From the very beginning, we served the Jewish communities in East Europe, primarily in Romania and Hungary, through education, social care and witness. All mission activities closed down in these countries after the World War II.
In 1949 NCMI started up a ministry in the newborn state of Israel, based on Romanian immigrants and Jewish believers in Jesus. NCMI was granted the authority over and responsibility for the Lutheran properties in Tel Aviv/Yafo and Haifa by the Lutheran World Federation.
Today, NCMI is running several ministries in Israel:
Beit Eliahu Community Center in Haifa is used weekly by several congregations. Beit Eliahu congregation was established by NCMI, and is now an independent Messianic fellowship with a local leadership.
Ebenezer Senior Citizen Home in Haifa was built in 1976. The vision of NCMI was to provide Jewish believers who had survived the Holocaust a home in their old age. Many organizations helped fulfil the vision. Today the home serves the evangelical community in Israel and has both Jewish and Arab residents.
Immanuel Church and the adjacent Congregation House are historic buildings from the time of the German colonists in Yafo, where congregations/groups of various ethnic backgrounds have their place of worship. Five Nordic agencies support the work. Many Israelis visit this little “pearl” in Yafo for organ concerts and for information about the church. The stained glass windows preach God’s faithfulness and love to His people Israel and to all mankind.
Caspari Center for Biblical and Jewish Studies was established by NCMI in Jerusalem in 1982 to support local congregations with programs for theological training as well as programs for overseas students. In recent years, training seminars for Shabbat-school teachers and leadership training programs have become an important part of the ministry. Caspari Center has been involved in the publication of the theological journal Mishkan, a forum on the Gospel and the Jewish people, and the Caspari Media Review, a summary of articles from the Israeli press concerning the Messianic movement in Israel.
NCMI is partnering with a variety of Christian organizations and ministries in Israel. Among these are The Bible Society in Israel, Musalaha reconciliation ministry, Machaseh counselling center and Fellowship of Christian Students in Israel.