The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem October 2015 Newsletter Greetings from Bishop Suheil Dawani Dear Friends, The fall is here! God continued to pour his infinite blessings on us: on our families, parishes and institutions. October has been very exciting month on many levels. We praise God for the early beginning of the rainy season after such a warm summer, God has blessed us with the rain. Olive picking season has also started across our region - the olive tree which has been such an important tree throughout the history of our Land and an important source of food. We feel so blessed that we were able to continue to serve through the grace of God in our parishes and institutions. This month, we had many exciting events in our Diocese: Starting with our annual clergy meeting- a wonderful time of worship, fellowship and learning for our dear clergy across the Diocese where we met in Amman! On the 4 th of October, all parishes across the Diocese have celebrated the Diocesan Thanksgiving Day whereby we thanked God for his bountiful blessings, for life, the ministry and the work of our church and the lives touched by this ministry I bring you special greetings from our St. Paul s Parish in Al Ashrafieh and the Episcopal Technological Vocational Training Center in Ramallah. We urge you to continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Salaam, Peace + Suheil Dawani Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem 1 Newsletter August-September 2015
Annual Clergy Meeting - Amman, Jordan Look! How good and how pleasant it is when brothers live together! (Psalm 133:1) By the Rev Archdeacon Luay Haddad With the words chanted by the Psalmist, it is the best way I can best describe how our clergy meeting in Amman between the 5 th and 7 th of October progressed. This time that we get to spend together is so special; while the main focus of our meeting is spiritual, we however, it is a time of sharing, learning, fellowship and fun. It has been my pleasure to organize and facilitate it for this year in Amman Jordan. It was wonderful to get all of our clergy in for this event. This includes a special visit by our dear retired Archdeacon Rafiq Farah about the importance of service and ministry in the Holy Land. He was visiting Jordan from Canada with his son during the time of our meeting. Archdeacon s Rafiq s ministry, service and legacy continue till this very day including his writings about the history of the Anglican Church in the Middle East. It was so good to see him! Each of the three days of the meeting we started with morning prayers and reflections and meditations by reverend Canon Hanna Mansour and the Reverend Canon Samir Esaid. Rev Fuad Dagher led the group in hymn and praise throughout the conference. Their reflections and singing spoke to the soul! The main theme that we focused on in our discussions was Current pressures on Christians. Among these pressures is the service that the Diocese is providing through its parishes and institutions to the refugees coming from Iraq and Syria. Several of my Jordanian colleagues shared about their ministry and experiences of how the churches are responding to the refugee crisis. Another topic also covered during this meeting was how we as a church and Diocese: parishes and institutions can work together to provide the best facilities for children. The discussions were always lively and enriching- it was wonderful to hear updates from other clergy about the mission and ministry of the Diocesan institutions. Despite the challenges and pressures, we continue to seek to serve who heartedly through the grace of our Lord and we praise Him for that. The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem Newsletter August - September 2015 In this issue: Annual Clergy Meeting: By Rev Archdeacon Luay Haddad Thanks Giving across the Diocese Photos and quotes from our parish priests News from Here and There News from the Archbishop Greetings from the Parish of St Paul s Church in Ashrafieh- Amman By Rev George Kopti Greetings from the Episcopal Technological Vocational Training Center By Giovanni Anbar Pray with us www.j-diocese.org info@j-diocese.org Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem 2 Newsletter October 2015
As a part of the special program, we had the pleasure host a screening of the Christian Movie Fine of Poverty produced by our Jordanian Christian youth. The screening took place for all of the clergy in the presence of the director and producers. We are simply proud of this production and that our dear have had depth, innovation and imagination to produce such movie On the fellowship piece, I had the pleasure to reunite with my classmates from the day of Evangelical Theological School of Divinity in Cairo from the midnineties: The Rev. Ibrahim Nairuz Parish priest of Nablus, Archdeacon Samuel Barhoum Director General of Christ School in Nazareth, Cannon Hanna Mansour Parish priest of Marka Episcopal Church and Canon Sameer Esaid parish priest of St Maria Church of Irbid The Archbishop concluded the three day meeting with a special prayer and encouraging us all to continue to seek God s face through those whom we serve- the vulnerable, the oppressed and I take this opportunity to thank His grace, Most Rev. Archbishop Suheil for chairing this event and for his supporting us and my dear colleagues for this opportunity to come together and enjoy the fellowship Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem 3 Newsletter October 2015
Thanks Giving across the Diocese The first Sunday in October of every year is such a special time to all our parishes across the Diocese. Parishes dedicate this Sunday as Thanksgiving Sunday praising God for the ministry of the church, parishes and institutions across the diocese and for the harvest. Altars in all the churches were filled with produce from the land, harvest and donations from parishioners to those who are in need. Churches were decorated in celebration of this special event. We present to you below photos and highlights of events from the different parishes It was wonderful to see the harvest celebrated in the Holy Land: giving thanks for not only for the crops but also for the ministry in parishes and institutions. As we give thanks for these, we pray for a peaceful olive harvest which is so important for some people in the region knowing how many come to volunteer to help in the harvest Rev David Longe, Chaplain of the AB Read More: Sermon preached by the Archbishop in Jerusalem, the Most Reverend Suheil Dawani on Thanksgiving Sunday: http://www.jdiocese.org/index.php?lang=en&page=news&item=1444 0273271089 In the town of Zebabdeh, an area where agriculture is an important source of income; we have celebrated the work and the blessing over the land especially for the olive tree which has been a very special one for generations. Rev Saleem Dawani, Parish Priest, St. Mathew s Church Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem 4 Newsletter October 2015
