Dear Friend,
We deeply appreciate your prayers and support towards Chosen People Ministries (UK). In this summer appeal letter I want to update you on the work in the UK, the new Messianic centre in Greater Tel Aviv and how the gospel is reaching young Israelis!
REACHING JEWISH PEOPLE IN THE UK
Owing to your support, our missionary staff in the UK continue to do outreach in the London and Manchester areas and in Europe! Fiona has been ministering to Jewish people in Riga, Latvia. She will be going out again to head up the training for a summer outreach—then will join the teams out there taking with her our UK based volunteer missionary. Fiona also reports back that she has been having wonderful conversations with Jewish people in Golders Green and is grateful to the Lord to have spoken about faith in Messiah recently with a young Israeli.
We have also been training a UK volunteer missionary and she been witnessing daily about her faith in Jesus and is developing relationships in the Jewish community.
Simon recently spent six hours with a Jewish man studying the Scriptures. As they shifted back and forth between Deuteronomy, Isaiah, the Psalms and many other Messianic texts, the time flew past. They were both so absorbed in the study and the discussion that it reminded Simon of doing a jigsaw puzzle with a friend more than a theological debate with a Rabbi! This did not happen out of the blue. It has taken many meetings to build the required trust, respect and honesty, would you please pray that he would experience increased spiritual openness to the identity of his Messiah. Another relationship is growing with a Jewish woman Simon first met going door to door. As time has passed, she has begun to let him into her life and this time the key seems to be a shared sense of humour. This lady does not often read the Scriptures and doesn’t go to Synagogue regularly. In fact, she prefers to combine her prayers with her morning power walks. Recently she ‘confessed’ that she loves Pentecostal Gospel singing. We pray that the Holy Spirit will peak her curiosity and that we will be able to introduce her to her very Jewish Messiah!
MESSIANIC CENTRE – TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
We are currently working on two tracks for the building in Tel Aviv. First, we are now in the fifth month of raising funds for this new facility, which is home to approximately four million Israelis! Second, we have started construction on the build-out of this commercial space in a brand-new building. We have to add walls, floors, heating and air conditioning, and bathrooms etc. This new space will house our Bible studies, weekly outreach events, a café, concerts, future congregational activities, and so much more. We could not be more excited about the future as openness to the gospel, especially among younger Israelis, is moving like an unstoppable wave across the country. We are doing all we can to make our Messiah known and discipling those who come to faith..
Please pray and join us in building a future for the Messianic movement in Israel through your generous support.
REACHING YOUNG ISRAELIS
Over the past few years, we have seen the common cultural practice among Israelis of traveling the world after serving in the Israeli military. Thousands of young people explore other countries and cultures, because of generous donors such as yourselves, we managed to establish youth hostels and teams of staff and volunteers to meet these wonderful young people.
We show them the love of Jesus the Messiah through hospitality and by creating a home away from home during their travels. We are now meeting thousands of young Israelis outside of Israel and proclaiming the good news to them as they tour. Once back in Israel, we invite them to meet others with similar experiences and spend an evening or attend a reunion event at our current rented centre in the greater Tel Aviv area.
We serve this wandering Israeli population in New Zealand, Japan, parts of Asia, Australia, and the United States. We provide a place for them to stay or connect with Jewish believers in Jesus and Christians who love the Jewish people and invite them into their homes. Our global hosts serve Israelis who come from all kinds of religious backgrounds with various views about God. Many Israelis grow up secular—not consistently going to synagogue or practicing Judaism but still valuing Jewish identity. One man said, “I grew up secular, but I was always interested in what it meant to be Jewish.”
As you would imagine, while we extend this level of kindness, the younger Israelis want to learn more about our motivation. In a world so filled with anti-Israel (and often anti-Semitic) activities, we stand out to them because of our love, and they want to know why we care. We tell them about our belief in what the Bible teaches about God’s love for Israel and the Jewish people and, most of all, the love God offers through His Messiah—Jesus!
One Israeli man who travelled in Bolivia was staying at the home of a volunteer Christian couple. He describes how his Christian hosts showed him love. He admitted, “God is about love. I wondered, ‘Why did they care for us like that?’ I could see they had an unusual grace.”
Hosting traveling Israelis has proved a fruitful ministry for several years—and shows no signs of slowing down! On the contrary, we plan to continue expanding this hospitality network to other places. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful vision if the Lord wants to extend this to the UK?
Something you can partner with us in.
As a loyal Chosen People Ministries supporter your support and prayers are helping to change the lives of so many Jewish people. We are all aware that it’s all by God’s grace!
By giving a gift today of either £5, £25 or £50 we will send you a copy of The Ezra Foundation’s book, ‘Why Israel? Understanding God’s Plan for Israel and the Nations’.
Why Israel? is the first book by the Ezra Foundation, in a series that explores the topic of Israel through the lens of scripture, bringing clarity to a controversial topic. Has the Church replaced Israel in the plan of God? Does ethnic Israel still have a future? What about Israel today? These questions and more will be answered by providing readers with an outline of a biblical theology of Israel.
We also hope you will pray about supporting Chosen People Ministries—your mission to the Jewish people—on a monthly basis as well. Contact our office on 0208 455 7911 or click to view—www.chosenpeople.org.uk/givingdirect.
Thank you so much for your love, prayers, and support.
Blessings in our beloved Yeshua,
Mitch
