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EGYPT— In the heart of one of Cairo’s poorest suburbs, surrounded by homes, shops and traffic, an ambitious project is under way. Since 2000, the Coptic Orthodox Church has been constructing a building which, with 12 storeys planned to offer a wide range of facilities, is designed to serve many of the diverse needs of the local community. While the external walls now tower above the street, the inside of
this church centre is still little more than a shell. On one of the
floors, a brightly painted, fully equipped kindergarten waits to receive
children from poor families living nearby. Some offices, reception rooms
and a computer training centre have also been completed, but the three
floors that have been set aside for services still have bare, unplastered
walls. There will also be rooms where people can assemble after weddings
and funerals, a service that is in great demand in this part of the
city, but the priority is to complete the facilities that will serve
children and young people, explains Father Yoanan, one of the three
priests who serves this community. “The Sunday School is our most important
work,” he says. “The children are both the present and the future of
this church. We must ensure that they get to know Jesus when they are
young.” Altogether, the centre will serve around 2,000 families, some
10,000 people. “We have placed at least one Bible in each of the 2,000
homes,” says Father Yoanan. “Every couple that marries in our church
will receive a Bible, and we have distributed Bibles to the children
and teenagers. We have a very positive relationship with the Bible Society
of Egypt, which helps us with the materials we need. I’d also like to
thank all the Bible Societies in other countries that support the Bible
Society here. They are really investing in the future in Egypt. “We
believe that the Lord has planted this church in this part of Cairo
because there are so many people here. They need to hear the Word of
God and get to know that God loves them and cares about them. We pray
for funds to come in so that we may continue work on the building.”
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