Read the Blog of our pilgrims in the Holy Land   November 1-15, 2011

 Companion Trip to Holy Land 2011

 Reflections of Holy Land by Pr. Tim Keyl

New England Synod Companion Trip to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land

³God shall judge between many peoples,
and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more;
⁴but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,
and no one shall make them afraid;
for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken. (Micah 4:3-4)

 The prophet Micah spoke volumes to ancient Israel, an Israel that was comfortable with its power.  The church continues to speak truth to power with a prophetic voice.  Even a bumper stickers preach as it says Know Peace Know Justice.

A group of seven will hear the testimony of those who strive for peace with justice in our travels from November 1-15, 2011.

• We will connect with the Palestinian Lutherans who make a difference in their churches, schools, and social service programs.
• We will learn about the issues of land, borders, and violence from Israeli and Palestinian organizations.
• We will see with our own eyes a land that is holy for three major world religions, to capture the longing for unity and understand the fractious developments.
• Immersing ourselves in the culture, we will stay at Palestinian Christian Guest Houses in Jerusalem, on the West Bank, and in Galilee.
• We will pick olives on the Mount of Olives, destined for olive oil used by Augusta Victoria Hospital.  We will also learn of the important ministry of the Lutheran World Federation in Jerusalem.
• We will take a three-day excursion to the Sea of Galilee, to see the places where Jesus lived, taught, and ministered.
• We will tour the Old City, particularly marking the three holy places for three religions: The Western Wall (Jewish), The Dome of the Rock (Muslim), and The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Christian).
• We will see sites rooted in Jewish identity, Yad Vashem (Holocaust Memorial) and Massadah.
• We will take a day’s excursion to the desert and the Dead Sea.

Pastor Tim Keyl will lead this group, also utilizing local tour guides and charter buses.

Please ask any of us to make presentations in your churches, or to refer you to those who have made trips to our companion synods.  Pray regularly for our global church; and commit yourselves to learn and to act on behalf of our God who is merciful and just.

 -Pastor Tim Keyl, Chair

Holy Land Reflections -- Pr. Paul D. Sinnott, during Sabbatical, March 2011

 Holy Land Reflection -- Pr. Paul Sinnott / Part 1 from April 2011 newsletter, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Torrington, Conn.

 Holy Land Reflection -- Pr. Paul Sinnott / Part 2 from May 2011 newsletter, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Torrington, Conn.

New England Synod Scholarships support three college students in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.

I’m pleased to know that young people from our companion synod are preparing for a successful life, thanks in part to our financial support.  They are Khaled Muallem and Mays Husary. 

In the summer of 2009, while I was in Palestine with my family, I visited with Khaled Muallem, who has finished his second year at Birzeit University in Ramallah.  Birzeit University is the first institution for higher learning established in the Palestinian Territories. 

After a scrumptious dinner prepared by his mother Marlin, Khaled showed me his textbooks, which are in English!  Khaled also showed me his transcript, where his grades were above average.  He is studying business and is a serious student. 

In 2008, during a New England Synod Pilgrimage, Paul Sinnott and I met Mays Husary, who was also attending Birzeit University.  Through emails and Facebook, Mays has shared her progress which resulted in her graduation this Spring.  Her final presentation was on the Palestinian Centers of Excellence (COE), a government assessment method which will establish benchmarks for stability upon the establishment of a state.  Mays has been on the honors list and will graduate in June.  She plans to take a break from her studies, and resume in 2011 at Birzeit University in its International Program. 

These students are part of the Arabic-speaking Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem, served by its Pastor Ibrahim Azar, and who have received full scholarships from their partners in New England.

Donations for scholarships are one way to connect with Lutherans in our companion synod.  Monies arereceived at the synod office, and dispersed through the work of the Global Mission Team in cooperation with Bishop Mounib Younan of the ELCJHL. 

If you are looking for a project to strengthen our companionship relationship with Lutherans in the Holy Land, this is one way to have direct involvement. 

