From Wilderness to Renewal

Simona Barron is an outreach worker at our coffee shop Moshava located in the West Village of New York City.

by Aaron Abramson, Executive Director and CEO

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven...
He has made everything beautiful in its time. (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11)

I experienced the stark beauty of this Scripture verse as a young Israeli soldier stationed in the Judean Desert. Winters in the desert were bleak, the landscape a wash of beige. But one morning, I was startled to see vibrant red flowers that had blanketed the hills—seemingly overnight—transforming the barren wilderness into a vision of life and renewal. Spring had come!

The breathtaking sea of red wildflowers is a well-known phenomenon in Israel, not only in the Judean Desert, but also in the Negev. In fact, an annual festival called Darom Adom (“red south”) attracts thousands of Israelis and tourists each year.* I can’t help thinking of all the people who love to enjoy the beauty of flowers that are here one day and gone the next, but have yet to see the imperishable beauty of the One who created them. We are called to point our people to Him!

God gave us seasons to show His faithfulness and provision, not just physically, but also spiritually. I love that He invites us to be part of the times and seasons that produce new life and renewal in Messiah. For example, we’ve been witnessing steady seasons of growth and fruit in our ministry. Gospel conversations are flourishing in our coffee shops in New York, Los Angeles, and Tel Aviv. Social media is opening unexpected doors to dialogue with rabbis who were closed just five years ago! In Ukraine, our missionaries are leading soldiers to faith in moments of urgent need.

Last month, I wrote about how God multiplies our efforts through partnerships. Partnering with people and organizations outside of Jews for Jesus is not new to us. Our founder, Moishe Rosen, set a precedent of investing in what God was doing, both within and beyond our ministry. David Brickner made a point of doing the same. So, we are continuing in that tradition, but we are entering a new season where I expect to see more and more partnerships springing up. And much of that will involve our team in Israel, where we want to be especially intentional and innovative about working alongside others. We’ve already had some great opportunities to help launch new and emerging ministries.

For example, Pavel, a young pastor who recently planted a Russian-speaking congregation, approached us along with the organization that sponsors him. In its first year, this new community baptized 12 people and began outreach to local artists. However, Pavel was new in Israel and needed support and help as he was getting acclimated. We gladly agreed to provide mentorship, leadership training, and logistical support to help him build a sustainable, independent ministry. Pavel is now working with our leaders in Israel and also has the support of the organization who had approached us. We are so blessed that they trusted us to nurture, train, and help impart to him that evangelistic DNA so desperately needed in Israel.

Then there’s the Messianic congregation in Haifa that approached us and said, “We are interested in trying the kind of outreach that you are doing through coffeeshops.” After discussing the possibilities for collaboration, we are now training a youth leader from their congregation. He’s still on their staff, but we’re helping him to reach out to his own community. We don’t have a branch of Jews for Jesus in Haifa, but now, through his partnership, we can help to reach people there. 

We will continue to prototype new kinds of outreach as well as ways of working with others in Israel. And we hope that before long, similar outreaches and partnerships will spring up all over the world! Jesus encouraged His followers to dream big and be bold about joining in the work that He is doing. His metaphor to make his followers “fishers of men” should inspire us to find more fishermen, more boats, and more lakes.

Imagine if by 2030 we could work with 15–20 more congregations, like our friends in Haifa, who would be ready to try new approaches. Imagine if these partnerships could expand ministry to Jewish people in places like Warsaw or Nashville, so that together we could reach more people by partnering with others already serving in those cities.

Once again, I think about those bright red wildflowers in the deserts of Israel. Their spectacular beauty seems so sudden, but the way that God designed nature, things are growing, developing, and happening all the time, whether or not it’s apparent. I think the same is true with spiritual seasons. They are not quite as predictable as the physical seasons, but time and time again, God is faithful to keep His promises. As we do our part, we can trust Him to bring the increase.

As spring approaches, may we have eyes to see where God is at work. Let’s invest in others, go beyond our comfort zones, and trust that in time, He will multiply our efforts. The mission is immense, but together, we can bring the good news to a world longing for hope and life.

*A few species of red flowers create spectacular displays in Israel. The annual festival in the south celebrates Israel’s national flower, the red anemone (calanit in Hebrew, which means “bride”). It is the first to bloom, and it symbolizes resilience.