Faith In the Midst of Strife

Transcription

1 Faith In the Midst of Strife

2 Forward Pastor Gabi Aelabouni Faith Lutheran Church Brookfield 2

3 Program Schedule Wednesday, February 24: The History of the Land Speaker: Pastor Saïd Aliabouni, Senior Pastor Grace Lutheran Church, LaGrange, IL Wednesday, March 3: Lutheran Witness, Peace and Justice Speaker: Bishop Wayne N. Miller Metropolitan Chicago Synod, ELCA Wednesday, March 10: Women of Palestine: Hope in the Midst of Occupation Speakers: Ms. Niveen Sarras, Ms. Dina Tannous Lutheran School of Theology Wednesday, March 17: Jewish Voices in the Midst of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict Speaker: Lynn Pollock Wednesday, March 24: Muslim Voices in the Midst of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict Speaker: Khari Shabeed 3

4 Wednesday, February 24: The History of the Land 4

5 Saïd Ailabouni was born and raised in Galilee, in the city of Nazareth. He was graduated with a B.A. degree in Chemistry from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, and received a Master of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. He was ordained in 1979 and served congregations in Racine, WI and Barrington, IL. From 1997 to 2007, he served in the Global Mission Unit of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as the Program Director for Europe, the Middle East and Horn of Africa. During that period, he traveled extensively to support mission personnel and strengthen relationships with church leaders in Europe, the Middle East, and Ethiopia. Pastor Ailabouni is presently serving as Senior Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in La Grange, IL. Speaker Biography: Pastor Saïd Ailabouni 5

6 Wednesday, March 3: Lutheran Witness, Peace and Justice 6

7 Since his installation in September of 2007, Bishop Wayne N. Miller has been serving the Metropolitan Chicago Synod, helping its congregations and communities to embrace renewal, growth, and positive change. In addition to leading the synod program staff, he preaches and teaches regularly in the synod's congregations and shares his perspective and insight in his column in the synod supplement in The Lutheran. Prior to his election, Bishop Miller served as the Senior Pastor at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Aurora, Illinois, where the congregation grew from 1100 to In addition, he facilitated social outreach and community involvement. He was born Chicago in 1950, and has lived most of his life in the Chicagoland area. He holds an undergraduate degree in music, and for a time was a professional member of the Chicago Symphony Chorus. He has been married to Pamela Miller since 1980, and has two grown sons. In addition to his previous parish duties, Miller was a member of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod Council. He has been an adjunct instructor of Christian Thought at Aurora University, a founding board member of Suicide Prevention Services of the Fox Valley, and a member and presenter for a special judicial commission on Domestic Violence in the Faith Community. He was installed as bishop on September 9, Speaker Biography: Bishop Wayne M. Miller 7

8 Wednesday, March 10: Women of Palestine: Hope in the Midst of Occupation 8

9 Niveen Ibrahim Odeh Sarras Niveen Ibrahim Odeh Sarras is from Palestine. She was born in a small town called Beit Jala in the Bethlehem region. She has three sisters and one brother; all of them have graduated from Bethlehem University. Niveen has spent all her life in war and conflict she has never lived in peace. Niveen attended the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo in 2002 to complete her B. A and engage in Master of Arts in theological study for two years. She graduated in 2005 and returned to Palestine to serve at Christmas Lutheran Church as Director for Christian Education. In addition to her work at the church, she also instructs Christian Education teachers in all the Lutheran schools in Palestine on how to teach children about biblical issues, the Christian life, and the Lutheran faith, assists with training teachers of Christian Education of all Lutheran schools in West the Bank. Niveen is currently in the second year of her Ph. D program at LSTC. Dina E. Tannous Dina E. Tannous was born in Jerusalem and raised in Ramallah, Palestine, as a third generation Lutheran. Dina is the youngest of three children and the youngest grandchild. As a female in Palestine, there were certain roles that were played in her upbringing; including but not limited to the over-protective family, the knowledge and practice of traditional crafts such as knitting and cross stitching and the mandatory church attendance and education. She always rebelled, however, against housework and cooking and continued to play outside in the streets with the neighbourhood boys until an age that was considered inappropriate for a girl. Dina has not yet seen a day in Palestine that was free of fighting and free of blood shed. She does not feel free, even though she lives in the United States. During her school years, she was faced with bullets and gas bombs on daily basis. The sounds of ambulance sirens, machine guns, and screams were her bed time lullaby. Yet, a thread of hope continues to be present in her heart for a free Palestine and a true peace. Speaker Biographies: Ms. Niveen Sarras, Ms. Dina Tannous 9

10 Wednesday, March 17: Jewish Voices in the Midst of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict 10

11 Lynn Pollack serves on the national board of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). ( and is also on the leadership team for the local JVP chapter. A long-time member of the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston, IL, Lynn has served several terms on her synagogue's board of directors and has organized many events there dealing with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Lynn has visited the West Bank and Israel three times since 2005, twice as part of an interfaith peace delegation. She currently oversees AFSC s and Chicago Fair Trade s Olive Oil program Ziyarat az Zeitoun, a project that brings fair trade Palestinian olive oil and other products to Chicago area consumers. Speaker Biography: Lynn Pollack 11

12 Wednesday, March 24: Muslim Voices in the Midst of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict 12

13 Speaker Biography: Khari Shabeed 13