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Fall 2016 FrAbjar.org
LIFE WITH GOD
For more than ten years
Pastor Abjar has been
working as a missionary
and church planter in the
Texas District. Meeting and
talking to many Arabs
(Muslims and Christians),
he realized
the lack of
material
that
disciples
these
Arabs from
a
specifically
Lutheran
theology in
Arabic.
In 1984
Luther’s
Catechism was translated
in Arabic but it was not
enough just to translate a
document from English in
Arabic, the need was to
write a discipleship
program based on
Luther’s Catechism.
To fulfill this need he has
been working on a
discipleship program
based on Luther
Catechism, the book was
completed in the summer
of 2016.
Pastor Abjar has begun a
series of videos to
accompany the text.
These
video
teachings
will be
broadcast
on various
Christian
Arabic
Satellites
as well as
available
for small
group
studies. As
we continue working on
this program we pray that
it will be used to reach out
throughout the Arab
World.
“The disciples were called Christian first in Antioch”
(Acts 11:26)
ANTIOCHIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH
LWML UPDATE
After attending my first
LWML Convention as a
presenter I have been
blessed to return to our
ministry with new hope
for our families. Renewal
is always a blessing and
being able to visit with so
many amazing women
and men we are
approaching the
coming season of
ministry with vigor. We
were blessed to receive
partial funding for our
Mission Grant and have
already been able to
apply it where it was
most needed. Thanks to
your Mites, we have
been able to continue
with the development of
our media ministry and
continue supporting
ministry throughout the
country.
Phylan Bahkou
“We proclaim to you what we
have seen and heard, so that
you also may have fellowship
with us. And our fellowship is
with the Father and with his
Son, Jesus Christ. We write
this to make our joy complete.”
1 John 1:3-4
“ T H E D I S C I P L E S W E R E C A L L E D C H R I S T I A N F I R S T I N A N T I O C H ” ( A C T S
1 1 : 2 6 )
MINISTRY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Rami was born in a Muslim country in
the Middle East, to a Muslim family. He
became a Christian following a near-
death experience and an invitation
from a friend to attend church. At that
service, Rami
was shaken
by the
presence of
God, and his
heart began
to shift.
Rami
returned to
the church despite the possible risks,
and had a vision of a man in white
inviting him onto a boat. Rami
accepted Jesus’ invitation and felt as
though doors were immediately being
opened for him. He continued
attending church in secret and began
meeting with other Christians from
Muslim backgrounds to pray for their
city.
In 2003, Rami met *Mike Smith, a
Christian minister interested in starting a
business. He began to help him, and
formed a partnership with him and his
team which lasted for the next ten
years. In 2013, Smith and his family
found themselves imprisoned in his
country due to their association with the
family members of a local Sharia
leader, who had become Christians.
Rami testified for Smith in court, facing
accusations and intense questioning of
his faith.
Rami was able to get them released
from jail through the specific wisdom of
God, but faced further scrutiny from the
government for his actions. They
attempted to use others against him by
threatening his friends and family, and
threatened Rami himself with beatings
and imprisonment for his alignment with
Christians. With help from his contacts
in the U.S., he was able to get out of his
country.
However, when his family began to
suspect he was a Christian after he left
the country, they threatened to kill him
upon his return if they found out their
suspicions were true.
While Rami has been finding his way in
a new country after he lost everything
in his country, God has also been giving
him a vision for a new kind of ministry…
Pastor Abjar has been working with
Rami for almost 2 years. Rami has been
instrumental in assisting with the media
and outreach ministry of the Antiochian
Apostolic Church both in Hurst and in
Waco. As a member of Pastor Abjar’s
media team Rami will be helping film
and edit the Arabic and English videos
for our ministry as well as “Life with
God”. Rami will join Pastor Abjar in Hurst
on Sundays as well as various ministry
events throughout the state.
“ T H E D I S C I P L E S W E R E C A L L E D C H R I S T I A N F I R S T I N A N T I O C H ” ( A C T S
1 1 : 2 6 )
In November of 2014 we received a
phone call from Pastor Tony Boos,
Associate Pastor at Faith Lutheran
Church in Troy Michigan. The
conversation began, “How do we
reach out to the 300,000 plus Arabs in
the Detroit area?” On November 30th
of 2014, Pastor Abjar flew from a sunny
Dallas Thanksgiving to snowy Detroit to
lead an Arabic Worship Service at Faith
Lutheran Church. We have been
partnering with Faith to help grow their
ministry. In August of 2016 we did a third
Arabic worship at faith with a newly
formed worship team, “Love and
Peace Worship Team”. Over 100 Arab
Immigrants attended that service. We
continue to work with Faith Lutheran
Church in Detroit to offer at three to
four Arabic services a year until they are
able to find a local pastor and train him
to lead their growing community.
Christ is risen… He is risen indeed!
