Australian Director’s Update
CHRISTMAS - DECEMBER 2024
Dear Friends,
Shalom! As we approach the end of the year, I want to thank you for your faithful prayers and financial support throughout 2024. We could not serve both the Christian and Jewish communities without your active partnership.
This year has included several new initiatives, the best of which was the launch of two “Israel Behind the Headlines” Conferences, one in Sydney and one in Perth. Our FOI-A staff, along with a former ministry representative, were the speakers presenting messages on Israel and the Church, Israel and the Land, Israel and the Nations, and Israel and the Future. The conferences were well organised, attended and appreciated. Next year, we will hold two more of these conferences, one in Adelaide at CityReach Baptist Church Oakden (March 22) and one in Brisbane (May 17).
ISRAEL: BEHIND THE HEADLINES
Another initiative was the creation of the Stand with Israel fund, which provided a broader focus of support for the Jewish community locally, as well as overseas. Consequently, we have provided grants to local Jewish agencies, such as Jewish Community Services, Megan David Adom in Perth (MDA – Israel’s ambulance service), and the Menora Foundation, in addition to supporting agencies in Israel, such as Tsad Kadima, which works with cerebral palsy children and adults.
Both the Israel Relief and Stand with Israel funds have received over one hundred thousand dollars from Australian donors in 2024, which is an enormous contribution to our mission of showing compassion for God’s chosen people. That amount does not include donations to many other projects, such as Aliyah (immigrating to Israel), Jerusalem and Rehovot Assemblies, the Eastern European Relief fund, and many individual international staff members. Your generosity is so encouraging and humbling.
In addition to the FOI-A conferences, ministry representatives have preached in churches almost every weekend across the country focusing on God’s plan for the Church and Israel, and other related topics, such as the origin and rise of antisemitism. They are available for ministry in your local church and would welcome that opportunity. All you need to do is contact us to arrange a suitable date.
Our ministry representative in WA, Kevin Vigus, became the president of Magen David Adom (MDA) in Perth as the first Gentile to occupy that position in a Jewish agency, such is his respect among the Jewish community. Several ministry representatives have hosted Israeli backpackers as another way of showing God’s love to them and sharing the good news of Messiah’s provision for them. We seek every opportunity to connect with Jewish communities locally in fulfilment of our mission of bringing physical and spiritual comfort to them.
In November, Kevin and Lorene Vigus, Simon Lawry and I joined a solidarity trip to Israel organised by our FOI USA colleagues, led by Jim Showers, our Executive Director. We visited the memorial sites of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack and listened to several victims of this barbaric assault on civilians. While in this area, we saw the safe room recently donated by FOI in one of the attacked kibbutzim.
The trauma of this attack was felt by the whole nation and still remains a year later. We also visited partner agencies, who provide various services to the nation, such as Leket (meaning “gleaning”), Israel’s national food bank, where we packed potatoes and eggplant for distribution to families. Other agencies included Megan David Adom (MDA), where we dedicated an intensive care ambulance funded by FOI. Your donations to the Israel Relief and Stand with Israel funds support these agencies. It was a confronting and inspiring experience, seeing firsthand Israel’s deep anguish on the one hand and the nation’s incredible resilience on the other hand. Finally we also visited Jerusalem Assembly and were updated by Pastor Meno Kalisher on the impact and opportunity the war brings to Messianic Believers. While God is giving opportunity for witness, there is also a great cost for those fighting under difficult conditions both in Gaza and Lebanon.
If you want to learn more about this trip with more photos CLICK HERE
Our year closes with our Staff Conference in Adelaide during December as we gather to review the past, discuss the present and plan for the future. Please pray for us as we share together on this occasion. We will be missing Kevin Vigus as he is on long service leave. Mark Rogers will join us online through Google Meet as he continues caring for his wife, Kathy, in her battle with cancer. This year has brought challenges in the loss of Lyndon Beasy to pastoral ministry and the diagnosis of Kathy’s cancer, but also many blessings in ministry. Your support is one of the biggest blessings.
Thank you for your partnership in ministry (Philippians 1:5). I hope you enjoy a blessed Christmas season celebrating the first coming of Messiah Jesus, while looking forward to His return for His Bride, the Church. Shalom!
Les Crawford
Australian Director
