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"Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods" (Psalm 96:3-4).
Grace and peace to you in the matchless name of our Lord Jesus Christ! It is my privilege once again to send you greetings from our beloved city of Bethlehem. Though our area continues to grapple with political instability, we are proud of our students who are learning, like Jesus, to walk with grace and truth in the midst of conflict. May God raise up many peacemakers from amongst them. To this end, we are proud of our new Master's in Peace Studies. We just finished our first two-week session with Dr. Mubarak Awad, and it was a great success! Please keep us in your prayers as we get settled into our new school year. We have many new students here, including a few Muslims and students with an international background. Pray for them, that above all other education they receive at BBC, that they will learn the ways and truth of Jesus Christ.
In other news, we recently opened new offices on campus for our Shepherd's Society, the ministry outreach arm of BBC that serves the poor and needy in our region. We are also playing a role with other believers in our area to stand united against the Separation Barrier which is currently slated for construction through the Cremisan Valley. Please read more about this in our newsletter.
Thank you for your love and support for BBC. We appreciate you very much!
In Him,
Rev. Dr. Jack Sara - President
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There is a new take on the expression "Peace in the Middle East." At the heart of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, Bethehem Bible College (BBC) is now offering a comprehensive Master's degree in Peace Studies. The new program is the first of its kind in the Arab world and is poised to offer one of the most enriching and unique educational experiences in the field.
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The Shepherd's Society, the charitable arm of Bethlehem Bible College, celebrated the opening of new offices this morning, on the campus of BBC. As the community outreach arm of BBC, the Society was established in 1996 to meet the practical needs of the economically challenged in the region. "We exist to show the love and mercy of Jesus Christ to those around us, regardless of their religious background," said George Abdo, the new Director of the ministry. The Society helps to provide practical assistance such as food, financial aid for medical expenses, and small grants to help struggling and unemployed families start a new business such as olive wood carving or shepherding.
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Dr. Mubarak Awad is a world-famous Palestinian nonviolent activist. He is also known as the "Gandhi of Palestine." Dr. Awad is the founder of the Nonviolence International, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has worked with the likes of Yasser Arafat, the ex-president of Palestine, to advocate for nonviolent approaches to conflict resolution. Our Gandhi is back at BBC to teach a two-week course on nonviolence and conflict resolution in a high-conflict area.
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As Palestinian Christian Students, we have a voice and a calling to take a stand; a stand against injustice, separation walls, and the continued confiscation of Palestinian lands. We have decided not to remain silent, but fight with all the power we have; the power of prayer!
Last week, the Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum (PIEF), invited local churches to be part of the annual World Week for Peace in Palestine-Israel. The theme of the week for 2015 is, "God has broken down the dividing walls."
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Register now for Christ at the Checkpoint 4
Registration is underway for the coming Christ at the Checkpoint conference, to take place in March 7-10
th, 2016 in Bethlehem. The conference will tackle one of the most urgent issues of the day: religious extremism. We have speakers with knowledge and experience who will address the issue of religious extremism in the global context, the Middle East, and the Palestinian-Israeli situation.
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