Report from the Rabbi
We have experienced a wonderful season at Beit Tikvah. Not only have we grown in numbers; not only have our finances been strong, but we have seen the grace of God on our congregation in tangible ways. Ever since we purchased our property in Newcastle two years ago, we have had a sense of forward motion and stability, “pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Messiah Yeshua.” We thank the LORD, for His mercies are new every morning.
I began teaching and preaching through the Book of Hebrews in November 2001. Though I have taught through many books in the past, I have enjoyed this series more than any other, probably because I have learned more and grown more myself during this time. This book was written specifically to messianic Jews, so for us, it is especially meaningful.
We have learned much about the Jewish roots of our faith regarding our great high priest, worship in and around the Tabernacle and the covenants of God. The Bible is one book, not two. During this time I have publicly, from the pulpit, torn out the page dividers in my Bible that said “Old Testament” and “New Testament.” It is God’s revelation to man. Let’s treat it as such. These messages can be found on our website, some of which are now available in mp3 format, downloadable from your computer. Simply go to http://www.beittikvah.us/tapes/tapes.aspx, and click on the speaker icons. We just finished up chapter 10, and going strong.
This has been a year of special guests for Beit Tikvah. In fact, it’s been pleasantly overwhelming. Wayne Hilsden, Senior Pastor of King of Kings Assembly in Jerusalem, joined us at the end of January. They recently purchased the largest movie theater near the Old City, and the Pavilion should be opening in the next few months. Carol Cantrell ministered to us in song the first week of May. She and her husband, Ron, were part of our congregation in the “old days” and currently live in Jerusalem. A few days later I got a phone call that Paul Wilbur was in town asking if I would like him to come to Beit Tikvah. So the following week we hosted Paul. It was great! Then a few weeks later David Dolan shared a commentator’s perspective on the Middle East conflict. On July 26 we had another surprise visit from the internationally-known author and speaker, Dr. Michael Brown. He shared how those who live godly lives will suffer persecution. Barry and Batya Segal were with us August 8-9. We not only loved their music, but they shared about their ministry to terror victims in Israel. At the end of August we co-hosted Steve McConnel in Tacoma. Steve’s music has impacted the messianic music for years. And finally, as the LORD leads, Ted Pearce will be with us November 21-22. His recent CD, Zealous Over Zion, is excellent.
Life continues to be rich and full, challenging and rewarding. Rita and I just celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary, our kids are all following the LORD, and our wonderful congregation continues to grow in grace. We are truly blessed. Check out the calendar enclosed and come and visit for the holidays.
Sincerely, and
In the mighty name of Yeshua,
Hylan Slobodkin
Messianic Rabbi
Men’s Ministry Report
“Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it” (Psalm 37:5) was our theme for our Men’s Retreat back in March. It was a great retreat. Thirty-eight men came to fellowship and were blessed with a great speaker as Amnon Shorr dealt with the theme of God’s will in our lives. We had no idea how this retreat would change lives as we yielded our will to His. It helped us take a closer look at relationships among men in our congregation and how often we fellowship and pray together. There was a desire for more fellowship, to go deeper, have retreats more often, focus on God’s will in our lives and challenge one another.
The retreat committee, a few servants willing to serve and organize our annual event, returned home to reflect and analyze the results and “close shop” until next year’s retreat. Well, the LORD had other plans. As we sat around and discussed the retreat, Hylan suggested we form a committee to start a ministry, a Men’s Ministry; not just to organize retreats, but to develop a formal Men’s Ministry at Beit Tikvah. We already had a group of men committed to serve. This was exciting! God continued to move. We prayed and came to the conclusion that this retreat committee would become our Men’s Ministry Committee. Our men needed more than an annual retreat, but a well-established Men’s Ministry to challenge them and meet their needs.
We started to brainstorm and began reading a book together. It was an exciting step and something Hylan and the other men had on their hearts for some time. We want this ministry to be centered on God’s will to address men’s needs with a focus on leadership, discipleship, family, fellowship, and growth. We are currently listening to the voice of God as He leads us to lay down a foundation. This summer the committee has been meeting, praying, studying, surveying, and preparing the ground for a fall kick-off. We do not want this ministry to be a social club, but to address the needs and areas of growth in our men, to be in synch with our mission and vision at Beit Tikvah. A solid ministry takes time to build.
We are asking you to partnership with us in prayer for this ministry, for the committee and primarily to be centered in God’s will for all our men. You will be hearing more about our new Men’s Ministry this fall.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
Blessings,
Gabriel Varela
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