By Patrick Russell

Ministry Statement 

As Christians we have received from God a love for Israel and the Jewish people. We want to bless them in the name of the Lord. We believe the Lord Jesus is both the Messiah of Israel and the Saviour of the world; however our stand alongside Israel is not conditional upon her acceptance of our belief. As an organisation we exist to comfort and to support the people of Israel, and to inform Christians around the world of God’s plan for Israel. CFI teaches that the church has a responsibility toward the Jewish people, and brings awareness to Jewish people of our solidarity with them. We take His love back to the people who first brought it to us.

General Objectives

The general objectives of CFI include: to express friendship and solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people throughout the world; to impart an understanding to Christians of their Jewish roots and of modern Israel; to combat all forms of Anti- Semitism; to encourage Christians worldwide to intercede for Israel; to provide practical support in areas of need within the Land of Israel; to assist Jewish people who wish to return to Israel from countries where they are oppressed and to pray for their liberation from these countries; to encourage and pray for reconciliation between Jews and Arabs; to establish fellowship with Christians in Israel.

Ministry Projects  

Christian Friends of Israel is a hands-on ministry with a diverse range of projects which all serve to demonstrate the love of God toward the Jewish people. These projects include:

• Project Forsake them not: where CFI team members minister to the Jewish Holocaust survivors. There are at least 60,000 Holocaust survivors still living in Israel and CFI bless many of those survivors with handmade blankets and quilts as well as helping with financial burdens and medical expenses.
• Project Hope for the Future: where Ethiopian Jews who have returned to the Promised Land are given practical and financial assistance to help them settle and integrate. Furniture, school supplies and food are given to needy families.
• Project David’s shield: where members of Israel’s defence forces are blessed with care packages twice a year on special Jewish holidays. The care packages contain personal items needed by the soldiers and contain scripture portions.
•  Project First fruits: Supports the Christian brothers and sisters in the land of Israel. Many of the churches need resources and the pastors and congregations face difficult circumstances practically and financially. ? Project the Last shall be First: supports the poorest of the poor in Israel. This includes the underprivileged, widows, orphans, single mothers, new immigrants etc. Basic living needs such as food and clothing and housing are met as finance enables.
• Project Under his wings: ministers to those Jews who are the victims of terrorist attacks—practical demonstrations of God’s love including financial assistance for medical bills.
•  Project Open gates: is based in the Jerusalem distribution centre of CFI and gives assistance to those who have returned to the Promised Land but who have arrived without clothing. Other practical financial assistance is also given to special needs. Over half a million people have been assisted by the distribution centre since it opened in 1991.
• Project doors of Hope: helps the poor and needy of the land. Clothing, food vouchers, English classes, help to families and students, is also given. Financial gifts are given after an application process.
• War/Conflict fund: Is aid given to displaced families as a result of war/conflict in Israel. Due to rocket attacks, many Israelis need to relocate to escape daily bombardments and they need accommodation, food etc which CFI endeavours to help supply.

These are just some of the many projects through which CFI minister the Love of God to the Jewish people. There are other projects that involve prayer for every town and city in Israel, bridal wear to bless the poor during their weddings; refugees who have been displaced from their homes due to political decisions in giving up land etc. All of these projects exist to practically demonstrate the love of God to the Jewish people and it doesn’t go unnoticed by the people with many people responding to such love.

Founding Principles of CFI 

As a Bible believing organisation, we know that the early church was Jewish and that Christianity sprang from Jewish roots. We believe that Christianity has never ceased to depend upon and be indebted to the Jewish people. We believe that the restoration of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel is in accordance with the promises contained in the Word of God and that God’s time to favour Zion has begun. We believe that Israel (the people, land and nation) has a divinely ordained and glorious future, and that God has neither rejected nor replaced the Jewish people. We believe in the Jewishness of Jesus and the Jewishness of the New Testament.

Summary 

Christian Friends of Israel is a practical ministry which seeks to demonstrate the love of God to the Jewish people and nation at every opportunity. It is not just “project and practically” centred for the sake of it, but uses those avenues to show the love of Christ in believers that comes through a personal relationship with Christ. The Jews, like all other people, need to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour in order to be saved from sin and death. Christian Friends of Israel stands firm on that truth and seeks to introduce all Jews to Jesus. We love Israel because God Himself loves her and what God loves, we love! We believe that the nation of Israel is going to play a very prominent role in God’s end-time programme. An understanding of where Israel fits into God’s plan is vital for all those members of the church who desire to know where we are in God’s end-times plan. Those interested in supporting the projects and nation of Israel, or for a FREE DVD and information pack about the ministry of Christian Friends of Israel, please contact:

CFI Australia

P.O. Box 855, Bowen, QLD 4805

T: +61 (0)7 4785 0180 | M: +61 (0)439 770 337

E: cfiaustralia@hotmail.com | W: www.cfijerusalem.org

Note: CFI Australia also offers a $30.00 yearly subscription, for which you will receive a monthly mail-out of Israel news, teaching letter, and Watchman’s prayer letter from Jerusalem as well as two (2) quarterly magazines from Israel called, For Zion’s Sake and In Gathering plus other relevant information about Israel.