When it comes to Environmental Stewardship, the ELCJHL walks the walk. Just this past week, we launched the “Zero Waste” initiative, which will eliminate all plastic use from 3 of our 4 schools. The Environmental Education Center facilitated this movement, and greatly aided by providing reusable lunchboxes and water bottles for each student. Plastic is … [Read more…]
Happy Reformation Day! Our 8th graders came together in community on Monday, November 1st, in celebration of this special Lutheran holiday. Students enjoyed some fun sport competitions, a video about Martin Luther’s life, a discussion about what reformation in the church looks like today, and some arts and crafts.Our bishop Ibrahim Azar, our Director of … [Read more…]
We rejoiced in Reformation Day as we recall the reformative ministry of our past, and continue to reform our church so it may one day reflect the ministry of our loving and just Christ. We further rejoiced in the long-delayed formal installation of Probst Joachim Lentz.
The Bethlehem community filled Manger Square with Joy on October 30th to celebrate another Palestinian olive harvest! Festivities included opening words from Bishop Azar among other community and political leaders. Attendees shopped among the many market booths open selling local Palestinian foods and homemade goods. Students from the Evangelical Lutheran School of Beit Sahour as … [Read more…]
Today marks the Palestinian National Olive Harvest Day. On this day, farmers, community members, and students all throughout Palestine picked olives in celebration of this annual tradition that is very important to the culture and history of Palestine. The ELCJHL was represented today by the executive director of the ELCJHL’s Environmental Education Center Simon Awad, … [Read more…]
This week, students from all ELCJHL schools participated in an olive harvest campaign. In Palestine, olive picking is a joy and an important part of the Palestinian identity, but it is a lot of work. Often, farmers recruit many family members, friends, and volunteers from the community to help harvest all the olives and ensure … [Read more…]
Unlike the Dead Sea, our Youth Ministry is full of LIFE!This Monday and Tuesday, youth from four of our five ELCJHL congregations gathered together in the wilderness to celebrate community, youth, and faith.Reverend and Youth Ministry Leader Rodny Said , with the help of Reverend Doctor Munther Isaac , organized a trip to Arab Il-Rashaed, … [Read more…]
On the eighth of October, 2021, Bishop Sani Ibrahim Azar, along with religious leaders from various local church institutions, accompanied church member and ELCJHL school principal Anton Nassar to his family land. This land is currently undergoing extreme conflict both from the occupying Israeli government and the family’s neighbors. For many years, the Nassar family … [Read more…]
Theme This Year: “Come – Everything is Ready” Jerusalem – In a program written by women in Slovenia, The World Day of Prayer is celebrated around the world in diverse communities of women. The women of the Arabic-speaking congregation at Redeemer Jerusalem participate in the annual ecumenical worship. The Palestinian worship was organized by Mrs. … [Read more…]