Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Yeshua! We trust that you are enjoying the warmth and sunshine of His love during these summer months. We here at Shalom Ministry have been extremely busy in the mission field and are experiencing great growth and fulfillment of the promise.
Since our last letter, Donna and I have had the honor and privilege of attending a Messianic conference in Phoenix, where I was elected Midwest Regional Director with the responsibility of planting Messianic congregations and training missionaries for Jewish evangelism in the region, including Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. We’re excited that you, as our partners, will be able to impact Jewish people throughout the Midwest and watch new ministries grow.
John and Donna at the Grand Canyon
In May we completed our first year of teaching at the Hebrew Messianic Christian Institute and are looking forward to new student enrollment in the fall. We also have partnered with Israel College of the Bible, a Messianic college in Israel that we are supporting and interacting with. They are training missionaries in Israel to carry out the Gospel and reach many in the Holy Land. Our ministry is also reaching Jews in Ethiopia through another partner ministry. It is our sincere hope that in 2012 we can go to Ethiopia ourselves and be part of a campaign to reach these precious souls for the Lord.
Locally, we’re working with Westside Christian Academy to put together a Jewish studies program, which will be a first in the Metro Detroit area. Additionally, we are adding to our staff, and you will be hearing more about that in a separate letter. We are constantly interacting with Jewish people at every level. We will be meeting with administrators at our local Jewish Community Center in hopes of holding a “Stand with Israel” rally at the center in the months ahead. Our board is developing new workshops, seminars, CDs and DVDs, as well as YouTube presentations. And of course, old-fashioned, door-to-door evangelism is very much a part of our day-to-day operations.
Following is some feedback from Peggy W., an attendee at our recent, successful seminar, “For Women Only”: Pastor Denson challenged us women to seek out God’s will for our relationships through His Word. When we follow His pattern and order in this, we will discover true peace and joy in our lives and the desires of our hearts will be satisfied.
In our last letter, we told you about planning a dinner for Messianic Jews. It is still very much on our radar for early spring 2012.
With all of these extraordinary activities going on, we very much need your prayers and financial support. Fund raising is a component of our ministry for which we would welcome your prayers, ideas and assistance. Our annual banquet will be October 27, and our goal is to raise a minimum of $25,000. Our speaker for the evening is the dynamic Jhan Moskowitz, North American Director of Jews for Jesus. We really need you to help us fill tables!
We are also assembling a task force to generate revenue so the work can be accomplished. Our donor base must expand as the ministry grows. Again, we are urging you to talk to your Christian friends, pastors and leaders, and share with them why they should be involved with this Gospel outreach to the Jewish community. We also encourage you to visit our website, www.ShalomMinistry.com, and click on “Why Support Shalom Ministry.”
Please continue to pray for health and strength for Donna and me and our staff. Also please continue to pray for salvation of our Jewish friends: Coby, Mr. Borenstein, Mrs. Goldstein, Barry, Paula (a Holocaust survivor), Gary and Paula, Moe and Diana, Mrs. Cohen, Michelle, Alana, Liz and Stella, Rebecca and Ross, Jonathan, Liz and Brian, and Bella. Please join us in fervent prayer for the Holy Spirit’s intervention in their lives and that they will receive Messiah as Savior and Lord. Finally, please pray especially for Donna’s mother, Ann Saunders.
A special thank-you to the saints at Burton Baptist Church in Snowflake, Arizona, for their gracious hospitality and great response to our message.
Finally, please come visit us any Shabbat at Congregation Shema Yisrael, meeting on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. at Bloomfield Hills Baptist Church, 3600 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Donna and I would love to meet and fellowship with you personally.
Until the nets are full,
John and Donna
Shalom Ministry 