Category Archives: Mission

2012 Trip to Bethlehem

Update: 11/21/2011

The Trip to Bethlehem has been cancelled for February 2012.

February 16-25 2012

Travel to Bethlehem and stay at the guest house of the International Center of Bethlehem.

Walk the streets where Jesus was born, see Jerusalem and Galilee.

The trip cost ($3330.00) includes airfare from Indianapolis (other cities available), luggage handling, housing, meals, transfers, and guides.

This trip is being offered through Mission Partnerships of POV.
Trip arrangements are with Group Travel Directors. (Group G#120202)
Full brochure available from GTD.

For more information, contact David Dietrich by phone (812.294.7010)/email or Kate Peer at Group Travel Directors (800.747.2255)/email.

Rev. Peggy Casteel with children at Christmas Lutheran Church during the 2009 trip.

The Presbytery of Ohio Valley partnership with the International Center of Bethlehem (ICB) has been a work of the POV since August 2006. The Partnership provides scholarship dollars for students, funds for the Dar al-Kalima College, used hearing aids to serve the 4000 audiology patients seen annually at the ICB Health and Wellness Center, travel and education, support for the Churches for Middle East Peace. The ICB is committed to education, health care, intercultural dialog and promoting the building of civil society. The work is directed by Dr. Mitri Raheb.

Individuals, congregations and foundations of the Presbytery have given, to date, over $105,000 and have sent seven shipments of used hearing aids for the ICB Health and Wellness Center. The POV has hosted two staff members of the ICB and made 83 formal presentations. Travel to Bethlehem and see this partnership at work!

SE Cluster Gathering 4/14/2011

Come one and come all to a holy gathering of worship, fellowship, and spiritual growth as we meet for our 2^nd time in 2011.

When? This Thursday, April 14 at 6 pm
Where? Community Presbyterian Church in Henryville (on route 31- Get Directions)

Worship begins promptly at 6:00 pm, with dinner to follow. Over dessert we’ll hear from a representative of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, a program that is doing relief ministry on our behalf in Japan, Haiti, and other places where catastrophe has struck.

To RSVP for yourself or a church group, please leave a message at either number below:

Community Presbyterian Church, Henryville (host site): 812-294-4633

First Presbyterian Church, Scottsburg (cluster communicator’s office): 812-752-2704

Disaster Relief: Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Image from the Associated Press

The following article is from the PC(USA) website:

Devastating earthquake and tsunami affects the region

MARCH 14, 2011

Pray for Japan: Denominational leaders have issued a Call to Prayer for those impacted by the earthquake and tsunami

You can help: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is responding

Click Here for Donation Information

Presbyterian World Mission grieves at the loss of life from the most powerful earthquake to hit Japan in at least 100 years. We urge you to pray for those who have lost loved ones in Japan. We also urge you to pray for people in other countries affected by the tsunami.

Nine mission workers and their families are living and working in various cities in Japan. As of March 14, we have confirmed that seven of the nine, in three different cities, are safe. We will continue to work to contact the other mission workers and will provide updated information here as soon as it is available. None of our mission workers are based geographically close to coastal city of Sendai, nor to any of the areas affected by the tsunami. Find resources for prayer and reflection here.

We have also contacted our partner churches and organizations in Japan and are starting to hear back from them. One of our partners, Yodogawa Christian Hospital in Osaka, writes:

Thank you so very much for your kind words and prayers. Thankfully, our hospital patients and staff and their families are all safe, but our heart aches as the earthquake disasters are spreading in other parts of Japan. We are praying for God’s protection and comfort over those people in the earthquake affected areas. He is our refuge and fortress.

Would you please pass this message to our PC(USA) partners and we truly appreciate your continuing prayers for us all.

Sincerely in Christ,
Masaaki Mukubo, Superintendent
Kimiaki Fukushima, Business Administration Chair

For more information, see the General Assembly Mission Council page for Japan.

March 10th Event at Madison Presbyterian

Special Guest Speaker at Madison Presbyterian on March 10th . The regular pitch-in and study on Thursday, March 10th, will feature Milcah Lalam who is in the United States from Africa as a guest of Presbyterian Women. Milcah is a development specialist with expertise in theatre. She uses drama and storytelling to help with the healing of those who have experienced the trauma of war, poverty and violence. Milcah works closely with displaced persons, women, and youth, many of whom are victims of rape and abuse. She also works with development workers and human rights workers in post-war contexts.

