Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem

Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church-

in Bethlehem

(a member church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church

 in Jordan and the Holy Land, or ELCJHL)

Psalm 51:17 -

 in German on the pipe organ

Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, is a Palestinian Christian, 

the pastor of Christmas Church

 and the founder and president of the Diyar Consortium,

 a group of Lutheran-based, 

ecumenically-oriented institutions

 serving the Bethlehem area.

The International Center of Bethlehem-

 (Dar Annadwa Addawliyya)

the house of Worldwide Encounter

 is located in Madbasseh Square,

 in central Bethlehem.
This is housed at Christmas Lutheran Church.
The ICB has programs that serve the entire community
 from "the womb to the tomb", 
with an emphasis on children, youth and women. 
They have an ambitious mission. They work to equip
 the local community to assume a proactive role
 in shaping their future- it is the heart of their work. 
They desire to develop human resources, 
cultivate artistic talents,
 facilitate intercultural encounters,
 and to actively promote
 the building of Palestinian civil society.

Bethlehem - still dressed with lights from the Christmas celebrations in late January.

Street of Bethlehem

The Christmas Church complex also has
 Dar al-Kalima Evangelical Lutheran School
 which was founded in 2000.
 The school is co-educational from K-12
 and has an  enrollment of 309 students for 2013-2014.
The diverse enrollment has 40% girls and 60% boys,
 and 34% Christian and 66% Muslim students,
 taught by 30 full time and part time teachers.
Perhaps these are students
are served in the Lutheran School
in the city of Bethlehem-
where Jesus was born, and where 
Christians continue to serve to 
MAKE HIM KNOWN.