The International Community Church forms the heart of the Philemon Project, for it is in the Church that migrant workers and refugees find a welcoming community of Christians, of which they can become a part.

Besides the pastoral assistance, the Church also provides more practical relief. It tries to help people who are threatened by homelessness; it supports parents who cannot afford the tuition fees of their children; it seeks for solutions when medical aid is needed but cannot be accessed.

When needed, we provide food parcels, used clothes, and blankets to refugees.

The vision and mission of the Philemon Project is formulated as follows:

It is our vision that God created one humanity. Divisions and inequality based on social class, ethnicity, gender, level of education, and the like, although indissolubly linked to human life, are not part of God’s purpose for humanity.

It is our vision that Jesus Christ is the one Redeemer for all. He has come to bring peace between God and humanity and between human beings. “He himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.” (Ephesians 2: 14)

It is our vision that the Holy Spirit can bring people together, heal conflicts, create a new community, in which love prevails. The Holy Spirit uses the Church as an instrument to establish that new community. In fact, the Church is part of it. We believe, moreover, that God will bring this healing work to completion and the earth will be a place where righteousness shall dwell. We joyfully and actively anticipate this completion.

We feel, therefore, that our mission in Beirut today is to minister to the expatriate community in pastoral and diaconal work. In this work, we desire to serve expatriates who live and work in Beirut for a limited period; migrant workers who have come to Beirut seeking to improve their standard of life; refugees who, having fled from war-torn countries, reside temporarily in the city; Lebanese who have lived outside the country and feel more at home in an international congregation.

We feel it is our mission to provide the international community with worship services, in which people can worship God and find spiritual nourishment.

We feel that it is our mission to overcome the barriers of ethnicity and social class within our community; and, in overcoming those barriers, to be an example for society to imitate. 

For more information on the Philemon Project, please contact the church.