Going Deep – with Discipleship Conferences

Some of the last words Yeshua (Jesus) left with His followers were “…go and make disciples…” The Great Commission, as it’s commonly called, is what drives Word of Messiah Ministries.

“And Yeshua (Jesus) came up to them, saying…’Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, immersing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you…”‘ (Matthew 28:18-20).

Evangelism is understood in the “go,” but the heart of the Great Commission is the making of disciples. And it is an ongoing task for disciples to keep on making disciples.

Several Conferences – One Purpose

We currently offer three conferences: a congregation development seminar called “Developing Healthy Messianic Congregations” for existing assemblies and established leaders, a “Boot Camp” for would-be planters, and Messianic Marriage Matters. All three are Bible-based and applicational because the Word of God is meant to be LIVED!

“If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them” (John 13:17).

Rooted and Committed

Sam Nadler states that “Healthy congregations are made up of healthy families.” Healthy families are “homegrown” when couples are individually and corporately rooted in God’s Word and committed to living out that truth. An oft-quoted verse in all the conferences is John 13:17. We aren’t called to fill our heads with information. We’re called to apply the Word of God.

Messianic Marriage Matters

The Messianic Marriage Matters ­– Restored to Our Original Design conference is not a romantic weekend. It’s better than that! It’s a Bible seminar on marriage. Homes are the crucible of disciple-making. In these two-day conferences, Sam unpacks God’s loving, careful, clear instructions regarding His design for the roles of husband and wife. Men and women alike are often stunned at how far culture has influenced our thinking away from God’s perfect design for marriage.

We invite couples who have been married for decades as well as newlyweds. We encourage engaged and even dating couples to attend together. We accommodate those who are single (and want to prepare themselves for marriage) by providing a men’s and a women’s mentor to meet with during the hourly discussion times. Individuals who are called on (whether formally or informally) to give marriage counsel also leave the seminar better equipped to share God’s foundational truth for marriage. Sam’s textbook, which bears the same name as the conference, contains much more information than he’s able to cover “in class.” It is an ongoing resource and reference for continued discipleship and growth.

Our next Messianic Marriage Matters conference will be held in person on February 7-8, 2026, at Hope of Israel Congregation in Charlotte, NC. We also have an online conference, tentatively planned for June 27-28, 2026. (A third option is our on-demand course.) Go to https://wordofmessiah.org/marriage-conferences/ for more information or to register.

Planting and nurturing Healthy Congregations

Leaders are disciples who model the congregation’s values. Both the Boot Camp and the congregation development conference use Sam’s expansive textbook, Developing Healthy Messianic Congregations. The Bible is packed with instruction regarding the spiritual and personal character qualities of leaders, and it provides abundant direction on carrying out leadership duties.

For potential Messianic congregation planters, the Boot Camp guides participants through Scripture, outlining the foundational steps and requirements for planting an assembly from the ground up, including the biblically mandated heart-qualifications. (Sam always encourages the men and women attending the leadership seminar to also attend the marriage conference, as spiritual unity in the home is the bedrock for ministry couples.) Our Boot Camp is available as on-demand modules. Learn more at https://wordofmessiah.org/conferences/.

Leaders of existing congregations attend our Developing Healthy Messianic Congregations conference because, having hearts of “lifelong learners,” they want to grow and also grow their congregations. When leadership teams attend these conferences together, the impact is multiplied as they learn to share the vision for implementing “the next step” for their group. For those attending these two-day leadership conferences, Sam generously offers his ongoing help as a mentor.

Pray, Share, and Participate

Do you know of someone who would benefit from one of our conferences? Or perhaps you (our Shmooze Letter readers!)  would like to attend one. Contact Julie at Conferences@wordofmessiah.org if you need more details or have a date in mind for Sam to minister to you and your group. Please pray for the Lord to direct Messianic leaders and couples to benefit from the practical teaching Sam Nadler offers through each of these conferences.

By Julie Scott, Word of Messiah Conference Coordinator