Make checks payable to the New England Synod, with “ELCJHL scholarship” in the memo. 

If you would like to invite me or another speaker to share stories of our time in Palestine and Israel, contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

Tim Keyl, New England Synod Global Team liaison for the ELCJHL, Pastor, Bethesda Lutheran Church, New Haven CT

Video: 200 Books for Bethlehem

 

Global Mission Team Statement

As a synod, we accompany three expressions of the church around the Globe.

Accompaniment

Accompaniment describes the way God walks with us, and the way our church therefore walks and works among Christian communities in other countries. Together we participate in God’s reconciling mission.

The ELCA Global Mission unit defines accompaniment as walking together in solidarity that practices interdependence and mutuality. In this walk, gifts, resources and experiences are shared with mutual advice and admonition to deepen and expand our work within God’s mission.

We promote advocacy for peace and justice issues relating to Palestinians living in a land occupied by Israel. We promote opportunities to partner with the Hondurans to effectively engage in their own ministries of outreach and mission and service with the poor.

We work with the ELCA's Department of Global Missions to promote sponsorship of missionaries in foreign lands and to encourage attendance at the Global Mission Events.

Three expression of the church around the Globe

 The Global Mission Team works to deepen our companion relationships with churches in Honduras and the Middle East.

The Episcopal Diocese of Honduras

Steven Dumas from St. James, Barrington, Rhode Island, along with Pastor Jim Hazelwood from St. Andrew’s, Charlestown, Rhode Island, lead our relationship with the Episcopal Diocese of Honduras.  In February of 2011, mission trips took groups from St. Luke’s Gales Ferry to see the churches in Yuscaran (in the south), and another to Amoa near San Marcos (in the north), to learn about microenterprise initiatives, and to provide hands-on assistance in completing a church building and a boarding house.  To see videos and photos, go to http://www.stjames-ri.org/service/outreach-ministries?q=node/60.  

In 2012, two week-long trips have been planned to Honduras, offering practical ways to be God's hands.  Honduras Mission Trips Flyer.

For more information, contact Steven Dumas at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Iglesia Cristiana Luterana de Honduras (ICLH)

Wendell Beckman from Good Shepherd, Rutland, Vermont and Pastor Nancy Beckwith from  Zion in Oxford, Mass., explore our relationship with the Iglesia Cristiana Luterana de Honduras (ICLH), the expression of the Lutheran Church in Honduras.  Newly elected pastoral leadership in the form of a church president and General Secretary brings new opportunities for the Honduran church.  And the New England Synod is growing its accompaniment by partnering with three other ELCA synods who relate to the ICLH.  Currently we provide scholarship for a nursing student, and in the past have funded education for seminarians.

For more information, contact Wendell Beckman at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL)

Pastor Tim Keyl from Bethesda, New Haven and Pastor Bryan Leone from Good Shepherd, Monroe continue to deepen our longstanding relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL).

A synod companion trip is being planned for November of 2011 (see above).  Advocacy work is done through the ELCA Middle East Network, the Peace Not Walls Initiative, and Churches for Middle East Peace.   Two college students are provided scholarship money through the synod’s funding (you are invited to contribute!) And Bishop’s Payne staff representative for Justice and Peace Ministries Pastor Paul Sinnott worked for the ELCJHL’s Bishop Younan during one month of his sabbatical in 2011. (see reflections above)

For more information, contact Pastor Tim Keyl at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .If you are interested in joining the Global Mission Team or want more information concerning the team's activities, email the Team Chair Pastor Tim Keyl at 203-787-2346 or  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

Team members: Wendell Beckman, Steven Dumas, Pastor Joel Neubauer, Pastor Ed Sproul, Pastor Lisa Stoen Hazelwood, Pastor Paul Sinnott, Pastor Mary Beth Morris, Nancy Emerson, Pastor Scott Harris