SPRING (AND OTHER) THINGS

During the week of Passover, in conjunction with the synagogue, we led a Passover seder (ceremonial meal) as part of an outreach into the greater Tampa Bay area community. Passover is a wonderful time and way to help Christians realize the many connections between key events and passages of the Newer Testament. It is also a perfect framework for helping Jewish people appreciate the centrality of Yeshua to Jewish faith. Over 50 people from the community attended. Some of the comments included:

This was truly eye opening! I hadn’t seen those important connections before.

The Passover really deepened my relationship with Jesus. Thank you very much.

Then, several weeks ago in conjunction with the seminary and synagogue, we put on a seminar for the greater Tampa Bay area community. We called it "Will the Real Yeshua Please Stand Up?" or "Do We Really Understand What Yeshua Came To Do?” In our publicity we described the seminar in this way:

“Misconceptions abound concerning Yeshua, his mission and his teachings. Misunderstanding what a person says and does causes misunderstanding of the person himself, and since that person is Yeshua, it further causes centuries of misinformed and flawed teachings and doctrinal positions. “

But does it matter? It does. Misinformed and faulty teaching causes real-life implications and consequences which affect ourselves and others. It's imperative that anyone of Christian or Jewish faith knows what they're looking at in the Scriptures and what's at stake if it's not examined and applied correctly. “

This seminar aims to address these misconceptions by closely examining the texts and bridging the gaps of time, culture and geography so that the real Yeshua of history can be clearly heard and understood.”

More than 50 people attended the seminar and interacted with us during and after the sessions. We got lots of positive feedback and many requests to do other similar seminars. Numerous people made remarks such as:

I never saw that before!

That really changes how we should think about those passages.

And here’s some great news for you! The seminar sessions were video recorded and can be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/album/3303855

The Seminary and Yeshiva semester ended a couple of weeks ago. It was an enjoyable and encouraging time for us all. At the end of the semester we received the following note from one our students, who happens to pastor a sizable church in our community.

Praise God! Words themselves are not adequate to fully say and express how much you have meant to me in these recent years! I am so thankful to God for allowing you to be in my life!! I deeply love and respect you. Your friend and colleague…

Friends, you have been an important part of this through all these years! Thank you so very much.

Thank you, too, for being part of training leaders who will impact the lives of many others across the country and around the globe. (Remember, most of the Seminary and Yeshiva courses are available as distance courses for any of you who either simply want to learn more or who wish to earn a degree. These include courses such as: The Torah, The Jewish Roots and Foundations of Scripture, The Gospels in their Jewish Context, and The Epistles from a Jewish Perspective, etc.)

Your involvement and investment make a significant impact on many people’s lives around the world.

We want to thank you because by partnering with us you help make this ministry possible. Without your faithful financial and prayer support, the events we share with you could not take place.

Most warmly in our Messiah,

John and Patrice

TAKE NOTE! The preparations for our next trip to Israel are actively underway, and we’re in regular conversation with our key people in Jerusalem. We’re planning the trip for the middle couple of weeks in June 2016. So, start planning now to join us in Israel in June 2016!