(1) the pastoral team has had "road to Damascus" experiences regarding Messianic Judaism;
(2) there is a noticeable Messianic Jewish and Messianic Non-Jewish presence in the congregation;
(3) the church actively promotes Messianic teachings and hosts Messianic events;
(4) the church takes a strong pro-Israel stance;
(5) the pastoral staff is directly involved with independent Messianic ministries.
One should be so lucky to find such a proto-Messianic congregation as that.
...and that's precisely the situation in which I find myself.
Except it's actually a little better than that.
The teacher of the hermeneutics class not only knows about our Messianic background but he's happy about it, says it'll bring a fresh perspective to the class. He even invited me to share some research with the upcoming class!
"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged," (Deuteronomy 31:8)
That's exciting... it takes a secure (healthy) leader to allow that their classes.
ReplyDeletePeter, awesome. An opportunity from the Lord.
ReplyDeletePeter, our congregation meet these criteria. Among other things, I and about 4/5 of our Council are strongly messianic. About 1/3 of our congregation is too. We regularly host the Feasts, and Hebrew terms and concepts appear regularly in our services. We also apply Halakha in practical ways through our Beit Din.
ReplyDeleteMy question is, what would you suggest as the next steps? Where would you take us if you were the rabbi?
Cajun,
DeleteIf I were rabbi of your congregation my first official act as rabbi would be to appoint you as the rabbi. : )
I mean that. But we can talk sometime if you'd like. Do you have my cell number? We should talk sometime. I really wish I could visit your congregation to learn from you all.
Blessings in Yeshua,
Peter
I would enjoy a conversation with you. I'll email you my number. I hope I'm not coming across as "We've accomplished a lot..." We've come a long way by the grace and empowerment of the Spirit, but we still have a long ways to go. I would just be interested in the perspective of a well-informed member of the Messianic community as to where we should go next. We have a vision and goals, but it's always useful to see things from someone else's point of view. "In the multitude of counselors lies safety". As a Messianic, what would be on your congregational wish list that we've not done yet?
ReplyDeleteRE: "As a Messianic, what would be on your congregational wish list that we've not done yet?"
DeleteI need to read an article Dan just recommended because I think it might answer a question I have.... well, maybe it's several questions.
(1) when and how does a proto-Messianic congregation (e.g. a pro-Judaic Christian church) transition to a fully Messianic congregation?
(2) how can Christians, proto-Messianic Christians, Messianics, and Messianic Jews all get along within the same congregation? Is that even possible? They are one family yet operating under very different religious systems...
I want to understand this...
But please tell me your vision for your congregation. Perhaps you already have a solution?