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Olive Branch
A Campaign for the Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East (NEME)
Peace is a core aspiration and gift of the Christian life
The Bible is brimming with the word peace in its many forms. It is in Jesus that we find our peace (John 16:33). God is "the Lord of Peace" (II Thess. 3:16) and Jesus is the "Prince of Peace" (Isa. 9:6). We are called, as much as it depends on us, "to live peaceably with all" (Rom. 12:18).
Peace is not optional. It is a core aspiration and gift of life with the One who made peace with us, even when we were still His enemies (Rom 5:10).
Olive branches are a symbol of peace. They can be given to mark the end of a conflict. They are worn as a crown in times of peace. But for NEME, the symbolism is rooted even deeper. After weeks of life-ending floods, Noah sent a dove out of the ark to check for dry land. It returned with an olive branch in its mouth.​It was a sign, not only of the end of destruction, but the beginning of something new, of a new world, of peace.
But we are far from peace today
In this polarized world, we are consumed with inner anxiety, given to divisiveness, committed to our narrow interests, and accustomed to violence.
We read about distant wars, many of them funded by our tax money. We seek to justify violence, to explain it away as if peace grows from violence.
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Our Vision
The Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East (NEME) is a collective of pastors, students, scholars and everyday Christians working together as followers of Jesus toward justice and peace, seeking holistic approaches to conflict in the Middle East.
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In other words, NEME seeks to follow Jesus in planting seeds of peace in the church in hopes that the church will be like a thriving garden, a respite for those who are weary of the wars that are raging in and around us, indeed, a sign of the end of the violence itself.​
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As the world watches, we know that being a force for peace in the world will clear away obstacles to the Gospel. ​
The Olive Branch Campaign
The Olive Branch Campaign will equip NEME to reach the growing number of American Evangelicals who are ready to return to the revolutionary peace of Jesus, peace for the spirit and peace for the world.
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Our goal is to raise $100,000 from 2024 through 2026.
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With your support, we will broaden and deepen our work as we cast a vision for peace.
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What Will Olive Branch Enable?
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Deeper Wisdom
NEME is a learning community. We recognize that as the world changes, we need to keep learning. Aspiring to intellectual humility, our leadership makes a continual commitment to learn and grow. This area of investment includes staff development, training, and exploration of new opportunities.
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Warmer Partnerships
NEME is a small community, and an even smaller core team, with a big vision. To meet our aspirational goals, we've started developing relationships with flagship evangelical institutions. Many are national, or even international platforms. This area of investment will fund new projects to amplify NEME's work through these anchor institutions to the massive communities they represent.
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Growing Community
NEME started in 2017 and grew slowly in its first few years. A handful of people became a roomful. Now we have a growing national community, and we're ready to get bigger yet. The time is now to connect with 10s of thousands of evangelicals who are reconsidering how their churches relate to violence, peace, and the Middle East. This area of investment includes the development of new programs and marketing efforts designed to engage larger communities.
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