Take Heart

To kick off our tenth anniversary year, we recently gathered for a weekend retreat. Members of our team, Board, and volunteers traveled from across the USA, Canada, and the Middle East for three days together. Our agenda included worship, prayer, fellowship, and strategic planning for 2025 and beyond. We also spent time reminiscing about our 10 years together and looking forward to many more. It was a blessed time of celebration and encouragement! ?? We owe a special THANK YOU to our team of advocates in Atlanta who worked tirelessly to make sure every detail was taken care of. ?? Since Take Heart’s founding in 2015, our team, Board, volunteers, partners, and advocates have spent hundreds of hours together in meetings and retreats. We are so grateful God has called and equipped us to be on this mission and vision together. Enjoy pictures of our retreats through the years. #throwbackthursday #10yearswithTakeHeart #volunteers #retreat #strategicplanning

?? Big shout-out to Take Heart volunteer and supporter George Asselanis from Minneapolis! George shared with his church, St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church, about his mission trip to Egypt with Take Heart. Many from his church attended, and he was supported by Take Heart’s Advocate for Minnesota, Elizabeth Shenouda. Thank you, George, Elizabeth, and St. Mary’s for helping us spread the word about Take Heart’s mission and vision. ?? Would you like to have a Take Heart representative speak to your church, Bible study, or small group? Complete the form on this page, and a member of our team will follow up with you! https://loom.ly/SpP2ypU #takeheart #missiontrip #volunteer

This year, Western and Eastern Christians celebrate Easter on the same day, April 20! Eastern churches began the Great Lent on Monday, March 3. For Western Christians, Lent begins today, March 5, with Ash Wednesday. Lent is a 40-day period of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in preparation for Easter. It's a time of reflection and asking for forgiveness. Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting that marks the beginning of Lent for Christians in the Western Church. As we enter into this season of Lent, may we all draw closer to God in repentance, humility, and sacrifice. #lent #ashwednesday #fasting

Take Heart is guided by 5 important principles: Biblical Truth, Unity, Proximity, Generosity, and Transparency. Today, we’re looking at Proximity. What does this value mean? We work with partners who are living among the people we serve. Take Heart teams invest in their lives, establishing close relationships. We work directly with those we serve because we are a family by choice. We long to follow Jesus Christ’s example and serve the least of these, extending our efforts to the last mile to reach those in need. Ephesians 2:19 says, “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” #values #TakeHeart #proximity

Take Heart teams continue our work helping Syrian families, despite the uncertainty that overshadows them. Empowering women has never been more important than it is now in Syria! Take Heart sponsors income-generating projects that help women support their families through operating small businesses. Today, meet Mary, a widow living in Syria, who cares for her three sons, including one with serious medical needs. Take Heart has been able to help Mary grow her home bakery business, so that she can pay her bills and support her family. #syria #helpingwidows #incomegeneration #empoweringwomen #takeheart

Take Heart’s partners in Nigeria are launching services in 2 new internally displaced persons (IDP) camps this year. We’re excited to let you know about the new church being built at one of those camps! This project stands as a beacon of hope, providing a much-needed place of worship, comfort, and solace for individuals who have endured the harsh realities of displacement due to conflict and violence. The trauma of losing homes, livelihoods, and a sense of normalcy weighs heavily on these vulnerable populations. In these trying circumstances, the establishment of a church serves a dual purpose: it becomes a sanctuary for the spirit and fosters a sense of community among the displaced individuals. The construction of the church also symbolizes the resilience of the human spirit. It reflects a commitment to ensuring that hope prevails over despair, that faith triumphs over fear, and that love overcomes violence. If you’d like to help support displaced Nigerian families, you can donate here: https://loom.ly/hflkFL8 #church #newchurch #takeheart #nigeria

Take Heart prioritizes educating the next generation because we believe that education is a key to unlocking their potential. In Upper Egypt, we sponsor schools, tutoring, and literacy programs for women. We also invest in teacher training, so that students receive the best experience possible. Recently, 33 classroom teachers participated in a training on creating and maintaining healthy relationships with children. The sessions included: ?? The five love languages of children ?? Relationships with children (fostering love, acceptance, and friendship) ?? Age characteristics of children (spiritual, psychological, physical, mental, social) ?? Classroom management rules #education #teachertraining #teachers #takeheart

What makes Take Heart unique among our peers? We are committed to 5 important guiding principles: Biblical Truth, Unity, Proximity, Generosity, and Transparency. Last week, we focused on the value of Biblical Truth. Today, we want to tell you more about our value of Unity. Take Heart serves all Christian believers of the Nicene Creed who belong to the persecuted church. We encourage others to join us in supporting and uplifting these communities. The theme of Unity is echoed in our organizational Vision: “To see the Body of Christ at peace, standing firm, and with great hope.” Ephesians 4:3 says, “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” #Values #Vision #TakeHeart #Unity

Syrian families are still living with a great deal of uncertainty after the regime change in December. Many families also struggle with poverty and a lack of basic resources, including heating and electricity. Take Heart teams have not stopped their regular home visits. These are special times for the families, as Take Heart team members “check in” with the people. They bring spiritual encouragement as they lead prayers and Bible reading and discussion. Please continue praying for Syria’s future and the Take Heart teams serving there. #spiritualencouragement #homevisits #Syria

On this #ThrowbackThursday, we thank God for the thousands of families we’ve helped since 2015. In 2016, we served 20,000 people in 3 countries. Last year, we served more than 55,000 people in 5 countries! As we look ahead to the new year and beyond, we pray that God will equip and enable us to reach even more Christian families with his love, hope, and healing. Thank you for your support during the last decade. We look forward to continuing to partner with you on our mission to serve “the least of these.” Who in your circle needs to know about Take Heart? Share this post and let your friends know about the work we do! #TenYearsWithTakeHeart #TakeHeart #christianfamilies