Aviv Ministry

www.avivministry.com

We are a social ministry, working since 2005 in south Tel-Aviv and helping street addicts, alcoholics and prostitutes meet their basic needs like food and clothes. Our main purpose, however, is to help these people get fully restored, return to normal life and to their families, become a blessing to others and bring good fruit. We know that only the Lord Jesus can really make all these changes in their lives. That is why in our day center in Tel-Aviv we actively preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who came to this earth to save sinners – including those who seemed totally hopeless.

Aviv Center is open 6 days a week and hundreds of addicts pass through it every month. Those men and women who want to get rid of their addictions for good are sent to Christian rehabs. In the short video on this page you can see the streets we are working on, Aviv Center in Tel Aviv and our rehabilitation center for men in Beer-Sheva that was opened in 2013. We see that many of the rehabilitants not only leave drugs and fully restore their lives, but also start serving others. Most of Aviv Center volunteers are ex-addicts who return to their former companions in distress in order to help them get saved and find peace with God.
To Him only are all the honor, glory and praise!.

Aviv Center – Day outreach center in Tel Aviv

Drug addiction has penetrated all groups of Israeli society, but those we meet in Tel-Aviv are mostly immigrants from the former Soviet Union, aged 20 to 40. Besides them, we also minister to native Israelis – Jews and Arabs – and other people. However, not only these people benefit from our work in the long run, but also their relatives – wives, children, parents – as well as the whole community itself.

We see that young people – drug addicts, prostitutes and the homeless – die in Tel-Aviv streets all the time, and those who remain alive live in real slavery to drugs, and this cannot be even called “life”. Drug addicts loose all their possessions, their families and their health. As time goes by, they become so sick and skinny that remind inmates of a concentration camp. Sadly, they represent the most vulnerable group of our society, for nobody really cares for them. This is true for thousands of young men and women in today’s Israel. Addiction is a terrible disease and noone can wholly cure a person from it but God.

Meal in Aviv Center

Our work with drug addicts began in 2005 with table ministry, street evangelism, Bible studies, etc. In 2012 the Lord put it on our hearts to establish an outreach center in Tel-Aviv. That was how Aviv Center came into being. Today it is situated in a building next to a disused bus terminus in downtown Tel-Aviv. The terminus is known as the ‘Last Stop.’ (The levels of addiction and prostitution are so severe there, that for many it is the ‘Last Stop’ indeed. They can’t get any lower.

Soup

Our center is open 6 days a week and hundreds of addicts pass through it every month. They come daily in all kinds of conditions for a bowl of soup, clean clothes and to get first aid for their damaged arms and legs. Whilst in the center they are exposed to the unconditional love of Jesus and the teaching of His word.

Beer Sheva Rehabilitation Center for Men

In Aviv Center the addicts are invited to enter one of Israeli Christian rehabs. In 2013 we opened our first rehabilitation center for men. It is situated in the south of Israel, in the city of Beer-Sheva. There the rehabilitants are getting rid of their addictions and are going through discipleship training. We are happy about each and every person who enters our rehab. Instead of starting their day with a needle, in the rehab they do so with Bible reading and prayer. Their transformation is a real miracle of our Lord.

We see a great potential and opportunities in our work with drug addicts. If we take them from the streets and work properly with them, during a couple of years they get healed from their addiction, restore their lives and families, find work, go to church, and some even become church and ministry leaders.

Statement of Faith

1. We believe the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God.
2. We believe in one God, who eternally exists as: God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
3. We believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah of Israel, He is the Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, God become flesh.
4. We believe that all men are separated from God through violation of His laws and are in need of restoration. Our relationship with God can only be restored through faith in a substitutionary blood sacrifice as commanded by God and not by works of law or righteous acts.
5. We believe Jesus fulfilled the commandment of God by becoming the atoning sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. He died, was buried, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and is coming again.
6. We believe God has sent the Holy Spirit to indwell the believer for comfort, instruction and empowerment for Christ’s service.
7. We believe that Christ commanded the Church to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every person, baptizing and discipling those who believe.

Statement of Faith for Our Ministry

1. We believe that the first priority of every Christian in serving His Lord and Savior is taking part in sharing the Gospel of Christ in some way or another, and that the ultimate goal of any church activity or discipleship program should be reaching out to the lost.

2. We believe that the message of salvation comes through words and deeds. There should be a healthy balance between preaching the Gospel of God’s love and showing this love in action. Charitable deeds alone, without the message of salvation, is not a real help to anyone, for they do not bear everlasting fruit.

3. We believe that Jesus reached out to the outcasts – tax collectors and prostitutes – because they were more open to the Gospel than other groups of people. Aware of their sins, they were looking for help and were ready to repent. We see the same picture today: drug addicts, prostitutes and the homeless are the most open group to the Gospel of Salvation in modern Israel.

4. That is why we believe that more effort should be made in reaching out to them, since ministering to these people is undoubtedly very close to God’s heart (“I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…” – Matthew 25:35).

5. We believe that every addict who leaves drugs for good is a walking miracle and a revelation of God’s glory, and that is why former addicts bear a very powerful testimony to their friends and relatives.

6. We believe that if former addicts are properly discipled and trained they have a great potential to become future leaders of congregations and different ministries. We have already seen this happening first hand.

7. Since our ministry is not supported by the Israeli government in any way, we believe that our ministry can grow and bear more fruit only through the help of Christians in and outside of Israel who partner with us by prayer, short term visits, financial contribution and other means of support.