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Christmas Church | Worship | Congregational Life | History | Pastor | Interview | International Center of Bethlehem | Dar al-Kalima Campus | Dar al-Kalima School | Diyar Consortium | Contact
Living in the location of God's incarnation, contextual and incarnational theology is an inseparable part of the lives of Christians in Bethlehem. Shaped by this, the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem has long sought to empower local expressions of the gospel - in theology, in culture, in community and in education.
The congregation at Christmas Lutheran is very active not only within the church, but throughout the surrounding community. Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb has served as pastor of Christmas Lutheran since his ordination in 1988.
Over the last two decades the mission and ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem has grown to encompass the International Center of Bethlehem (ICB), Dar al-Kalima Health and Wellness Center, and Dar al-Kalima College. Christmas Lutheran also works in partnership with the ELCJHL Department for Education at Dar al-Kalima Evangelical Lutheran School.
There has been a continuous worship life in the sanctuary of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem since 1893. Each Sunday worshippers from Bethlehem and around the world gather for worship in the sanctuary.
As visiting worshippers gaze at the stained glass windows present throughout the sanctuary, they are likely unaware of how lucky they are to see them all intact. In fact, the stained glass windows, from the Emperor Stained Glass Factory in Germany, are the only windows made by this factory in this style to survive in total.
It is even more amazing that these windows have all remained intact, due to the fact that the church suffered damage in both 1967 and in 2002. In 1967 the roof and ceiling of the sanctuary were damaged by a bomb. Then again, in 2002, the church was in the middle of fierce Israeli shooting and bombing. While under curfew, Bethlehemites could hear glass breaking everywhere. Pastor Raheb, who lives with is family in the parsonage on the church compound, also heard glass breaking and feared it was the stained glass windows. No one could get out to check on the sanctuary until a few days later. When Pastor Raheb was finally able to go into the church, he was astounded and grateful to see that all the windows remained unbroken, and largely intact. There is one small hole in the red robe of a person in the left chapel windows, which is hardly noticeable, but serves as a reminder of the frightening chaos and the damaging attacks in 2002.
For more information on the architecture, construction, windows, organ, or bells, we invite you to visit our History section.
Congregational life at the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem is active throughout the weeks and seasons of the Church Year. Programs and Gatherings include Sunday School and Youth Programs, Bible Studies and Christian Education, Social Gatherings, Special Events, and Retreats. Each year a new theme is chosen by the Church Elders, and a plan for the year is formed to encompass all members.
Pastor Raheb, Church Elders, and the Women's Committee are all active in visiting congregational members in their homes, and growing in relationship with one another.
The International Center of Bethlehem, located on the campus of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in downtown Bethlehem is always a busy place, utilized by both locals and internationals. At this Lutheran-based, ecumenically-oriented institution, it is our aim to serve the whole Palestinian community from "the womb to the tomb," and to welcome visitors from around the world. The center includes:
built in 1992, our guesthouse offers a comfortable and modern home base for its visitors in the heart of the Bethlehem Old City marketplace. With thirteen double rooms with en suite bathrooms and all of the amenities, including in-room broadband internet access, just steps away from the Ad Dar Cultural and Conference Center and our full-service Il'iliyeh Restaurant, it provides an elegant accommodation solutions for conferences.
In the midst of the campus of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church is Ad Dar Cultural and Conference Center. The center can accommodate groups from 30 to more than 300, and offers the following rooms:
Open to locals and visitors alike, the Il'iliyeh Restaurant experience is unique to Palestine. With beautiful garden terrace seating for warmer months and cozy indoor seating for the cooler season, Il'iliyeh Restaurant is the prefect setting for any gathering.
Il'iliyeh Restaurant offers traditional Arabic and international dishes, providing seasonal menus that incorporate local, fresh produce and support local Palestinian agriculture. The restaurant is decorated with artwork created in our workshops.
Professionally trained staff of chefs, cooks, and servers welcomes you with our famous Palestinian hospitality. Il'iliyeh Restaurant is open dailyg from 11am to 9pm, and can seat 90 indoors, and up to 150 indoors and outdoors.
Offering a more informal setting for meetings, receptions, or just relaxing with friends, the Al-Kuz Bar and Cafe is the ideal setting. Local beers and wines, cocktails, soft drinks, and a full coffee menu are available. Seating capacity is 40, and Al-Kuz is open from 10am-9pm Monday-Saturday.
Located on the ground level of the church compound, toward the “point” of the downtown property and handy for passersby, the Cave Gift Shop and Gallery highlights the work of local artisans. Art pieces from the artists’ workshop plus other Palestinian gifts and books are for sale. The Cave Gallery is located underneath the shop and houses changing exhibitions.
Gifts from the Cave Gift Shop are also available for purchase online, through The Cave Gift Shop Online
Meaning 'the house of the Word' in Arabic, Dar al-Kalima takes its name from the first chapter of the Gospel of John, with reference to the Word (logos)--the Word of God at work in shaping the world, who is enfleshed in humanity in Jesus Christ. "'The Word', not 'the words,'" as Pastor Raheb says, "since our people are fed up with rhetoric and speeches." but eagerly looking for the Word of God.
The educational and outreach ministries housed on the Dar al-Kalima campus strive to reflect their name in all they do.
One of four k-12 schools under the ELCJHL Department for Education, Dar al-Kalima Evangelical Lutheran School serves more than 300 students in a co-educational and inter-religious environment each year. Its roots reach back to 1860, while its vision reaches into the future
For more information about Dar al-Kalima Evangelical Lutheran School and the Educational Ministries of the ELCJHL, we invite you to visit their pages.
Dar al-Kalima Health and Wellness Center is located just below Dar al-Kalima Evangelical Lutheran School. It was created with the aim of bringing hope and healing to a suffering community. Dedicated in 2003, the center serves the community, offering exercise equipment, exercise and relaxation classes, swimming lessons, and education in nutrition and health awareness. The center also offers preventative medicine and auditory testing. Thousands of community members pass through the doors of Dar al-Kalima Health and Wellness Center each month.
Dar al-Kalima College grew out of a dream of providing education for post-secondary students in the arts and communication. The mission of the Dar al-Kalima College is lengthy and multi-faceted, including interreligious and intercultural studies, and so we do not list it here in its entirety, but wish to highlight four sections the mission statement below:
Dar al-Kalima College offers various different course offerings, from full degrees to casual courses. More than 1,000 full- and part-time students now come through its doors each year.
The main section of the structure for Dar al-Kalima College was completed in the Fall of 2010 with the help of many friends, including a generous loan from the Mission Investment Fund of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Construction on the top floor and connecting building continues.
Reflecting on the growing mission and ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, Pastor Raheb says: “My hope is that twenty years from now, most of the artists, musicians, journalists, religious educators and communication specialists in our area will be graduates of the Dar al-Kalima College. The symbols of a society are shaped by these people. Developing an identity is like an olive tree which is deeply rooted but whose branches grow out and spread in different directions.”
Mailing Address:
The Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church
P.O. Box 162
Bethlehem, Palestine
via Israel
Phone: Office: 972-(0)2-277-0047
Fax: 972-(0)2-277-0048
Email:
Website: www.annadwa.org