“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, he has risen!” Luke 24:5-6

Easter serves as a special reminder that Christ’s love compels us to live not for ourselves, but for God. As Christians, we believe that part of our mandate to “live for God” means to serve our fellow humanity—to care for those who are sick; to clothe and shelter those who are homeless; to visit those who are imprisoned.

As Christians, we understand that it is OUR PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY TO SPREAD HOPE. That we must resist the temptation to live for ourselves, and instead, find the strength and determination to walk the line of our moral compass—to have the wisdom to understand what must be done, and to have the courage and conviction to DO IT!

We ask that, during this time of contemplation, you prayerfully remember our Palestinian Christian brothers and sisters in the Holy Land, who are everyday in need of HOPE. We invite you to join us in our struggle to keep a vibrant Palestinian Christian community alive in the Holy Land, and we encourage you to become involved in any way you are called.

We KNOW what must be done, but we need your support to DO IT! Help us BUILD HOPE IN THE HOLY LAND in 2018:

• Support 40 children from economically struggling families to reach a Christian education in Christian schools.
• Help small handicraft businesses to become economically self sufficient by renovating their workshops to increase health, safety and productivity, and by opening international markets for their traditional handmade gifts
• Educate 1000 children in our Bethlehem Museum Education Program about Palestine’s living Christian heritage and culture to foster a commitment to diversity and allyship that ensures a long-term place for the Palestinian Christian minority in the Holy Land
• Provide outreach to thousands of American Christians, increasing their awareness of their Holy Land Bretheren through pilgrimage, advocacy and volunteer opportunities
• Distribute 1000 Christmas gifts to disadvantaged children throughout the Holy Land and bring 500 children from minority Christian villages to Bethlehem at Christmas time to visit the sites of our sacred Nativity story

For those of you who have already been carrying this cross with us, please know that we are deeply grateful for your continued support, and we encourage you to offer a special gift this season. Donations of $125 or more, will receive a complimentary copy of HCEF’s most recent publication, What Jerusalem Means to Us: Christian Perspectives and Reflections. Your tax-deductible gift will yield life-changing results.