Mideast Dinner Held First Presbyterian held its annual Middle Eastern Dinner on Friday, March 22.


Tis major all-church event drew a capacity crowd of members and friends to enjoy fellowship and sample a wide variety of delicious, homemade Middle Eastern salads, entrees, side dishes, delicacies, and desserts. A before-dinner program included photos of the region that many members of our congregation hail from, along with an appeal for donations to support relief efforts in the Middle East.


Te dinner has traditionally been offered as a gift from the Arabic community. Last year, donations were encouraged to support relief efforts by the Presbyterian Synod of Syria and Lebanon.


Commissioned lay pastor for Arabic ministry Moufid Khoury noted that this year’s contributions would be channeled to schools in the area that strive to educate children who have missed entire years of learning due to violence and displacement.


He said that United Nation schools accept students who are the usual age for their grade. Many children whose education has been disrupted become too old for their grade and are unable to find places in classrooms. Presbyterian relief efforts support schools that accept children of varying ages for a given level of learning, allowing the possibility of making up lost schooling.


While the Middle Eastern Dinner triggers an influx of funds, relief efforts are ongoing. If you’d like to contribute, make a gift to First Presbyterian Church of Allentown designated for “Refugee relief in Lebanon”.


Youth Create and Stage Original Play


Back in September and October, FPCA youth discussed doing a play on a biblical theme. By the time they approached director of family ministries Kathy Schmied in early December about producing it, 10th grader Haley Bowman had scripted a short drama.


On the afternoon of Sunday, April 14, Bowman and seven other FPCA sixth through 10th graders staged the play, titled Luke 6:27, in Fellowship Hall. It’s the first time anyone can remember


FPCA youth initiating and executing such a project all on their own. Te half- hour play was staged as Bowman wrote it. She also directed.


Te title verse quotes Jesus and is read by characters in an opening Sunday- school scene. It reads, “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you…” Te drama focuses on a boy who—inspired by the verse—befriends a girl who other students dislike for being a bully,


overcoming resistance from the bully and ridicule from the other students. He eventually causes the snubbed bully to experience a change of heart and brings her to Sunday school, where he orchestrates a reconciliation between the students.


Audience members brought food bank contributions as the price of admission and enjoyed an after-curtain ice cream social that Suzanne Toto organized. Nick Toto provided technical support.


Youth performers in a scene before an appreciative audience of more than 40 FPCA members and friends.


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