North Texas is one of the most
attractive area to Immigrants. Recently
the owner of a Middle Eastern grocery
store al-Giza, who himself is a Coptic
Egyptian Immigrant, told me that his
Coptic Orthodox Church in the City of
Bedford, receives between 5-10 new
families moving to Fort Worth and the
Mid-Cities weekly.
Many of those, who are not Coptic,
are moving in DFW area and are
looking for a home church, this is the
scenario of the Antiochian Apostolic
Church. On a weekly bases we meet
new families who have moved into the
area and are looking for a family
Church.
The mission of our church is to reach
out to Arab Immigrants (Christians and
Muslims) all over Dallas and Fort Worth
area. This Easter over 200 immigrants
attended our three worship services
during Holy Week and Easter
celebrations. This year on Maundy
Thursday, with the goal of bringing the
Gospel story alive, Pastor Abjar
celebrated the Lords Supper and gave
communion, continued with washing
the feet for 5 young children and 1
young adult representing different
various Arabic countries
“ T H E D I S C I P L E S W E R E C A L L E D C H R I S T I A N F I R S T I N A N T I O C H ” ( A C T S
1 1 : 2 6 )
Easter Services at the
Antiochian Apostolic Church
2016
Pastor Abjar presented Engaging Islam in the Apologetical Discourses of Gerasimus. at
the XII International Symposium of Syriac Studies, and the X Congress of Arabic Christian
Studies, Pontificio Istituto Orientale, Rome Italy (August 19-24, 2016).
“The disciples were called Christian first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26)
OTHER MINISTRY EVENTS …
Above: Ministry Partner St. Paul Lutheran Church
hosted an Arabic Student Dinner for Pastor Abjar’s
Classes from Baylor University.
Right: End of Year BBQ with Pastor Abjar’s Baylor
Classes.
Below: Display for LWML 2016 State Conference in
Lubbock, TX
Recording
Life with God
Sponsored by
Ministry Partner
Trinity at Badger
Ranch
Waco, TX
“The disciples were called Christian first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26)
LOOKING AHEAD… 10,000 Syrian Refugees Find New Homes in the United States
California and Michigan
are neck-and-neck
among states for receiving
the most Syrian refugees,
followed by Arizona, Texas
and Illinois. Cities with
large numbers include
Chicago (469), Glendale,
Arizona (384), Troy,
Michigan (325) and Dallas
(293).*
Dallas is one of four cities
in America to receive
refugees. In addition to
the Syrian refugees Texas
has received, since 2005,
more than 10.000 Iraqi
refugees. All these
refugees have similar
needs including financial,
emotional, and spiritual
support and most
importantly they need a
family, a church in which
to worship.
95% of Arab Christians are
coming from liturgical
churches, they are raised
in traditional churches
Word and Sacrament is
key. The Antiochian
Apostolic church reaches
out to these Arab
Christians by offering the
Sacrament of Eucharist
and the preaching of the
Gospel on a weekly bases.
The sacrament is offered
with a blend of Eastern
Liturgy and Lutheran
structure and theological
teaching about the
sacraments.
This what makes the
Antiochian Apostolic
Church unique in the
LCMS. In DFW area, there
are seven Arabic
Evangelical and Baptist
churches, they all offer
services weekly partnering
with their respected
synods. However many
families drive 30 plus miles,
passing by these non-
sacramental churches, to
attend service on weekly
basis with us.
In the Texas district there
are other mission outreach
organizations under the
LCMS who are reaching
out to refugees. However
the Antiochian Apostolic
Church is the only mission-
church that offers Word
and Sacraments
according to our Lutheran
Theology in Arabic in the
synod.
* Thursday Sept 1, Associate
Press, Daily News.com
Upcoming Events
Ninth Annual Conference of the
Association for the Study of Middle
East and Africa, Washington D.C.
October 27-29
Arabic Worship Sundays at 9:30
Peace Lutheran Church Hurst, TX
Please join us as we pray for opportunities
to witness and worship.
“The disciples were called Christian first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26)
IN THE NEWS…
“The disciples were called Christian first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26)
WHERE TO FIND US…
YouTube:
frabjar72
Facebook:
Antiochian Apostolic Church
Website:
Fatherabjar.Org
Email:
Abjar_bahkou@baylor.edu
Many Thanks to our Ministry Partners
Peace Lutheran Church; Hurst, TX has provided a
home for us to worship and fellowship since 2010.
Grace Lutheran Church; Midland, TX
Peace Lutheran Church; Hewitt, TX
Saint Mark Lutheran Church; Waco, TX
Saint Paul Lutheran; Bellmead, TX
Christ Lutheran Church; Hillsboro, TX
Trinity at Badger Ranch; Woodway, TX
Trinity Lutheran Church; Riesel, TX
Immanuel Lutheran Church; Clifton, TX
Faith Lutheran Church; Troy, Michigan
Fr. Abjar Bahkou
Fr. Abjar Bahkou
6613 Tejas Drive
Waco, TX 76712
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