Tag Archives: Columbus

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.

Dr. Mitri Raheb

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

International Women’s Day


Tuesday, March 8th, 6:00 P.M.  (EST) at the YES Cinema in Columbus, Indiana

You are invited to a grand celebration on March 8, 2011, the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day.

The event is co-sponsored by The Granny Connection and Zonta International, two organizations helping women worldwide.  The evening will begin at 6 pm with a brief lighted walk of solidarity beginning and ending at YES Cinema. At 6:45 P.M. participants will enjoy a delicious international box supper by Pieper’s Catering while being entertained by an improvisational vocal and musical group from Indianapolis – Thin Air.  We will acknowledge our legacies in special ways.  The current and previous Women of the Year will be introduced and honored.  The highlight of the evening will be  keynote speaker, the Honorable Viola Taliaferro, first African American female judge in Southern Indiana.  Judge Taliaferro holds numerous state and national awards for her work in law and especially with families and juvenile justice.  She presents her message with power and poignancy.

Tickets for the program are $10 in advance ($12 the night of the event) and may be purchased at the following sites: Claudia’s Flora Bunda, Viewpoint Books, Lockett’s Ladies Shop, Natural Choices, and Flowers by Lois.

For more information call Barbara Smitherman at 376-8632.

Join people all over the world as we celebrate women – past, present, and future!

Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb 3/26/11

Mark Your Calendars Today!

On March 26, 2011, Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, who leads the work at the International Center of Bethlehem, will be in Columbus, Indiana. He will speak at the First Presbyterian Church at 2:00 p.m.

The Partnership of the International Center of Bethlehem and the Presbytery of Ohio Valley nourishes both Indiana and Bethlehem. The work here is to educate, travel, pray, and the work there is to educate, travel, pray.   March 26, 2011,  we can do that together.

For more information contact Jo Lucas (Mission Partnership) at  jo_lucas@comcast.net or 812-342-4850

The Transforming Power of Mission

The Transforming Power of Mission, an inspirational and practical workshop for congregations in the Presbytery of Ohio Valley will be presented at 2 (identical) workshops:

Saturday, October 9: First Presbyterian Church, Columbus

Saturday, October 23: Indiana Presbyterian Church, Vincennes

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. EST  (9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Central Time)

Registration & Refreshments at 9:15 a.m. (8:15 Central)

Lunch will be provided at no cost.
At this workshop, you will:

  • Hear from the Rev. Joan Stewart, Executive Director of WV Ministry of Advocacy and Workcamps, as she tells the “God story” of how a tiny congregation in a declining community moved from a survival mentality to a mission mentality, and as she shares insights and practical ideas for how other congregations can do the same.
  • Explore with one another and with Joan how to apply these insights and ideas to our local settings.
  • Worship and fellowship with sisters and brothers in our presbytery.

Did we mention that all of this is free?  Yes – free!!!

But, we do need to know how many are coming!

So….. to reserve your spot, please register no later than the Tuesday before the session you wish to attend.

We encourage churches to send more than one person – many people, even!

Please email the presbytery office at rhonda@presbyteryov.org with the following information:

Your name(s), congregation, the workshop you will be attending (Oct 9 or Oct 23), and special meal needs, and your contact info.

This event is sponsored by the Leadership Institute and the Congregational Transformation Team.