A Day in the Life
Depending on where you are in the world, the day dawns on Life in Messiah at different times. Different time zones, different places, different communities, call for different ministry styles.
Pacific Northwest – 10:00 AM
It’s a beautiful morning for outreach in the park. *Mike is thinking about the Jewish man he’s meeting this afternoon at a coffee shop. The man has been asking searching questions about the Messiah and Mike has been doing his best to answer them.
Looking up, he spots an elderly woman he’s met several times at the park. She’s sitting in her usual spot, enjoying the chilly morning just like him. After they exchange greetings she invites him to join her on the bench.
At first they talk about their families, but their conversation gradually turns to spiritual matters, following the pattern of previous interactions. Sensing the woman’s growing curiosity, Mike invites her to attend church with him and his wife. Although she declines, their conversation ends on a friendly note. Mike feels encouraged as he drives to the coffee shop to meet his Jewish friend.
Patagonia – 11:00 AM
In the shadow of the Andes sits a hostel for backpackers, run by *Rosie and *Alex. Rosie is on her way to meet with the volunteers who will be preparing dinner for the guests when she spots *Tamar, one of the backpackers currently staying at the hostel. Rosie can tell she wants to talk.
Tamar is like many of the hostel’s guests: a young Israeli traveling the world after completing her military service. Somewhere in the mountains, Alex is leading a small group of other guests – many of them also Israelis – on a rock-climbing expedition. Apparently Tamar decided not to go today.
It soon becomes clear why. She says she’s been reading through the Hebrew New Testament Alex gave her and she wants Rosie to explain to her more about the gospel. Rosie sits down with Tamar to talk. The volunteers can wait!
Chicago – 12:00 PM
It’s about time for lunch, but Rachel is enjoying her walk with *Lina. Rachel, a Moody Bible Institute graduate, adjusting her pace for Lina, an elderly Russian Jewish woman strolling along with the aid of her walker.
The two have known each other for a few years, ever since Rachel took part in an ESL ministry in the building where Lina lives. Despite the disparities in age and background, Rachel and Lina always enjoy talking about life on their regular walks.
Raised behind the iron curtain, Lina isn’t religious, but she is intrigued by the faith of a young person like Rachel. Sometimes she asks questions about what Rachel believes – why she spent four years earning a Bible degree, and why she loves the Jewish people.
Rachel hopes and prays that Lina will one day respond to the gospel she has heard so many times.
South Florida – 1:00 PM
After spending the morning designing a new page for the Life in Messiah website, posting the latest TŌV Podcast episode online, coordinating with the digital team to edit a new YouTube video for the channel, and interacting with a Jewish seeker through In Search of Shalom’s anonymous chat box, *Daniel is ready for a lunch break.
As they eat together, Daniel and *Kathryn discuss their evening plans. Over the past few months they’ve been building relationships with an Israeli family whom Kathryn and the kids met at a community gathering.
Having lived several years in Israel themselves, Daniel and Kathryn have loved this opportunity to connect with Israelis in Florida. They’re hopeful that tonight they will have an opportunity to discuss the gospel with their new Israeli friends.
France – 7:00 PM
It’s evening in Paris. *Nathan is back from visiting different Jewish neighborhoods with his colleague. Each week the two of them go to a handful of neighborhoods to engage with Jewish people. They break the ice in different ways. Sometimes they hand out copies of La Parasha de Joël, Nathan’s cartoons that explain the weekly Torah reading and how each passage points to the Messiah.
Other times they set up in a busy square with a chalkboard posing the question, “Who can bring peace into the world?” Passersby come up to post their own answer to the question, and this often leads to good spiritual discussions.
Sometimes the conversation Nathan engages in with Jewish strangers is less about spiritual matters and more about the alarming increase of antisemitism in their city.
Israel – 8:00 PM
An evening Bible study is underway in an Israeli rehab center. Dov leads a group of men – many in various stages of withdrawal – through the Hebrew passages. A few of the men who have found victory over their addictions dig into the Word with relish. Others are also familiar faces; men who go back and forth between the center and the streets, never seeming to make progress. But Dov has seen again and again how God's Word can change lives.
In a different part of the building, Olga is praying with a young mother and her baby. The young woman’s story is sad but familiar: she’s slipped through the cracks of society and has been exploited by human traffickers. She’s come to the shelter in a desperate bid for help; social services have threatened to take away her baby unless she turns her life around. Dov and Olga are eager to provide this young mother with training and resources to improve her situation – and to meet Yeshua (Jesus), who can change her life.
These are just a few peeks at how Life in Messiah staff creatively engage with the Jewish people around the world. Whether through hospitality, graphic design, evangelism, rock climbing, addiction centers, or other interests, we all have gifts that God can use to reach unbelievers with the gospel. How has He gifted you?
*In order to protect our staff and those with whom we are working, we often alter names in our publications.
Written by Miriam, Life in Messiah Communications Assistant
What are you passionate about? How can you use this passion to reach the world and Jewish people?
Has God placed the Jewish people on your heart? Visit our website to see how you can get involved!