Celebrating Thanksgiving in our parish this year focused on the family- praising God as one family or parish. This church family which would not have been able to grow without the abundant blessings received from God on our biological families- the living stones! Rev. Fuad Dagher, parish priest, St Paul s Church- Shefa Amr It was a blessed service, people donated food to be distributed to those who are less fortunate. The pastoral committee invited the people for breakfast after the wonderful service. Rev. George Kopti, Parish Priest St Paul s Church, Ashrafieh / Amman It is critical in our Christian faith to stop and give thanks. The Diocesan day of thanksgiving is not the only time to do so because as Christians we should give thanks for our blessings every day. This year the theme of our thanksgiving day was on the things that we take for granted: freedom of faith, a roof above our heads, living in the land that Jesus chose to walk through and bring salvation, and much more Rev. Nael Abu Rahmoun, Christ Church, Nazareth This year we gave thanks and celebrated children in our church and in the region. That their faith continues to be strong as they love in the midst of a suffering region Rev. Faeq Haddad, Parish Priest Church of the Redeer, Amman Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem 5 Newsletter October 2015
News From here and there Rev Fuad Dagher participates in an activity organized by Mariam Foundation for the month of raising awareness on Breast Cancer activity in Shefa Amr. This activity also in involved the Illumination of th Thaher Al-Omar Fortress in Shefa-Amr as a way to encourage women under risk of breast cancer to undergo the proper screening procedures in town and the galilee. After four years of faithful service at the St George s College in Jerusalem, Dean Graham Smith departs with his wife Sherry back to the US. A special meeting with the AB was conducted to celebrate his service at the College. In the meeting, Dean Gregory Jenks was welcomed as the new Dean to the college. Godspeed to Rev Graham and Sherry and welcome to Dean Greg! On the 5 th and 6 th of October more than 25 young adults from Savior Church- Kufr Yasif attended a special youth conference entitled the Holy Spirit, best friend of the College Student. This has been a very exciting time of reflection for these students as they prepare to embark on a new academic year and the end of the summer break. These students who have been very active in supporting the church activities throughout the summer with summer camps, services, fun days Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem 6 Newsletter October 2015
News From the Archbishop Read more from our website Archbishop Suheil Participates in the Consecration of the Holy Muron (Chrism) at Holy Etchmiadzin in Armenia http://www.j-diocese.org/index.php?lang=en&page=news&item=14437832841087 AB Suheil s participation Consecration of Immanuel New Chapel http://www.j-diocese.org/index.php?lang=en&page=news&item=14458496821095 AB s Suheil s reflection on the situation of refugees in the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East http://www.j-diocese.org/index.php?lang=en&page=news&item=14462032721099 AB Suheil Attends the Installation Service of The Most Reverend Michael Bruce Curry as 27th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church http://www.j-diocese.org/index.php?lang=en&page=news&item=14465470021100 Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem 7 Newsletter October 2015
Greetings From our parishes St Paul s Church, Ashrafieh- Amman, Jordan By Reverend George Kopti, Parish Priest I am excited to send greetings from our parish of St Paul in Ashrafieh - Amman (Jordan) to all of our dear Newsletter readers and share with them the main ministry milestones conducted during the month of October. Our parish serves in the heart of the vulnerable population of Amman, the capital of Jordan. Our ministry extends to our dear Jordanian parishioners as well as Christians who have taken the Hashemite Kingdom as refuge from Syria and Iraq. Women in the Heart of Our Ministry This month, we had two big events for our dear and active women: the first entitled rights, pressures, and family violence was organized by the YWCA through two workshops in our church hall during September/ October 2015. 6 women from our church participated in each of the workshops. The second was a mini retreat entitled "How to trust God in the time of Suffering" organized by our parish and targeted 30 women from Syria, Iraq, Egypt, and Jordan. Reflections were led by Mrs. Mary Kopti and the main speaker of the topic was Mrs. Julia Shehadeh. In conclusion, a light dinner was served to celebrate and share! One family, One fun through Field trips Organizing fun activities for the church friends and members is one the way that we build fellowship and fun amongst us. This month we had two great events: on October 16th we planned a BBQ trip to St Charbel Maronite Monastery in Amman where more than 30 people participated in a. It was a great time of fun, fellowship and good food. Also towards the end of the month we planned a fun day trip to Aqaba where more than 50 people participated Serving the Less fortunate On October 12th, 2015, Mr. Tareq Musharbash, a member of our church and one of the top hair Stylist dressers in Jordan volunteered with a big Salon crew to make the hair of all of our elderly women in the Elderly Home in Ashrafieh and one of the Diocesan Institutions. The golden ladies were super excited and pleased with their new look. The elderly home also hosted a youth group from the Nazarene church in Amman who went to spend time with the elderly residing there. We Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem 8 Newsletter October 2015
