Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship

News Updated August 8, 2008

Shalom to all.   “The grace of the Adonai Yeshua Ha'Mashiach, and the love of Elohim, and the fellowship of the Ruach HaKodesh, be with you all.”  

  Good News - New Works In The Making:

Bless the L-rd your G-d forever and ever!  Blessed be Your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise!  You alone are the L-rd; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all.  The host of heaven worships You.  [Nehemiah 9:5-6 NKJV]

We give thanks to G-d always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; [1 Thessalonians 1:2 NASU]

We pray that all is well with you.  G-d is so good.  Be healthy, be safe, be blessed, be found in Yeshua Ha'Mashiach.

Ministry news from your SBMF President, Ric Worshill

The worship services and annual meetings in Indianapolis went well.  The music worship provided by Rabbi Kevin Dangler and Brother Art Lindholm was a blessing.  The teaching given to us by Dr. H Bruce Stokes was wonderful and engaging.  Our annual meeting went well.  We made some amendments to our constitution that will make us stronger in our Kingdom service.  Our Executive Board Members will serve in specific positions.  Our Nominating Committee Members will also serve on this team to help our member’s ministries in their spiritual service of worship.  We elected a wonderful team of people to serve the Kingdom by serving you.  Here is the list of those who were elected.

President                                            Ric Worshill

Vice-President                                   Mike Saffle

Mission Development Manager       Jay Isbell

Ministry Development Manager       Jay Fielding

Ministry Training Manager                Dr. Bruce Stokes

Treasurer                                            Penny Isbell

Secretary                                            Connie Saffle

Nominating Committee                     Hal Garrett

Nominating Committee                     Brian Hawkins

Nominating Committee                     Randall Clark

The booth was a successful project.  The support given by the saints made it work out well.  We had an average of 6 to 8 SBMF brothers and sisters in the booth most of the time.  Most of the time we were ale engaged in conversations and prayer with numerous people.  WOW what the L-rd can do.  We made several new contacts for potential partnerships.  We handed out over 3,500 SBMF brochures.  We handed out about 400 kippot with the SBMF logo screened on them.  We passed out an unknown number of “Jesus Loves You” t-shirts, supplied by brother Steve Kaplan’s ministry.  I went into the convention hall of the SBC Annual Meetings.  I looked out over the attendees, and to my surprise I saw SBMF kippot all over the convention hall.  I also saw “Jesus Loves You” t-shirts all over.  Baruch Ha’Shem Yeshua!

Please continue to pray for these brothers and sisters who came to our booth.  Many had prayer requests and others were interested in seeing how they could help the SBMF and our member ministries. 

Ministry news from Rob Bohning of Kehillat HaDerekh Chaim (The Way Of Life) Kansas City, MO.

Rob Bohning in Kansas City, MO. invited us to be a part of his 'Interest Meeting / Havdalah Service'.  Brother Rob is one of the new works that we have all been praying for and one of the new starts that we hope to help get up and running.  SBMF Vice-president Rabbi Mike Saffle traveled to K.C. to attend this special service of this new work of a Messianic Jewish Congregation.  Below is his report on this event.

The 'Interest Meeting / Havdalah Service' for Rob Bohning's work went very well.  There were about 60 people in attendance, with many children.  Rob did a fine job of integrating the kids into the teaching time, with a 'Children's Teaching" at the beginning. He then opened up with reading Parashat Pinchas (Numbers 25:10 through 30:1).  We had good conversation, with great questions and insights.  The Havdalah service was very informal, and home-like, even though so many people were there.  There was a lot of interest in beginning a new congregation, or perhaps formalizing the home groups into one multi-locational unit. Since several home studies are in out-lying parts of KC, and a couple in different communities altogether, this might be the best way to integrate everyone, perhaps with a joint Shabbat meeting once a month.  Rob and Hubner have a lot of praying to do regarding how to put this all together.  We will be right beside them, though, and will help any way we can.  Rob and Marjie have half-settled on a name, but I can't remember it. Kehilat ... something. I'm sure you know by now, anyway! **smile**
 
Shalom b,Shem Yeshua,
Mike

The tentative name is Kehillat HaDerekh Chaim (The Way Of Life).  We pray that this new work has a mighty impact for the Kingdom in the K.C. area.

Ministry news from Beth Yeshua in Thomaston, Georgia

www.bethyeshuathomaston.org

On August 2, 2008 at Beth Yeshua in Thomaston, Georgia a Shabbat and Ordination service was held.  Ministry Development Manager Rabbi Jay Fielding was in attendance.  Rabbi Jay assisted in the service.  Rabbi Jay spoke on the following subjects.

