There are many reasons to make use of Palestine Portal for a church congregation or campus ministry, including:
The Holy Land is the birthplace of Christ, the cradle of Christianity; church members should understand what is happening today in this crucially relevant part of the world, in particular how it affects their fellow Christians in Palestine. Christian Palestinians have long asked their spiritual family to acknowledge their presence there and their struggles for survival and for freedom.
The conflict in this land has filled our news cycles for decades and generations. Congregations need help to understand that news from a justice- and peace-based perspective, and to learn how they can be effective peacemakers for all the people of Israel/Palestine. Clergy and campus ministers have an important role in providing education that will lead to support for urgent church-based advocacy and for vital missions work in the Holy Land.
Congregational Life:
For Church Seasons
Sermons
Prayers, Litanies & Liturgies
Music & Song
Devotional & Study Materials
These materials can help you to bring awareness of the current situation in the Holy Land into the congregation’s worship and devotional experience.
Church Curricula
Find some excellent educational resources prepared by church educators, from simple three or four session discussions to longer and more in-depth materials.
Palestine Fair Trade Market
Organizing a fair trade market/bazaar is a practical way to help a people in need that participants will enjoy and where they can find useful gifts, etc.
Visiting the Holy Land
If you or others in your congregation are thinking about visiting Israel/Palestine, we have some great recommendations.
World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel (WWPPI)
An annual global event organized by the World Council of Churches that provides an excellent opportunity to bring the Holy Land to your congregation or community, with as little or as much emphasis as you would like.
Theology:
The Kairos Palestine Document
This landmark message from Christians in the Holy Land is the basis for most Israel/Palestine-related church justice advocacy in the US and around the world: an eloquent description of their lives under military occupation, a profound statement of faith, and an urgent call to action.
Kairos & Liberation Theology
For those wanting to delve a little deeper into the theological and biblical basis for church-based advocacy for a just peace in the Holy Land.
Zionism, Christian Zionism & the Bible
Tackling some of the thorniest issues that arise for Christians who advocate for justice in the Holy Land.
Interfaith Issues
Christian-Jewish Relations
Addressing the concerns that so many Christians have, when asked to take meaningful actions for justice in the Holy Land, about the impact those actions will have on relationships within and beyond their community and their denomination.
Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia
Both of these are on the rise in the United States and are of concern to Christians, and both need addressing within the context of justice advocacy for the Holy Land.
Do you have suggestions for other things in Palestine Portal that should be listed here?
Please let us know: [email protected]