Milcah has worked for five years in various capacities in the peace building field with RECONCILE in Sudan. As a psychosocial rehabilitation coordinator for RECONCILE, she developed the trauma recovery manuals and pioneered the use of drama for trauma awareness and healing. Currently, she is RECONCILE’s programs manager and acting principal for RECONCILE Peace Institute.

Milcah holds an MA in Theatre and Development Studies with emphasis on post conflict development and trauma healing from University of Leeds, a BA in Drama from Makerere University, and specialized certificates in Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Transformation, Theatre and Peace building from Eastern Mennonite University-USA.

Milcah will share her story with us, and we are excited to have her here. Please know that all are welcome to join us for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Pitch in at 6pm. Presentation at 6:30.

Bethlehem Today: Work, Walls, and Wonder

Saturday, March 26, 2011 2:00 PM
The First Presbyterian Church: 512 7th Street, Columbus, Indiana

Presents:

Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb
Pastor, Author, Theologian
“Bethlehem Today–Work, Walls and Wonder”

This year’s distinguished speaker is Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, pastor of the Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem and president of the Diyar Consortium. He was born in Bethlehem and grew up there. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in theology in Germany and then returned to Bethlehem to become pastor of his home church.

Many here in the US are unaware that the city of Bethlehem, rich in biblical history, is surrounded by a 27-foot wall with 3 guarded checkpoints. The people living there are severely restricted: they cannot get medical help in nearby cities, or visit family or tend their olive trees without permits allowing them through a checkpoint.

Mitri has led his 225-member congregation to find ways to serve the social needs of this isolated people. Under the umbrella of the International Center of Bethlehem, they built Dar al-Kalima, a K-12 school educating both Muslim and Christian boys and girls. They added a health and wellness center, which provides after-school activities for children, including the area’s only swimming pool, an audiology clinic, and psychotherapy services. Then they developed a program to support senior citizens, and most recently completed Dar al-Kalima College with diploma programs in documentary film making and glass and ceramic art. In 2007 they added degrees in contemporary fine arts, tourism studies, and multimedia. All of this has happened because of the vision, faith, dedication, and work of Mitri Raheb.

Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb heads the work of the International Center of Bethlehem. The Center is committed to education, heath care, intercultural dialog, building a civil society. This work began in 1994 as a work of Christmas Lutheran Church. The Presbytery of Ohio Valley has partnered with this work since 2006, offering education, travel opportunities, providing used hearing aids, providing scholarships and funds for the Dar al-Kalima School and College, supporting Churches for Middle East Peace and daily prayer for this work.

Mitri is the author of 8 books and numerous article. His books, including “I Am a Palestinian Christian” have been translated into 10 languages. For more information about Mitri, you can find him on Wikipedia.

For more information about the Laws Lecture, please contact Jo Lucas, 812-342-4850, jolucas41@att.net

All are welcome to this free event. A reception and response time will follow this one-hour lecture.

Event Schedule:
Saturday, March 26, 2011
2:00 p.m. Laws Peacemaking Lecture, Bethlehem Today-Work, Walls and Wonder
3:00 p.m. Reception and Response

Sunday, March 27, 2011
9:30 a.m. Worship and Sermon

This event is co-sponsored by First Presbyterian Church, Interfaith Forum Columbus and Presbytery of Ohio Valley Mission Partnership

NC Cluster January Youth Event

The January Youth Cluster Event is on!

Bloomington First is looking forward to welcoming all of you on Sunday January 23^rd at 4:30pm. Be ready for an adventure!

This month we’re diving into mission, be ready to get your hands a little dirty and feet a little cold as we help out with a number of different ministries dedicated to fighting homelessness. Youth and advisors should dress for the weather (if it’s really cold there are some alternative plans… but for now plan on spending a little time walking outside).

We’ll be done by 7:00!

Bloomington First is located between 6th and 7th on Lincoln in Bloomington, IN. Our parking lot is located off of 7th street.

Prayers for a peaceful beginning to the New Year!
Rachel Pedersen
Associate Pastor
First Presbyterian Church
Bloomington, IN 47408

Presbyterian World Mission: Prayer request for the People of Sudan

This Sunday, January 9, is the referendum in Sudan that will determine the future of the country. The results of the vote, along with subsequent reactions, will impact the stability and peace of the nation, as well as the work of the PC(USA). Please lift in prayer our brothers and sisters in Sudan, our partner churches, and the ministry of our mission co-workers: Debbie Blane, Aliamma & Jacob George, Nancy McGaughey, and Ingrid Reneau.

For additional information, please look here: http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/un/.

Thank you.

Grace and peace,

Chris H. Roseland
Church Support Associate
Communications and Funds Development