The Nazareth Page
Friends of Sabeel Australia
Australian supporters of the
SABEEL Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, Jerusalem
Welcome to this page dedicated to our friends within the Nazareth branch of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem.
Friends of Sabeel Australia have linked up with the Nazareth branch of Sabeel, so that we can learn more about each other's faithfulness to the gospel in our very different situations. The goal is for two communities, with a shared concern for justice and peace in the Land of the Holy One, to develop a mutual partnership that spans the great distance between Nazareth and Australia.
The Nazareth Branch (some of whose members are pictured to the left) is an ecumenical group with people drawn from a variety of Christian traditions.Their work forms part of the "Local Department" within Sabeel and embodies the spirit of the Palestinian Christians that has persevered in Palestine since the time of Christ. With its Women's, Youth and Clergy Programs, both the Jerusalem and the Nazareth branches ensure that the core of the ministry will always be about people, who when empowered, can help develop a holistic pluralistic society.
The Nazareth branch is housed in part of the YMCA building in Nazareth and backs onto a major historical project (The Nazareth Village) that celebrates this ancient town's heritage as the home town of Jesus. This ancient well is one of the site's many structures that help the visitor to recapture a sense of Nazareth in the past. Two thousand years and many thousands of kilometres separate the Australian Friends of Sabeel from Jesus, but we are united with his modern townspeople in their search for justice and peace.
As our partnership with our friends from Nazareth develops, this page will be updated with more information.
I also invite you to join our FOSAU web forum so that you can engage in conversation with members of the Nazareth branch of Sabeel. This will be a unique opportunity to participate in a mutual journey of discovery as we share the stories of our lives, hear firsthand from people living in Galilee, observe the religious and national days of special significance to Palestinian Christians, and support one another in prayer.
From that dialogue will flow active expressions of solidarity including visits to one another's communities and financial assistance [donate now] to projects in Nazareth.
Thank you for joining us in the journey of the heart ...
Greg Jenks
APPEAL FOR FUNDS TO UPGRADE NAZARETH SABEEL COMPUTER FACILITIES
As a result of discussions with Violette Khoury in Nazareth, we discovered that they need a new computer and improved email software. We have offered to raise some funds to assist them in doing that, and our estimate is that they will need about US$1,000.00 to upgrade their computer and peripherals. At recent exchange rates, that would be around $1,350 in Australian dollars.
The appeal was launched on 30 November 2005 with an email sent to those members whose email addresses we have on file.
Although we were about $250 short our target, on Friday, 3 February 2006 a cheque for US$1,000.00 was sent to the Sabeel Center in Jerusalem with a request that the funds be used to assist the Nazareth branch with an upgrade to their computer and email facilities. We were confident that additional gifts will be received in the next few weeks to make up the full amount, but did not want to delay making the funds available to our friends in Nazareth.
On Friday, 10 February 2006 a generous gift from one member took the total received to $1,350.00.
The appeal is now closed.
Thank you to everyone whose gifts have made this significant contribution possible.
