June 2026 Newsletter

The Chosen People Newsletter

“This is what gets your Christian friend so excited about Passover.” That refrain echoed throughout the evening at the Interfaith Passover Seder held at the swanky Union League Club in Midtown Manhattan. At first glance, it may not seem like a particularly profound statement, but its significance became increasingly clear.

On Tuesday evening, April 7, approximately 120 people gathered for the Interfaith Passover Seder. Of those in attendance, 25 percent—thirty people!—were not-yet-believing Jewish guests, an encouraging percentage. Their presence testified to the faithfulness and courage of their Christian friends, who were willing to risk discomfort and vulnerability to invite them. In many ways, those friends were the ones who made the evening what it was.

One of our staff members sat beside two middle-aged Jewish men who had been invited by their believing girlfriends. The evening led to warm and engaging conversation, and both men expressed interest in attending the next Shabbat dinner on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The interfaith approach proved remarkably effective.

The evening followed the outline of a traditional Passover Seder and explained the meaning of Passover from a traditional Jewish perspective. The Torah and rabbinic interpretations were quoted throughout the service, much like any customary Passover celebration.

Yet, after establishing that traditional framework, the presentation turned to the fulfillment of Passover in the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah. Strong connections were drawn between the Seder and the Lord’s Supper, between the Passover Lamb and Jesus’s sacrificial death for sin, and between Israel’s redemption from Egyptian bondage and the redemption believers experience from the bondage of sin and death through Messiah.

All of this was presented through the lens of a shared history, shared values, and shared redemptive themes. In that sense, the evening became a genuine interfaith celebration of Jewish and Christian unity. For many of the Jewish attendees, however, it was the first time they had encountered such explicit connections between Passover and the Messianic events of the New Testament. That is what gets “our Messianic/Christian friends so excited about Passover.” Please continue to pray for the follow-up and spiritual journey of these thirty precious Jewish souls.

It is a blessing to see increasing openness to spiritual conversations amongst people in Tel Aviv, where our ministry center is located. One of our staff members continually encounters opportunities to share about Jesus, and people are asking thoughtful and sincere questions.

Please pray for Dahlia,* an Israeli woman with whom one of the staff members has been sharing about Jesus. She has been asking more and more questions, and recently said, “It is hard to sleep as I keep thinking about questions of who God is and how I can know Him.” They are reading the Gospel of Matthew together. Dahlia feels drawn to Jesus but remains hesitant because of cultural barriers and misconceptions. Yet she continues to meet to read the Bible and discuss its meaning. Please pray that she will discover the truth of Jesus in the Scriptures.

Our team in Israel is also preparing several new topics for seeker Bible studies and looks forward to hosting seeker-friendly dinners on these themes in the fall. These seeker dinners have proven to be an excellent way to foster deeper conversations within a smaller group setting. Strong friendships are forming alongside an openness to spiritual dialogue. Please pray for the preparation involved and for those who will participate in these upcoming events.

Recently, teddy bears were delivered to children in southern Israel who have been suffering from trauma. This outreach became possible as missile attacks from Iran lessened and families slowly began returning to daily life after spending countless hours in bomb shelters.

Through this effort, our team and their friends were able to share God’s love with many families and even had several opportunities to share the gospel. Many were deeply touched to learn that American Christians had sent the teddy bears as an expression of care and compassion.

Please pray for the many children and families who received a bear and tangibly experienced God’s love through this act of kindness. Above all, pray that they would place their faith in Jesus, the One who offers true hope, comfort, and peace. Praise God, there has also been an increasing number of reports that more Israelis are coming to faith amid the ongoing wartime reality that has overshadowed Israel during the past several years.