Innovative Approaches in an Unshakeable Mission

Jesus met all kinds of Jewish people on the streets of ancient Israel. A wealthy young ruler. A blind beggar. A teacher of the Law. An untouchable woman. Each had a unique story, and Jesus approached them differently, caring for their various physical as well as spiritual needs. But while His approach was tailored to the longing of each heart, His message never changed. He modeled the perfect evangelistic strategy—and we’ve always prayed for the love, courage, and perseverance to follow His lead.

Jews for Jesus has one unchanging, unshakeable mission: bring the good news of Jesus the Messiah to Jewish people.

As we enter the new year and our 51st year of ministry, we’ll continue to tailor our approach to people and situations, while holding fast to the unchanging message: Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through faith in Him (John 14:6).

What Has Changed?

In the ’70s, we were mainly reaching Jewish people of Eastern European descent in North America. Today we are an international ministry and are reaching an extremely wide range of Jewish people with deeply felt yet contrasting needs.

In the ’70s, we approached public ministry on street corners and college campuses with our signature brand of Jewish gospel music, drama, and literature. It was a creative approach that caught people’s attention. Today, many people go out in public with their eyes and ears glued to their cell phones, and they are far more likely to have their first conversation with us online.

Our ministry was less than 10 years old when founder Moishe Rosen pointed out, “If we are still using our current methods 10 years from now, we will be obsolete.” Which is why we’ve always emphasized the importance of adaptability.

While Jesus’ approach was tailored to the longing of each heart, His message never changed.

In fact, Moishe wanted our entire staff to become fluent in Hebrew because he looked forward to the day when there would be a great work of the Holy Spirit in Israel—and he wanted us to be ready to drop everything to be part of it!

I’ll be the first to admit that I (and many on our staff) still do not speak fluent Hebrew. But we now have a team of more than 50 Hebrew-speaking Israelis, several of whom also speak Russian. (No one in the ’70s would have predicted that we would need Russian-speakers in Israel, but God knew and He provided!)

Expect the Unexpected

As many of you know, when the October 7 war broke out, our Israel team converted our ministry center into a hub for crisis response. They immediately looked for ways to adapt their ministry to the situation. Among other things, they have seen an uptick in requests for copies of the New Testament in Hebrew, and a greater number of Israelis wanting to study it with us.

Our team in Ukraine experienced something similar when their country was invaded. Within days, our staff had opened a house for Jewish refugees fleeing into Poland. And while Ukraine is still war-torn, we are seeing many salvations there.

Jews for Jesus has one unchanging, unshakeable mission: bring the good news of Jesus the Messiah to Jewish people.

We are grateful that God has gifted us with teams that are able to pivot their approach in the midst of these crises. And we know that the fruit we are seeing is not due merely to the quality of our staff or our philosophy of ministry. It’s the sovereign work of God through partners like you who are deeply committed to stand with us and shine the light of the gospel during these dark times.

During 2023, thanks to your partnership, we had more than 20,000 gospel conversations with unbelieving Jewish people, as well as more than 10,800 visits. And more than 240 Jewish people prayed to receive the Lord.

Our Approach May Change, but Our Mission Never Will

As we enter 2024 and our 51st year of ministry, we are so grateful to have you with us. We are living in turbulent times. Only God knows what the future holds or how much time remains for us to bring the good news of Jesus to our Jewish people. But we know that Jesus Himself communicated a sense of urgency, saying, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4). As we head into the new year together, let’s depend on His presence and His power as we look to accomplish His purposes.