THE JERUSALEM POST Christian Edition publication: "Grab your pardner" - Ariel joins hands with Evangelicals.

One night a month, members of a church high in the Rocky Mountains gather to pray for Israel, and specifically for the distant Israeli town of Ariel. “We pray for their financial needs, we pray for the kids, for the teenagers, for blessing in general. And we pray for God to give wisdom to [Mayor] Ron Nachman,” says Cheryl Morrison, copastor with her husband George at Faith Bible Chapel in Arvada, Colorado. Faith Bible Chapel’s close connection with Ariel is typical of a number of churches and Christian ministries that have formed a special bond with the strategically located Jewish town.

Shortly after Passover 17 teen-aged singers and dancers from Ariel and their chaperones set off on a four-stop tour of the United States. The first stop was South Florida where Ariel's youth entertainers, "For Zion's Sake", were the guests of Calvary Chapel - Ft. Lauderdale. Pastor Kelly and Jan Lyon and Karen Dillon arranged home hospitality for them in the community and prepared a performance schedule within Calvary's churches and schools.

In addition to these special events, "For Zion's Sake" also performed for Temple Bat-Yam in Fort Lauderdale, where they were warmly welcomed by Rabbi Lew Littman, Cantor Wendy Autenreich and American Friends of Ariel Board Member Richard Finkelstein. Richard also arranged for them to perform at the Daniel Cantor Senior Center where their performance met with cheers of appreciation and joy.

On May 10th, the Ariel Development Fund, in conjunction with the city's Education Department, held its annual combined Teachers' Award Program and Student Scholarship Ceremony. The college students who received scholarships not only met the general criteria of the Ariel Development Fund but also participated in a "Give Back to Your Community" program by giving a predetermined number of volunteer hours to either the Education or Social Welfare Department of Ariel.