The Rev. Michael D. Gutzler Pastor Michael D. Gutzler was educated in Berkeley CA at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. After completing his Master of Divinity in 2005 he went on to complete a Master of Arts degree from the Graduate Theological Union also in Berkeley CA. His thesis looked at the earliest evidence of Lutheran-Muslim interaction in North America.   Originally from Harvard MA, Pastor Gutzler and his wife Emma currently reside the Abington area. When not performing pastoral duties, Pastor Gutzler teaches at Penn State: Abington where he is a member of the Religious Studies Department and teaches classes on the world religions, Islam, Islamic cultures and Christianity.   “I find the Lutheran witness of a gracious God to be the most powerful voice of hope in people’s lives. To know that God comes to you first, with unconditional love, empowers believers to look at the world through a different set of lens. A worldview set on sharing the gift of Love as God has first loved us. The final importance of this love is the realization that we are individually called by God to respond to that love. The fun part is figuring that out. My job as pastor is to help others hear that calling and give them the opportunities to respond accordingly.”	Publications Books Gutzler, Michael D. Lutheran Salzburgers and Muslim African Moors. Berkeley: Three Trees Press. 2006. Articles Gutzler, Michael D. , Moses Penumaka, and Daren Erisman. "Pastor, are You a Religious Illiterate?" Dialog: A Journal of Theology Winter 2007 - Vol. 46 Issue 4 Gutzler, Michael D. “Lutheran Salzburgers and Islam” Essays and Reports 22 (2006). Gutzler, Michael D. “Looking Back Before Looking Ahead: Preparing for the Future of Lutheran-Muslim Relations in America.” Christus Lux Advent (2006). Reviews No god, but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam. by: Reza Aslan (Random House, 2005) Organizations of Affiliation   American Academy of Religion Lutheran Historical Conference Penn State University Abington Campus CoachNet Ministries Churches for Middle East Peace Abington Community Taskforce (ACT)
Serge El Helou Our Music Director	Music Director's Biography Born in Beirut - Lebanon, Serge El Helou has begun to study music at the age of 6. At the age of 12, he became member of the "Association of the Scouts of the Lebanon". Since this age Serge animated masses and evenings of prayers on his guitar. At 16, he became the organist of the Latin Catholic Church "Terra Santa" in Beirut. To deepen his knowledge in music, he studied musicology at the "Faculty of the Music faculty of Kaslik" in Lebanon. He also worked as the Music Director of Saint Joseph Church in Beirut.  While teaching music education at "Sagesse School", he discovered the therapeutic dimensions of the music, what encouraged him to study "Music Therapy" in Paris. During his 4 years of studies in France, he has also worked as the Music Director and pianist at the "Le Refuge Evangelical Church". In March 2008, the "Living Word Lutheran Church" offered Serge El Helou the opportunity to be their Music Director, to go forth and share Christ with Community together.