What is the purpose of the Ordination Ceremony?

What is unique about an Ordination for a Messianic Rabbi?

Should a Gentile be Ordained as a Messianic Rabbi?

What is special about affiliation with the Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship?

What is the difference between a Messianic Rabbi and a traditional Jewish Rabbi?

What about the passage Matthew 23:7 where Jesus says “Call no man Rabbi?

What is the role of Jews and the roles of Gentiles in Messianic Judaism?

How should Messianic Congregations and traditional Churches work together?

Below is some of the email report that Rabbi Jay sent after this event.

Dear Rabbi Ric Worshill, President SBMF

SBMF Leadership and Association

Rabbi Jeffery Trent Dumont and Beth Yeshua

On behalf of Michele and I and Beth Chaim Messianic Congregation we are very honored that we were asked to participate in Rabbi Jeffery Dumont's Ordination for Messianic Rabbi at Beth Yeshua this Saturday.

Michele and I were very warmly received by Jeff, his wife Susan, the leadership team and the entire congregation and made to feel as Congregation Meshpukah family.

Beth Yeshua is about 60 miles outside the southern part of Atlanta in a very nice rural city called Thomaston, Georgia. They are housed in a office space right near the City Hall. The congregation has worked hard to create a beautiful worship center with magnificent handmade banners and other Messianic Jewish art work and ceremony items.

Jeff and his team led a wonderful spirit-filled Messianic Jewish service complete with Shofar, Siddur liturgy, live worship music and heartfelt prayer.

I delivered a charge to both Jeffery and Beth Yeshua on behalf of SBMF. I asked them to bless our work by having a burden to share the Gospel of Messiah with our unsaved Jewish brothers and sisters and to share the Hebriac roots of Christianity with our Church brothers and sisters. In addition, I highlighted some exciting opportunities and challenges that Messianic Congregations face. I asked them to join SBMF in our Mission and to look at the Ordination as a marriage between Beth Yeshua, our Association and Yeshua through the anointing glue of the Holy Spirit.  I also wanted Rabbi Jeff and Beth Yeshua to see this ceremony as an Echad or oneness with Beth Chaim and Michele and I personally.

Rabbi Jeffery, his wife Susan and the Congregation received our message and Jeff's Ordination with their own heartfelt blessing in the Ruach HaKodesh!!

I then prayed over Jeff and anointed him with oil. Then everyone in the congregation took turns laying hands on Jeff and praying for his success as their leader as an Ordained Rabbi. They agreed to support Jeff and help him in his work.

It was a great blessing for Michele and I, Beth Chaim, and SBMF that the Lord used us to confirm what he has already done in the eternal, bless Jeffery Trent Dumont as a Messianic Rabbi and his chosen servant to lead Beth Yeshua!

I have attached a few pictures and I am sending a CD of all the pictures we took to both Ric and Jeff. Attached is the Ordination talk handout.  Unfortunately the talk itself did not get recorded due to battery issues at the last minute.

Thanks again for asking us to participate.

 
Rabbi Jay Fielding

Beth Chaim Messianic Congregation 
404-245-7291

Here are fragments from a response that Rabbi Jeff Dumont sent to us.

If awesome is the best and greatest word that can be used to describe our Shabbat service today, then awesome it is.

What a guy Rabbi Jay is, & his wife is just great.  We all were so blessed by them being here today for the ordination service. 

We normally use cd's for praise & worship;, but a pastor friend of ours that was there for my Baptist ordination performed P/W for us.

For folks at Beth Yeshua Thomaston, we cannot thank you, nor can we bless Hashem, enough for how great today was.

Adonai has brought us to a new chapter in the movie of Beth Yeshua and the Messianic movement in the Thomaston area.  I am so glad that G-d has prepared our hearts for "A Time Such As This". 

We are so looking forward to working with you, Rabbi Jay & Beth Chaim and our new extended mishpocha of the SBMF.  What a blessing and honor to become part of this wonderful work.

I am looking forward to any upcoming events of SBMF and conferences.

Please let me know of any coming up because I'd love to be there.

Toda raba may you be blessed by Adonai through His Son Yeshua and may this be the true beginning of a great & wonderful relationship.

Love you in Messiah Yeshua, & Numbers 6:24-26 upon SBMF.

In Him,

The New Rabbi on the block,
Jeff Dumont

Rabbi Dumont is grateful to the SBMF for our love and help.  We need to pray for a mighty work in this local congregation and for Rabbi Jeff.

Ministry News from Brother Steve Kaplan Jewish Outreach International.

