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12 Mar, 2014

Watch Livestream: “Christ at the Checkpoint” Conference in Bethlehem

BETHLEHEM, Palestine, Christian Newswire/ — The Bethlehem Bible College is currently holding the third Christ at the Checkpoint (CATC) conference, in Bethlehem from March 10-14, 2014. The conference theme, “Christ at the Checkpoint III: Your Kingdom Come,” draws from the Lord’s Prayer to ask how Jesus Christ would approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict today. According to Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh’s blog: The conference has been a huge success despite Zionist frantic attempts to shut it down.

CATC was first organized in 2010 by Bethlehem Bible College, held again in 2012 and continues this year with the same mission: challenging evangelicals to take responsibility in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through Jesus’ teaching on the Kingdom of God.

Topics covered include the Palestinian Church, religious radicalism, Christian Zionism, Jesus’ teachings amid conflict, the Kingdom of God, peacemaking and reconciliation. There will also be optional visits to the Bethlehem checkpoint every morning, as well as field trips around Bethlehem, Hebron and East Jerusalem.

Each day’s schedule includes praise, worship and Bible exposition before the morning session, followed by afternoon field visits, fellowship time and small group discussions. Evening sessions include worship in both Arabic and English, followed by two speakers and several conference videos. The last day features nine workshops on topics ranging from Islam, women’s issues to media, with two action groups reserved for pastors and theologians.

More than 25 speakers from Israel/Palestine and abroad will share at the conference, including Geoff Tunnicliffe, secretary general of the World Evangelical Alliance, and Joseph Cumming, who previously served as the director of the Yale University Divinity School’s Reconciliation Program. Messianic Jewish leaders Evan Thomas and Daniel Juster will be present, along with Holy Land Trust director Sami Awad, Palestinian Bible Society director Nashat Filmon, and Bethlehem Bible College president Jack Sara.

As conflict and bloodshed spread hatred and animosity in the Holy Land, Christ’s call for Christians to be peacemakers who stand lovingly against injustice is needed more than ever. In Sami Awad’s words: “Peace is not just negotiated agreements between politicians. Peace is the process of building trust and respect between the peoples of the land. To be able to see each other with new eyes. To be able to really understand who the ‘other’ is… Trust and respect are the foundations.”

Thus the CATC manifesto begins with: “The Kingdom of God has come. Evangelicals must reclaim the prophetic role in bringing peace, justice and reconciliation in Palestine and Israel.” We invite you to join us in Bethlehem this March to pray, worship, study scripture and seek this Kingdom Come together.

More info: http://www.christatthecheckpoint.com/

The LiveStream can be seen here: https://t.co/i2qGbPie80