The Norwegian Church Ministry to Israel (NCMI)

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.

Beit EliahuBeit Eliahu Community Center in Haifa was built in 1970. The Center is used weekly by several congregations. Beit Eliahu congregation was established by NCMI, and is now an independent Messianic fellowship with a local leadership.

EbenezerEbenezer 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 ChurchImmanuel 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 CenterCaspari 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.

NCMI is still involved in ministries in East Europe through partnership with the Lutheran Church in Hungary (Gisle Johnson Institute), partnership with Jews for Jesus in Ukraine and Russia, publications and online web-radio production in Russian language and support to a Messianic congregation Bucuresti, Romania.

NCMI is member of Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism (LCJE) and Lutheran European Commission on the Church and the Jewish people (LECCJ).

In Norway NCMI is organized through a regional network of volunteers, prayer- and study groups and supporters. Our annual budget is $3.5 million(USD - 2010), mainly based on donations from individuals and congregations.

The youth branch, return2sender (R2S), is operated through its own staff and Advisory Board. R2S is organizing domestic teams for promoting our vision as well as outreach in Israel and other countries.

NCMI’s vision is to return the Gospel to the people from whom we received it:

“My heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.” (Rom. 10:1)