Christian Rebuild seeks to support Churches in their community outreach. It will consider helping with the cost of relief work, building projects, transport, schools, orphonages, staff pay and overseas travel. Christian Rebuild is willing to support other charities that are working in the same area, giving aid to specific projects.
Christian Rebuild also seeks to help individuals who have been recommended by a trustee or a partner Church. Aid to them may be through education, health, costs, travel or exceptional relief. Students and pastors in Lebanon, Syria, Poland and Albania have recieved help from Christian Rebuild.
Long before the outbreak of the civil war, Christian Rebuild was involved in work in Syria, partnering the Armenian Evangelical Church in its educational work in Aleppo. The Charity had also partnered the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East in the relief work following the war in Lebanon.
With the outbreak of the war, the partnership with both bodies has continued. At great peril to its own personnel, some of whom have been killed by rebels, the Orthodox Church has provided aid and succour to the traumatised and dispossessed in Damascus and the south of Syria. The Armenian Evangelical Church has been working in Aleppo and the north. Amazingly, it has managed to maintain its educational programme and is trying to provide a degree of normal life for children and students.
Christian Rebuild has a special appeal for Syria. We have been able to send very real help to our partners in this time of extreme need and we continue to seek generous donation to support such an urgent cause.
Syria continues to receive regular donations from Christian Rebuild, specifically in the Armenian Protestant Church and Christian community in Aleppo. Due to the economic crisis in Syria- poverty is unprecedented. Christian Rebuild's donations have supported the Social Action Committee of the Armenian Protestant community by distributing gifts to the families of the Armenian community and continued to support the church in their ever growing congregation, whilst spreading the knowledge and love of God.
Until May 2001 the Congregational Federation ran an appeal for funds to support a church in Southern Albania. Christian Rebuild has been pleased to continue this support. The church provides many services to the people of the town and district of Saranda. These services include a food voucher scheme, care for the poor and the running of a Christian Bookshop. Each summer the Church organises, mans and finances four camps, one each for young married people, teenagers, children and the elderly. The camps are held at a secluded beach north of Saranda. For the adults, they provide an opportunity to explore the Bible and Christian Faith away from the demands of normal life. For the teenagers and children they give an opportunity to learn more about God while enjoying a holiday away from home. The Church used to meet in a rented Chapel in the University of Saranda, but with the help of Christian Rebuild has been able to find a building of its own.
Christian Rebuild continues to support Christians across Lebanon and has recently made a donation to help restore an Armenian Evangelical Secondary school in Anjar, Lebanon which was sadly damaged in a fire. Thankfully nobody was hurt and the donations from Christian Rebuild are helping the school return to its former glory where Christians will once again be educated and flourish.
Recently, Christian Rebuild has supported the establishment of a Christian centre, which works with local people, and Albanians in Corfu. In the past, amongst many cases that have been supported, there has been a rebuilding of a school hall in Moldova and a Christian football project for street children in Egypt. The charity continues to suppoirt theological students in Poland and elderly holocaust victims in Poland and Hungary.
Moldova/Ukraine
As refugees streamed out of Ukraine into neighbouring countries, Christian Rebuild has supported Mission Without Borders staff and volunteers in welcoming refugees into Moldova.
Greece
Christian Rebuild has a long standing relationship with the Greek Evangelical Church in Corfu whose Light House Project we have been happy to support.
The Greek Evangelical Church has a been a major player in welcoming and supporting refugees. Christian Rebuild has been pleased to give funds to these projects.
Christian Rebuild organised and funded the visit of two Syrian Christian Leaders to the UK. The aim of the visit was to promote and raise awareness of ancient Christianity in Syria, also to inform people of the uninmanagable circumstances currently happening in Syria and its effects on the Christian population.
Unknown to much of Western society, Syria has a population of approximately 20 Million people, with a little over 10% of the population Christian, equivalent to more than two million people. Christians and Muslims have lived together in Syria for the last 2,000 years. Due to the current circumstances and uncertainty on what the future holds for Syria, many Christians are unsure what their future holds in this beautiful and ancient country.
Since the war began, over half the Christian population has fled the country. However, many of the remaining Christians are determined to stay in the country, and help rebuild this wonderful, ancient and historical society in which Christianity remains an important part of its future.
What we need to remember is that these people are not 'Christians in Syria' but 'Syrian Christians'. It is the duty of Christians from all over the world to help raise awarness and support this cause, ensuring Christanity is supported and continues to flourish as it has for the past two thousand years.
For security reasons, we are limited in the number of photographs we can show.