As you may know brother Steve has an outreach ministry called Jewish Outreach International.   Brother Steve prints up the T-shirts with a Mogan David and Jesus Loves You in the center.  You can order these free t-shirts by contacting brother Steve at his ministry (stevenbkaplan@aol.com).

Go to his web site to sign up for his news letter.  It will bless your heart.  Jewish Outreach International

Brother Steve is in the process of starting a new work Messianic congregation in the Atlanta area.  Please pray for brother Steve, his ministry team and this new work.  

Ministry News from our sister in Russia

Our vision is to see Russian Jews gathered into vibrant Messianic congregations being a light to the nations.

Praises:

1. For the first time in a long time I feel somewhat caught up on my correspondence and other projects.  That doesn’t mean that I don’t still have lots of things on my plate but simply that I am not feeling really overwhelmed at the moment.  That is a huge answer to prayer.  Thanks so much for your prayers in this regard.

2. One of the things that I accomplished this week was to write to those who had expressed an interest in coming on a volunteer trip in August.  At this point 5 people have said that they are definitely feeling called to come.  There is still room for more if anyone else is interested.  I am very grateful to the Lord for calling out these sisters (so far only women are coming)  to come and be a part of this project.  Please pray for them as they take care of details on their end and I take care of details on my end.  One of the women who wants to come is a seminary student with limited funds (student and limited funds usually go together, somehow).  At our team meeting this week Donna and I specifically prayed that God would provide her with the funds she needs to come.  Before we even prayed God had already answered that prayer when someone she knows slightly offered to provide as much as she needs to come.  God is so good!

3. Saturday was a holiday here (International Women’s Day) so attendance at our English club was down a bit.  Some of the beginners in our group came back and others didn’t.  They are struggling to keep up but are very motivated to learn and work very hard.  They seem to feel welcome even though they are far behind the other students, language wise.  This is a real answer to prayer.  If it is God’s will that they be a part of our group, please pray that He will help them to learn and to feel a part of our group.  Please continue to pray for Olga as she tries to prepare lessons for people with a wide variety of levels.  This is certainly a challenge for her.

4. I found out last week that Donna and I may be able to get work permits through the organization that is currently providing us with visas.  I will call them this week to get more information.  If this works out we would be able to get one year work permits that would enable us to continue our ministry here.  Please continue to pray for God to open up the doors that He wants us to pursue in regards to long term visas.

Prayer Requests;

1. We are still trying to find a place for English camp.  We have several people helping us but so far have not come up with anything solid. I would like for us to have a place reserved by March 22^nd.  That is the date of a Purim service for all of the local Messianic congregations in Moscow.  We would like to be able to advertise the camp there but before we can advertise we need to have a place.  God is able and His timing is perfect.  Please continue to pray with us that He will lead us to the right place for camp.

2. I have been trying to get together with my Jewish friend Mila for several weeks now.  I called her last week to invite her over for dinner but she was busy and promised to call me back.  That was 3 days ago and I haven’t heard from her.  I don’t take this as a slight but simply as an indication that she is very busy.  I plan to call her again this week and invite her for dinner soon.  Please pray that we will be able to find a convenient time to get together.  She is a precious woman and I so desire to see her come to know her Messiah. 

3. Donna and I are continuing to make plans to travel across Siberia on the train this summer.  Finding the right time continues to be a challenge.  Please pray that we will find a good time to go and that all the details of transportation, housing, finances, etc. will fall together. Please be praying even now for the Jewish people that we will meet along the way.  Pray that God will open their hearts to their Messiah.   

4. In a little over a month Passover will be here.  This year we don’t have any volunteers coming to help us with the Passover Seders. So the bulk of preparing for them will fall on Donna and I.  Please pray that He will provide others who will be willing to help.  Please pray that we will be able to decide on the best day and place to have the Seders.  And most especially please pray that the Jewish people who attend these Seders will come with open hearts and minds. Praise God for the other Jewish ministry here in Moscow that is willing once again to partner with us to make these Passover seders happen.  These brothers and sisters are such a blessing to me.   

5. Attendance at both my Bible study and Donna’s have fallen off lately.  Please pray that God will bring those that He wants to have there and that He would give us opportunities to invest in their lives and spiritual growth. 

May God richly bless all that you do this week.  Thanks so much for your prayers.

In the Lamb,

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. [Matt 28:19-20 KJV]

Beth Adonai Yeshua

Adat Ha'Derevh Kol Ha' Mashiach

Hampton, Virginia

Shalom Adonai Messianic Fellowship

Wichita, KS.

Peculiar, MO.

Hamilton, OH.