2018: A Year in Review
19 December 2018
This year marked Sojourner Ministries’ 20th Anniversary! And what a celebratory year it was! Thank you for your support, continued commitment, love, friendship and prayers. Through your participation, Jewish people are challenged by the gospel, believers are trained, and churches are stirred through reconnecting with their Jewish roots. Our mission is to present our Lord and His messianic purpose for both Jews and Gentiles within an accurate biblical, historical, and culturally Jewish context.
Here are some highlights of how God has been working and shaping Sojourner in 2018:
We enjoyed our 17th Israel Tour in May. I led a jolly band of 34 intrepid, (mostly) fearless pilgrims on a spectacular itinerary as we lived the dream together. What a privilege to reveal Israel through messianic Jewish eyes and to experience it with a Jewish heart! It was truly the trip of a lifetime and I look forward to returning soon. Consider joining us next time.
Writing remains a big part of Sojourner Ministries’ calling. I was excited when Randall Price asked me to contribute the opening chapter in his book to be released by Harvest House in 2019, What Should We Think About Israel? Separating Fact from Fiction in the Middle East.
I continue to lead our local messianic congregation, Beth Sar Shalom(House of the Prince of Peace). We spent a good portion of the year together in Galatians. More recently, we have been immersed in the book of Exodus, as we discover The Biblical Moses that Hollywood Forgot. We have a healthy mix of Jewish and Gentile worshippers in attendance. I am pleased by our numerical growth (this year saw us consistently at about 100 attendees) but even more encouraged by the spiritual growth we have witnessed, including the baptism of a young boy. This beautiful relationship between Sojourner Ministries and Beth Sar Shalom continues to be strategic and fruitful in reaching Jewish people with the gospel and deepening believers’ faith.
Each week, new sermons are uploaded to the Beth Sar Shalom website. I invite you to binge! http://www.shalomplano.org/media/video-library
One of our extremely successful outreaches has been the Jewish Cultural Film Series. Every quarter we screen a film of relevance to Jewish culture, history, theology, Israel, or the Holocaust. 2018’s picks included The Zookeeper’s Wife, thetrue story of zookepers who saved hundreds during the Holocaust, In Our Hands: The Battle for Jerusalem, about the 1967 liberation of the holy city, Loving Leah, a romantic comedy, and film from Israel, The Women’s Balcony. Our audience for these films comprises a majority of visitors, some of whom might not feel at ease attending our morning service. These screenings have been a wonderful way to establish relationships with many in the local Jewish community.
This year saw my continued participation in an interfaith Bible study composed of both Christians and Jews, meeting each month in a local synagogue. We spent most of the year exploring passages within the Hebrew Scripture that prophesy the Messiah. We had engaging conversations about passages like Isaiah 49 and 53 that revealed open minds and hearts as we delved into the Hebrew text and investigated Jewish messianic expectations!
As usual, a great deal of 2018 was spent on the road as I shared messages in multiple churches and attended a messianic conference on Jewish evangelism in Atlanta where I shared two presentations on creatively engaging and establishing relationships with Jewish people.
Our Christ in the Passover Seder was both memorable and meaningful with about 450 guests in attendance. After 19 years, these packed-out banquets continue to successfully impact lives and introduce The Unleavened Messiah and our ministry to a broad spectrum of believers and unbelievers, both Jewish and Gentile. Mark your calendar now to join us for another deeply spiritual evening on April 20, 2019. Reservations open soon. Consider sponsoring and filling a table of ten as we anticipate an unforgettable evening of ministry.
Our final event of the year was our sold-out Christ in Hanukkah Feast-ival of Lights celebration in December. With 200 guests in attendance, we ate, laughed and learned about sharing the true Light of the World.
You can participate with us by purchasing essential teaching resources from our website for your home or church library. They make wonderful gifts for both the spiritually curious and for those who wish to dig deeply into the Scriptures. Our Bible book commentaries, DVDs, and CD set teaching how Jesus fulfilled God’s festivals have been produced with the goal of strengthening your relationship with our Lord.
2018 marked Sojourner Ministries’ 20th Anniversary. I invite you to join me in launching our next year with a common dedication to Exploring the Jewish Heart of Christianity. You can make no greater strategic financial resolution than to start the year with a renewed commitment to Jewish ministry (Rom. 1:16; 11:11; 15:27). Your end-of-year support will fortify our team to meet the dawning challenges and opportunities of 2019.
Rejoicing that the Light has come,
Steven Charles Ger
P.S. Stay in touch! If you are not currently receiving our emails, please send your address to rachael@sojournerministries.