appreciate their kindness for donating food other goods to the Home and sharing a lunch with our dear residents! Big Thank you As part of our ministry to the refugees we distributed food coupons on Syrian and Iraqi refugees in our parish and neighborhood. On behalf of the refugees, special thanks to our beloved AB and the Diocesan funds for these gifts. Come, share and worship with US - If you are in Ashrafieh neighborhood on Sundays, come to our Holy Eucharist service at 9:30 am or for a bible study on Tuesdays at 17:00. Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem 9 Newsletter October 2015
Greetings from our Institutions Episcopal Technological Vocational Training Center By Giovanni Anbar, Director ETVTC has recharged during the summer break and is now back to full energy! New School Year Has begun and we are nothing less than super excited. It is amazing how fast time passes by. It seems like yesterday that the new school year has begun! We are happy to share a brief updated for the month of October. Thus far this new school year has been very exciting! Our students came back after a long summer break looking forward to new learning, experiences and maturity. We have accepted 35 new students 14 in IT and 21 in hotel management. Despite the selection process (interviews, placement tests and then orientation etc) we are now enjoying their company and look forward to a wonderful year! New Limits as students participate in Expo-tech Exhibition: on Oct 8 th Mr. Rabee Jararaa, ETVTC s IT teacher, took 11 IT students to visit the exhibition in order to learn about the latest inventions in both technology and software. This exhibition that would also allow them to learn about the new IT products, allow students to establish relationships with the IT companies in the Palestinian market, and give them an idea of the possible courses that they can study after finishing 12th grade. Serving the community encouraging our students to live up to our mission which focuses and teaches the students the importance of social and voluntary work; we had the opportunity to put this mission into practice. Students from the hotel management IT streams volunteered to harvest the olive trees in the school vicinity. What a wonderful experience it has been a great learning for these students especially those in hotel management who would be learning how to pickle these olives as part of their school training. Students give a hand at the Ramallah Paralympics Day Al-Nahda Women Association organized a special Paralympics in Ramallah for 150 people with special needs. ETVTC Students went to support and participate in this very special event. The students spent an entire day to mingle with the people with special needs, played with them, and helped teams win in the competition. What a heartwarming experience it has been for us to see our students reach out to those who have challenges on their own said Giovanni Anbar, ETVTC Director. Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem 10 Newsletter October 2015
Promoting ETVTC programming with other Schools in Ramallah On Thursday, the 22nd of October, some wonderful 10th grade students from the Evangelical Lutheran School of Hope visited ETVTC in order to learn more about the Technical Education and Vocational Training. During the visit, coordinators of IT and hotel management streams share with the students about the technical education and vocational training in general and its importance in society. Extracurricular activities Another cohort of 14 Karate students graduated from ETVTC in cooperation with the Karate Sport Training Center. During the graduation ceremony, the Palestinian Karate Federation gave the students their certificates. Congratulations to all graduates of Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue and Brown belts! ETVTC mini-football league with fun, team spirit and lots of competition, the ETVTC organized its annual mini-football league in school for all students divided into four groups according to their class and specialty. Congratulations to the 12 th grade Hotel Management students for winning the championship for this school year!!. For more news about ETVTC, like https://www.facebook.com/etvtc/?fref=ts or find us at http://www.etvtc.org/ Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem 11 Newsletter October 2015
Pray with Us: + During this month of thanksgiving, pray that the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem continues to minister to those who are suffering, the vulnerable and the less fortunate. That the parishes and institutions continue to be havens for peace and healing where the suffering feels God s love from those who are around them. + For the upcoming Diocesan Synod (Majma ) taking place in Amman, Jordan, that the spirit of God moves ahead of all participants across the region as they celebrate achievements of 2015 and plan ahead for2016. Pray that God continues to bless the work of the Diocese and that decision taking during this important meeting brings Glory to the kingdom. More stories and information are available at: www.j-diocese.org Email enquiries to: info@jdiocese.org Donations may be sent to: The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, PO Box 19122, Jerusalem, 91191 The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, a Diocese of the worldwide Anglican Communion, extends over five countries (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Israel) within the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. There are 27 parishes that minister the needs of their communities, centered on the Cathedral Church of St. George the Martyr in Jerusalem. The Church supports 33 institutions, which include hospitals, clinics, kindergartens and schools, vocational training programs, as well as institutions for the deaf, the disabled and the elderly, reaching out to interfaith neighbors in mutual respect and cooperation. Let us know what you think? Send us your feedback to info@j-diocese.org or Jerusalemdiocesenewsletter@gmail.com Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem 12 Newsletter October 2015