Partnership in Ministry: Why Working Together Matters
Ministry shouldn’t operate in a vacuum. Competition between churches and ministries is detrimental to the Kingdom. Unfortunately, in the church and in ministry today, protecting organizational assets and image can take precedence over promotion of the Gospel. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of focusing on our own impact and reputation to the detriment of the body of Messiah (Christ) at large.
We have never and will never operate that way as a ministry. Partnering with other like-minded ministries, messianic congregations, and churches is a part of our DNA. We know that when the body of Messiah works together, not only are we healthier, but the world sees a clearer reflection of Jesus.
What Does Partnership Look Like?
Partnership includes sharing ideas, resources, and people. It also includes financing projects that we know are impacting the world for the proclamation of the gospel to the Jewish community. We have partnered with many like-minded organizations throughout our decades in ministry...
Here in Atlanta with Friends of Israel Ministries to minister to the local Russian Jewish community.
With Rock of Israel Ministries to distribute literature and engage with Jewish people at art festivals around the country.
Two months ago we appealed for help as we are working together with Jews for Jesus Israel to open an office in Jerusalem for their staff. We will also work with them while we are in the land. We need your financial support for projects like these, and also invite you to join us for an Israel tour next year!
Last Month with the LCJE Network
We recently attended the North American conference of the Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism (LCJE). LCJE is a subgroup of the Lausanne Movement, a global missions network founded in 1974 by Billy Graham and other Christian leaders.
The Lausanne network connects leaders across regions, issues, and generations to collaboratively and prayerfully work toward the advancement of the gospel. We were with friends representing major seminaries, Bible colleges, missions organizations and messianic congregations discussing high level issues related to Jewish outreach.
At the conference we got to learn about what is happening in the realm of Jewish missions worldwide. Most importantly, we got to network and connect with fellow ministers and missionaries who are reaching out to the Jewish community. We had the privilege of engaging in shared ministry partnership in multiple ways over the course of the conference. If we look like we are thinking hard and having fun in the picture on this post...it’s because we are!
Here are just a few examples of partnership at work during the LCJE conference last month:
Sharing Ideas
Anna Beth gave a presentation to the conference attendees describing how her Hebrew classes have been making space for Christians to reach out to their Jewish friends. The testimonies are incredible! Several people approached her afterwards wanting to either take the class themselves, or to glean from her ideas and incorporate them in their own spheres of Jewish ministry.
She hopes to continue to use her classes for outreach, equipping the church, and partnering with other interested ministry leaders to help them do the same. You can learn more about “Hebrew 101” on our website. Classes this Fall are full, but stay tuned to our email updates for the next opportunity! If you don’t get our emails, you are missing out. Text your email address to 770-642-4706 and we will get you on the list!
Sharing People
At the conference, we had the privilege of representing our good friend Justin Kron and his award-winning documentary Hope in the Holy Land. Justin was not able to make it to LCJE, so we hosted a screening of the film and stood in for him during Q+A. It is an honor for us to serve a partner in ministry like Justin! We are huge fans of the film: a powerful, balanced, and nuanced portrayal of the conflict in the Middle East.
The film is a brilliant conversation starter to share God’s heart for Israel with Christians, and also to share the hope of Jesus with Jewish people! We highly encourage you to watch the film at hopeintheholyland.com. If you would like to host a screening and discussion of the film for your church, youth group, small group, or Sunday school class please let us know!
Sharing Resources
We sponsored a young woman called to minister to the Jewish people who had never been to LCJE before. She is planning on going on staff with another Jewish outreach organization. It was our ministry’s opportunity and joy to contribute to her growth. She was able to connect with leaders and innovators at the forefront of Jewish outreach. She writes:
I am so grateful that I got to be a part of LCJE. It was very impactful for both my growth in (Jewish) ministry as well as my own personal life. It is so important to laugh and celebrate ministry wins together, to share our common struggles, and to challenge one another, and we did a little bit of each at LCJE!
I was deeply encouraged to hear from Anna Beth on the gift of language and how it can be used to reach the unreached. To be taught by and share meals with those that have been doing ministry for decades was an incredible opportunity! As a young person just entering the field, it was invaluable to learn from their wisdom and experience. Thank you, Light of Messiah, for sponsoring me at LCJE!
Our Most Critical Partnership
Arguably our most important partnership is with the local church - with people like you! The majority of Jewish people we meet come to us through their Christian friends. This is one reason we spend so much time sharing our heart in churches: You are our “front line” ministers!
You are the one with a connection to your Jewish friends and coworkers. You are the one that God has placed in their lives, and you have an opportunity to reach them! We are here to help, support, and step in when you need it. Read on for two ways that you can partner with us this Fall...
Messianic Calendars
Our messianic calendars have arrived from Israel!! Every year we sell beautiful calendars designed by a messianic ministry in Israel. Connecting with Jewish organizations in Israel helps to support their financial needs.
We carry these calendars to help you keep track of the Jewish holidays, pray for the Jewish people, and learn about the Jewish roots of our faith in Jesus. If you desire to celebrate the Jewish holidays in your home, or want to pray for the Jewish people, this calendar is invaluable. They make beautiful gifts!
The theme of the calendars this year is Psalms. It features gorgeous illustrations from the Hebrew Psalms by an Israeli artist! Check out our online store to see photos. You can place an order on our website, or by filling out and returning the enclosed order form.
Shalom Baskets! Our Biggest Outreach
For more than 25 years, we have been building lovely, holiday-appropriate gift baskets for Christians to give to their Jewish friends at Rosh Hashanah and other Jewish festivals. We call them “Shalom Baskets” because they are a greeting: shalom means “hello”! Shalom also means “peace.” These baskets help create connections of shalom - peace - with our Jewish friends, and we pray they eventually lead to a relationship of shalom with God.
It is deeply meaningful when a non-Jewish person recognizes their Jewish friend’s holidays in a culturally relevant way. It makes the Jewish friend feel loved and appreciated that you care for them as a Jewish person. There is nothing evangelistic at all in the baskets. They are designed to strengthen the relationship.
Either you deliver the basket yourself, or we deliver it and have a chance to connect with your Jewish friend. This outreach has opened many doors for the gospel! By encouraging Christians to contextually love their Jewish friends, bridges are built, hearts are disarmed, and people are open to spiritual conversation. The Shalom Basket outreach has been replicated successfully in Argentina, France, Australia, and other countries around the world.
You can order a Shalom Basket on our website (lightofmessiah.org/shop), by calling our office, or by filling out and returning the enclosed order form to our PO Box. This year Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on September 6th. The deadline to order a basket is August 30th. If you have any questions about giving a basket to your Jewish friend, don’t hesitate to give us a call!
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6