a three-day Christian leadership training course
A contribution to our Leadership Training Fund is a gift that keeps on giving. As leaders share what they have gained with their congregations, they in turn are strengthened and encouraged by God’s Word.
Reference number: 00-430 (Leadership Training Fund) 20
Leadership training
Ministering to God’s people
Christian workers
A
powerful way to strengthen the persecuted Church is by enabling pastors and evangelists to focus on their work. One pastor, church-planter, evangelist or church worker can provide spiritual encouragement and nourishment to many more persecuted Christians, and can help the Church flourish, even under intense pressure and obstruction. By contributing to covering their living costs, you are freeing them up from having to go out and earn money for their family. Instead, they can focus their time on much-needed pastoral and other spiritual work.
A pastor in Pakistan preaches to his congregation
$40
$70
can support a church-planter in Kenya for one week
contributed towards an evangelist’s monthly upkeep in rural China
Reference numbers: 00-477 (Pastors’ Support Fund), 00-478 (Evangelists’ Support Fund)
Members of a congregation in a Central Asian country feel they are now receiving good spiritual leadership since their pastor started receiving support for 85% of his needs from Barnabas Aid. Severe persecution by the authorities means that the church members, who are converts from Islam, cannot meet all together. Instead, the pastor visits them secretly as 25 home groups. Before receiving the support, the pastor only had time to visit each group once a month at most. But now he can visit each home group every two weeks, and sometimes more often, to lead their services. He now also holds a biweekly meeting with all home group leaders. Currently, Barnabas Aid is supporting 48 church-planters in Indonesia who have started small churches in impoverished, rural, Muslimmajority areas. Your contribution would be a great encouragement to them and can help them stay and succeed. 21
Resources to strengthen and encourage
Christian resources
“I
have prayed all of these 38 years to receive a Bible in the Lisu language. Now today my prayers have been answered.” Barnabas Aid has the privilege of providing Bibles for Christians who would otherwise have no access to the written Word of God. As these words from a Christian man in Burma (Myanmar) show, receiving a Bible from Barnabas is often the answer to years of prayer and longing.
Barnabas provides Christian magazines in Central Asia, for both children and adults
$2.50
$13
paid for one song booklet for a Sudanese Christian
covers the production costs of ten Christian children’s magazines in Central Asia
Reference numbers: 00-360 (Christian Literature Fund); 00-362 (Bibles and Scriptures Fund); 00-479 (Resources Fund) 22
In Burma, as in many other places, the publication of Bibles and other Christian literature is restricted. In other countries, publishing resources to help Christians grow in their faith is forbidden altogether. Sometimes, believers are forced to leave their Bibles behind when they flee from anti-Christian violence. Others are simply too impoverished to access the resources they need. Persecuted Christians benefit greatly from resources that help them to walk closely with the Lord and understand the suffering they are experiencing. As well as Bibles, our literature and resources funds help provide other Christian literature, DVDs, and television and radio programs. A viewer of a Christian television programs in Egypt said, “These shows are like the breath of air that keeps us, especially women who can’t leave their houses … God bless you.”
Building a brighter future for persecuted congregations
This new church building in India brought great joy to the congregation
$9
$34
paid for 100 bricks for rebuilding a destroyed cemetery wall in Bangladesh
paid for one steel sheet for the roof of a church building in Russia
Church buildings
H
aving a safe, secure place to meet is particularly important for congregations at risk of persecution. But in many countries, Christians are very poor because of discrimination, and they cannot afford to buy, build, or repair their buildings. In others, repressive laws prevent them from doing so. Sometimes churches are closed or destroyed, and Christians may be prevented by law from meeting to pray and worship in private homes. Sometimes locals refuse to rent premises to Christians for worship. One congregation in India was bereft of a place to meet for five years. The dedication of its new building, constructed with help from Barnabas, was celebrated with joyful singing and dancing. The new church symbolizes hope and restoration, as the previous church was destroyed by Hindu extremists during violence in Orissa state. Barnabas is continuing to build churches in India; other recent building projects have taken place in Bangladesh, Uganda, Pakistan and Central Asia amongst others. A gift towards Barnabas Aid’s work to build churches for needy Christians represents much more than bricks and mortar. In providing churches and other ministry buildings, we give downtrodden congregations back their dignity, enable them to meet with peace of mind and vastly improve their potential for ministry.
