A Messianic Tree Grows in Brooklyn
By Tim James
We want to see more healthy Messianic congregations established and developed around the globe. This is the heartbeat of Word of Messiah. More healthy Messianic congregations equates to more long-term effective outreach to the Jewish community surrounding that congregation. This, in turn, allows for a renewal and revival among God’s chosen people. We know biblically that a revival will unleash the King’s return (Zech. 12:10, 14:4). We can’t wait! But how do we hasten that day? How do we encourage more outreach? How can men be empowered to step up in leadership to lead their own hearts, homes, and congregations? How can we help in passing the baton from generation to generation (m’dor l’dor)?
Word of Messiah has been diligent to ensure that these questions do not remain unanswered. In fact, we address these and many more at our regional “Developing Healthy Messianic Congregations” conferences. Over these 2-day conferences, through 15 hours of teaching and breakout sessions focusing on the DNA of a healthy Messianic congregation, interspersed with times of worship and shmoozing over meals, we ache to make sure that each participant leaves the conference equipped for the next step. It wasn’t any different in Brooklyn this past September.
But why would we schedule our Northeast regional conference on 9/11 weekend, 15 years after the fact, and to be held in NYC, nonetheless? Because we believe that God alone is able to bring healing, restoration, and redemption to a lost humanity. Only He can bring light out of darkness, life even from the dead. How? With more people reaching out with the Good News of God’s unchanging love for this world. Our heart’s desire is to see many more Jews and Gentiles come to faith in the Messiah of Israel. And for them to find a place where they can grow and mature as disciples, equipped for every good work. God calls us to unity in the midst of our diversity. We believe the Messianic congregation is the most strategic platform to encourage this unique unity in the Body of Messiah.
Today there is a tremendous need for more sound Messianic congregations in Brooklyn, a community saturated with Jewish people. As our conference took place in the heart of the Orthodox Jewish community, I couldn’t help but pray that this neighborhood would turn to Messiah as their Sar Shalom (Prince of Peace), who alone can bring shalom shalom (perfect peace) in the midst of their lives (Is. 9:6; Is. 26:3). In order to help further this goal, Chosen People Ministries (CPM) graciously opened the Charles Feinberg Center to us for the weekend.
Joseph Ryan, on staff with CPM, stated that the conference was “very helpful.” He expressed that, “It gave me a vision for what could be; a very structured pathway to making members and making disciples”. In fact, Joseph followed up with Word of Messiah after the conference for further support in establishing a discipleship and membership system within the congregation in which he serves, Beth Sar Shalom in Brooklyn NY. He is currently utilizing Sam’s discipleship material (Messianic Discipleship), providing one-on-one discipleship with a man he meets with on a regular basis. Way to go, Joseph! Bring the Word to the whomsoever!
Reb Benzi, elder at Kehilath HaDerekh Messianic Jewish Synagogue, says, “Sam Nadler’s Leadership Conference was helpful for me, and also to the leaders I brought with me, in many areas. I will recommend Sam Nadler’s Leadership Conferences to any current or prospective leaders of Messianic ministries. Additionally, the next time it comes to NYC, I would invite people in Junior leadership as well, such as worship leader, oneg coordinator, and other ministry heads.”
Want to be a part of what God is doing here at Word of Messiah? Join us at our next “Developing Healthy Messianic Congregations” conference. We’re hoping to come to your area in 2017. The places on our radar so far are Florida, the Mid-west, and the West Coast. Spread the word so that more Messianic congregations may be established and more Jewish people may be effectively reached with the Good News of Yeshua. We’re all in this together. Are you in?
