ISRAEL MINISTRY
DIGITAL EVANGELISM
Imagine what might have happened if the Internet
had been available during the first century—how
many people would have been instantly told the
good news of Jesus the Messiah? Now that the tools
are available, Chosen People Ministries is making the
most of this invaluable gospel resource. In the last
five years, our digital evangelism has taken off. We
are reaching countless Jewish people through online
streams, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and
the I Found Shalom video testimony series, which
now numbers more than one hundred testimonies!
More recently, we have developed Follow Messiah, a
video discipleship series based on the Sermon on the
Mount. It is the first video discipleship series created
specifically for Jewish seekers and new Jewish believers
in Messiah.
Successful digital evangelism is the joint effort of
many talented individuals. For example, our Facebook
campaign allows Jewish seekers to request a free copy
of Isaiah 53 Explained. This requires an ad to be created,
the Facebook post to be placed and scheduled, and
the process to fulfill requests for the book. Chosen
People Ministries has graphic designers, social media
specialists, and others who are responsible for marketing
our events and outreaches. Aesthetics, design, and
branding are key to a successful online outreach.
Our presence on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
allows our digital missionaries to be interactive and connect
personally with seekers. We also respond to most
comments, positive and negative, as well as post daily
and weekly content to interest Jewish people in Jesus.
The creation of new video content is imperative, and
At the heart of Chosen
People Ministries is the
declaration by the
Jewish apostle Paul, “For I am
not ashamed of the gospel, for it
is the power of God for salvation
to everyone who believes, to the
Jew first and also to the Greek”
(Romans 1:16). This principle has
led to the establishment of our
ministry centers and congregations
across the globe—anywhere there
is a high concentration of Jewish
people. Of course, there is no place
in the world with more Jewish
people than Israel. This is why
outreach in the Holy Land is such
an important focus.
Although our work in Israel began
much earlier, the establishment of
the Messianic Center in Jerusalem
in 2005 was a turning point in
reaching Israelis. It serves as the
main hub for our work throughout
the country. We have since added
a second center in the Tel Aviv
suburb of Ramat Gan, and the ministry
continues to expand! These
centers serve as places of worship,
classrooms, short-term mission accommodations,
public lecture halls,
gospel cafés, and so much more.
It should come as no surprise that
we will always keep our eyes open
for other opportunities to establish
Messianic centers in Israel.
We also have teams in the north of
Israel and along the Mediterranean
coast. One of our favorite and most
fruitful ministries is working with
Holocaust survivors, and we praise
God that some of these very elderly
Israelis have come to know the
Messiah!
But Israel is not the only place to
reach Israelis with the gospel. After
graduating high school, Israeli
young adults serve a mandatory
two to three years in the Israel
Defense Forces. Following their
military service, they often travel for
several months or longer. Some of
the common sites these wandering
Israelis visit include New Zealand,
India, Australia, and Brazil. This
period of soul-searching provides
a wonderful opportunity for us to
engage these Jewish travelers in
conversations about the Messiah.
Chosen People Ministries has taken
advantage of this tremendous evangelistic
opportunity by establishing
ministry outposts in the common
locations where these young Israelis
like to travel. Our branch in New
Zealand operates the Zula Lodge,
which hosts almost 2,000 Israelis
each year! Dinners are peppered
with gospel conversations, and latenight
chats about spiritual matters
often go well into the morning. And
very recently, we have partnered
with a young couple who have
established a guest house ministry
in India where they serve Israelis
looking to experience Indian culture
and, of course, the beaches!
We plan to begin a similar ministry
in Brazil, and we continue to send
short-term teams to Nepal and
other hot spots where post-army
Israelis are searching for truth.
All of our sites provide care and
companionship to Israelis far from
home. Our work comes from a
deep love for Jewish people and a
desire to see them come to know
the Jewish Messiah, Jesus.
4 The Chosen People | NOVEMBER 2019