Reference number: 00-637 (Church Buildings Fund) 23
Learning in safety, growing in faith
School-place sponsorship
“I
trust you Lord, that you will be able to pave the way for me to continue my schooling. You have said not to worry.” Benaria, a faithful Christian teenager in Indonesia, prayed this prayer when her parents told her that they were too poor to continue paying her school fees. Her prayer was answered when she was admitted to a Christian school funded by Barnabas.
This young boy from a Christian family in the Holy Land is one of 6,126 children receiving a caring, Christian education at Barnabas-funded schools
$30
$422
on average per month funds a school place at a Christian school for a needy Christian child per student paid for a school building extension in South Sudan
Supporters who give regularly will receive a card with the name and photograph of one child and a twice-yearly newsletter about the project. Reference numbers: 00-514 (School-Place Sponsorship Fund) 00-794 (Christian Schooling for Christian Children) 24
The dilemma faced by Benaria’s parents is one that often confronts Christian parents impoverished by discrimination. When believers live as a hated minority, they may have to choose between feeding their families and paying for school places. Even when Christian children can go to school, they often face harassment and unfair treatment in the classroom. Some are even deliberately failed in their exams. Barnabas Aid’s School-Place Sponsorship program enables Christian children in nine countries to learn in a loving, Christcentred environment. At the schools we support, children are encouraged in their faith while receiving a quality education from caring teachers. Giving the gift of a school place, which costs an average of $30 per child per month, can give a Christian child the chance to break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy for good. Barnabas also helps with school buildings and other projects to enable Christian children to get Christian schooling.
About Barnabas Aid As part of the family of God, Barnabas Aid 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 I have followed the work of Barnabas Aid for many years and heartily recommend their vision of bringing hope and practical aid to Christians under persecution around the world. Barnabas Aid 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 Aid 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 Aid’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 – and I greatly value this emphasis in the work of Barnabas Aid. Baroness Caroline Cox
Iraqi Christians are facing danger and destruction on every hand. But Barnabas Aid has been our faithful brother for many years, bringing help when we felt forgotten, bringing hope when we felt ready to despair. I thank God for Barnabas Aid which is a lifeline for the Church in Iraq. Archbishop Athanasius Toma Dawod Syrian Orthodox Church
Not only did Jesus say, ‘Do good to those who persecute you’, he emphasized coming to the aid of our brothers and sisters who are suffering. Barnabas Aid is taking Christ’s command seriously and putting it into practice. It has my wholehearted support. Professor Graeme Clark AC
I have been associated with Barnabas and its ministry to the persecuted Church in Africa and around the world for many years. I fully endorse their ministry as they champion the cause of the persecuted Church. I strongly urge you to support Barnabas projects with the suffering Church. The Most Rev. Peter J. Akinola Formerly Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria
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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 Aid provides both and I am honoured to be associated with its ministry.” The Rev. Peter Grainger Pastor at Large, Charlotte Chapel, Edinburgh
I have benefited much from the sane, well-informed, reliable and brave resources coming from Barnabas. They help the church respond wisely and faithfully to challenges facing our brothers and sisters around the world. Ajith Fernando Youth for Christ, Sri Lanka
Barnabas Aid has no hidden agenda. Its transparency captured almost all Syrian church leaders and helped them to work together for His glory and by His grace. Barnabas Aid’s work in Syria is very effective and efficient, very fruitful and productive, specific and significant. Dr Jany Haddad Senior Baptist church leader, Syria Professor of Surgery, Founder and President of the Armenian Christian Medical Association, Founder and President of Living Hope for Families ministries
Barnabas Aid’s financial and prayer support has a marvellous impact on the lives of families through the feeding program. The financial assistance provided to Christian workers has brought enthusiasm; the churches are growing numerically and in maturity. Children’s education has also improved, and there is more outreach to the nonchurched communities. Yunis Lal Din Brethren leader, Pakistan
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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 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 4129 Telephone (07) 3806 1076 or 1300 365 799 Fax (07) 3806 4076 Email bfaustralia@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 Scotland Barnabas Fund Scotland, PO Box 2084, Livingston, EH54 0EZ Telephone 07772 846389 Email scotland@barnabasfund.org
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 Fax +44 1672 565030 Email info@barnabasfund.org Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland PO Box 354, Bangor, BT20 9EQ Telephone 028 91 455 246 or 07867 854604 Email ireland@barnabasfund.org Singapore Check in Singapore dollars payable to “Barnabas Fund” may be sent to: Kay Poh Road Baptist Church, 7 Kay Poh Road, Singapore 248963 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
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