Arab Israeli Bible Society
The Arab Israeli Bible Society
A National Office of the United Bible Society
Welcome!
We are pleased to introduce our very first newsletter. We hope you will find it interesting and
that you will continue to support us in prayer.
New Centre
An exciting development for the Arab Israeli Bible Society is the celebration of its inauguration held on July 3rd 2009 in Nazareth the place in which the angel announced the gospel to the blessed Mary. Mrs. Dina Katanacho is the first director of the pertinent Bible Society and the founder of the new centre in Nazareth. This centre wants to make the Bible available, accessible and engage-able in the Galilee area. This small office hosts a big vision that insists on blessing Palestinian Arab Israelis.
‘Help us to make the Bible Accessible, Available and Engageable for the Arab Israeli Citizen’
Our Vision
Even though the Bible work began in the Holy Land in 1816, Galilee was served through a small office with little resources. The office was under the umbrella of the Bible society in Israel. Arab Israelis i.e. Palestinians with Israeli citizenship are the lost group between Jewish and Arab Palestinians who are located in the west Bank and Gaza strip. The situation of Arab Israelis is unique. Their potential and freedom to serve exceeds any other Arab country and even the Jewish areas. Galilee can be an important platform for developing Arab ministries which are not possible in surrounding countries. Insightfully, in 2008 the UBS restructured the work in the Holy Land to create three major independent UBS offices for serving the community of Israel/Palestine. Each office will serve its community: the Palestinian community, the Jewish community and the Arab Israeli community. In that year the Arab Israeli Bible society was established. This society is committed to make the Word of God available to Arab Israelis who live inside Israel.
‘Help us to make the Bible Accessible, Available and Engageable for the Arab Israeli Citizen’
The Celebration
On July 3rd at 5PM Bishop Elias Chachour, Bishop Botrus Mualem, Peter Wigglesworth – the Area Secretary of the Bible Society in Europe and the Middle East – and several other priests, pastors, and leaders who come from Catholic, Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Evangelical backgrounds met to celebrate the inauguration of the Bible Society for Arabs in Israel.
Mrs. Dina Katanacho, the director of the Bible Society, pointed out on her presentation the great blessing of having the gospel available in Nazareth and surrounding areas.
Bishop Muallem reminded the audience of Paul’s words who said: “Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (1Cor 9: 16). He highlighted the importance of seeing more women serving God in our country. Pastor Bilal Habibi from the Anglican Church dedicated the centre with a powerful prayer. We also cannot forget, Yamen Saadi, the gifted twelve years old boy who magnetized the audience with his violin’s music.
Our People
Pray for our women that we may be able to teach them Christian values and that the Word of God will dwell in their families.
Our Programs
Pray that the programs will achieve its purpose of empowering and impacting women and families in the Galilee area.
Funding
• For development our Bible Resources
• For employing more staff
Mrs. Dina Katanacho
General Secretary of Arab Israeli Bible Society
If you would like to know more about our ministry in Galilee, please write to Mrs. Dina Katanacho: dina@biblesocieties.org P.O Box 50027 Nazareth 16160 TelFax +972-4-6470798.
