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Our call – “Serve others”
There are two questions I have often been asked over the years.
“Why a foundation? Why not your own business?”
For me is not hard to answer them simply because I know what and why I do all things. Starting from the Communist times, I had the grace to be involved in different church Bible study groups and ministries. From 1980 to 1990 I used to sing in the choir of Emanuel Baptist Church. There I learnt that” whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much”. This choir had a great impact on the church, the evangelical community and the society.
I must confess that this 10 years experience had an impact on my life. From the members of that choir some are now involved in God’s ministry as pastors, musicians and ministers.In 1985 I got my degree in Electromechanical engineering. Between 1987 and 1989 I studiedTheology at The School of the Prophets, a Bible institute run by Emanuel Baptist Church in Oradea. This was a Bible study course secretly organized by the church throughout which God made me aware of my call. There I had the privilege and the grace to be part of a group made up of graduates in different fields of study who studied the Bible and tried to discover their role in the society. These courses of almost 2 years, together with theologians, teachers, artists, musicians, engineers have broaden my mind and made me understand the diversity of God’s ministry.
After finishing The School of the Prophets, some of my friends advised me and encouraged me to become a pastor. Nevertheless, I knew in my heart that it wasn’t God’s plan for me, at least not for the time being. After praying, I came to the conclusion that, for a while, I was called to commit my life to meeting the needs of others: to help, to serve, to organize and coordinate social and cultural programs. In spite of the pressure of some of my friends, I decided to respond to this call…and this is how Charis came to life.
Charis is not just a foundation or a Christian mission, but a spirit, a feeling that brings together the need to serve, to help, to inspire and search for solutions to daily problems. “Why we do it?” Because this is our positive and practical reaction towards the enormous love of God. We do everything in the name of our Lord who gave us purpose and hope…we do everything with joy and commitment. I call you to join us in serving God and serving others. I call you to action!
Daniel Ciupe
General manager of Charis Foundation