outreach
Bright Stars of Bethlehem
Library Dedication Planned
by Matt Johnson
“I came that they may have life and
have it abundantly.” These words
from John 10:10 guide the ministry
of Christmas Lutheran Church and
the Diyar Consortium, our ministry
partners through
Bright Stars of
Bethlehem. As we
continue to celebrate
the abundant life
that we are promised
through the life, death,
and resurrection of Jesus, it is my
joy to share with you a couple of the
signs of abundant life springing up
in the midst of a difficult situation in
Bethlehem, Palestine.
Last year, shortly after several of us
visited Bethlehem, ground was broken
on a new library being built on the
campus of Dar al-Kalima University
College of Arts and Culture. This
September, the library, which will
serve the entire Bethlehem region,
will be dedicated. As we celebrate this
new wellspring of information and
knowledge, members of Bethlehem
Lutheran, Westminster Presbyterian,
and various churches throughout the
metro area are planning a festival
slated for May 17-19, 2018. Titled
“Windows Into Palestine,” the festival
will showcase Palestinian film, visual
art, music, culinary arts, and surprises
yet to be named. Please mark your
calendar and plan to join us!
Here are three possible travel
opportunities open to our community:
Travel to Bethlehem for the library
dedication this September:
Contact Matt Johnson, mrjohnson75@
usa.net.
High School/Young Adult Trip with
Global Immersion Project – June, 2018:
Contact Steph Smith, ssmith@
bethlehem-church.org
Habitat for Humanity Summer Work Week
July 24 – 28, 2017
8:30 am – 4:00 pm daily
Bethlehem’s 27th year with Habitat for Humanity will take us to north
Minneapolis where we will contribute to the new construction of a single
family home! This year’s house will be Habitat’s first to experiment with a
more environmentally friendly construction plan which will offer some new
opportunities for our tried and true volunteers and a unique challenge for first
timers. Because of the new construction approach for this project, volunteers will
be limited to 12 per day. Please keep this in mind when considering your time
commitment. Remember, you
can work one day or the whole
week and Habi tat can use people
at all levels, from newbies to
seasoned pros.
Habitat’s Work Camp Program
has allowed Habitat to make
serious progress in providing
quality homes for purchase by
families who otherwise would
be left out of home ownership
opportunities. Our members
from both campuses are
welcomed as well as those from
Spirit Garage.
Each day lunch will be provided Artist rendering of this summer's Habitat project
for all volunteers. Note: If you
are not cut out to work on a construction site, you can always volunteer to help
with lunches or even contribute a dessert! Contact Rick Jackson at jacksrc@
dept56.com to volunteer or to get your questions answered.
2017 Offering of Letters—Thank You!
Thanks to all who wrote letters to Congress on behalf of hungry families, as
part of the 2017 Bread for the World Offering of Letters. In March, 176 letters
were written by youth and Sunday School at the Minneapolis campus and by
adults at the Minneapolis and Minnetonka campuses. Bread for the World is an
ecumenical Christian organization encouraging congregations to use their voice
to advocate for public policy to end hunger. Your letters are a powerful tool in
achieving this goal by 2030.
Adult trip intersecting with Global
Immersion Project trip – June, 2018:
Contact Matt Johnson, mrjohnson75@
usa.net.
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