Shelby is a 20-year-old Theology and Apologetics major at Liberty University. She first became interested in Jewish ministry after going to Israel on a school trip this Spring and falling in love with the Jewish people. A couple weeks after this school trip, we invite all the students from that trip to an Israeli Hummus night at our house. Shelby was so excited to come, and remembering that night, she recounts, “BJ and Carissa’s passion for Jewish ministry encouraged me to pursue one of Chosen People Ministries’ short term opportunities.”

Shelby prayed about joining the Shalom Brooklyn team this summer, and God provided everything she needed to go! She spent a full week doing outreach with me and about 60 other staff and volunteers, and learned so much about Jewish culture in Brooklyn. This experience gave her more confidence in sharing the Gospel with others, and she now believes God is calling her into Jewish ministry! Shelby says, “Jewish ministry is of utmost importance. Missions begin and end with the Jewish people. Yeshua desire His people to be sought after in order that they may truly know who their risen Messiah is.” Please pray for direction in God’s calling upon Shelby’s life.

Stories like Shelby’s are one reason we are thrilled to be engaged in Liberty’s CSER program this year which allows students to fulfill their community service requirements through partnering with us in Jewish ministry! Please pray with us that God will move fifteen students to invest their twenty community service hours this semester with us into four outreach efforts. We hope to involve several in the work of hosting our Shabbat (Sabbath) dinners and other events. Others may work remotely to assist our New York coworkers on an exciting apologetics project. Still others may assist us in telephone evangelism, following up with the thousands of contacts Chosen People Ministries has made through online campaigns like IfoundShalom (ifoundshalom.com) and Isaiah 53 (isaiah53.com).

We are eager to invest into the lives of each of these students, as well as each person who attends our weekly events. Our semester events kicked off in September with the Fall High Holidays. Each event provides a unique opportunity to educate believers about how Jesus is reflected in the biblical feasts, and yet how blinded our beloved Jewish people are to the light that they themselves hold up for the world. Praise the Lord for such wonderful opportunities – and pray that He would send workers, for the harvest is ready.