It Takes a Whole Community to Raise a Believer
“On the
quiet calm streets of a Shabbat morning in Tel Aviv, the first notes of
the piano can be heard. The worship team is practising, seats are
being set, the headphones are being charged, the coffee is brewing, and
families from Tel Aviv are gathering together to glorify God
and study His Word. All rise to sing The Sh’ma, the ancient Jewish
prayer from Deuteronomy 6 that declares our God’s Oneness and blesses
his Glorious Kingdom forever! This is Adonai Roi Messianic
Congregation where we are making disciples and building a
community in Israel. “
In 1996,
Adonai Roi (The Lord is my Shepherd), a Messianic Jewish Congregation led
by Avi and Chaya Mizrachi, began with a few people meeting together in a
private home. People were coming to faith at Dugit Outreach Centre
and they needed to know what it meant to follow Yeshua. Now it has
grown into a vibrant community. “Every Saturday morning, the service
provides a place for the local Body of Messiah to hear a short
teaching from the week’s Torah portion, to raise their arms
and voices in worship, and to listen to a message that the pastor has
prepared. Above all it is a community of young and old that is
seeking to live their lives as disciples of Yeshua and to grow
together in Him.” 
Since 2008,
Adonai Roi has been a “homeless” congregation; a tabernacle of God
that has moved from a dedicated meeting hall, to a local park, and to
the basement of a youth hostel. It has moved 4 times in the last five
years and currently meets in the foyer of Beit Immanuel, an historic hostel run
by believers in Jaffa. “While moving
from place to place has had its difficulties, the Lord has been with
us wherever we go! Please pray with us that the Lord may plant our
congregation in the Land with a permanent home. As he gave
individual allotments to the Tribes of Israel, may He give us our lot
and provide us with a new home.”
step forward and receive prayer, Orit came too, “wanting to know more.” She spoke with Avi, who shared with her the message of the Good News. Right then Orit confessed Yeshua as her Lord and Messiah! “We are blessed to have a congregation filled with men and women, zealous for God, and it is our desire to see each one of them grounded in the Word of God and prospering in their calling. Apart from our weekly Congregational meeting, we also have regular home groups that build our Body on a more personal level.”
Pastors Avi
and Shmuel also get together regularly with a group of young men
to train and disciple them. “It
is vital to have such times of Bible Study, Prayer, and Fellowship so
that these “Children of God” may mature and fulfil what the Lord has
commissioned them to do. Please continue to pray for our young and
growing Body of Messiah at Adonai Roi Congregation, that each member
will find their joy, strength, love, hope, and identity in the Lord!”
Adonai Roi
is a young, vibrant congregation building a foundation for the future
body of Messiah in the Land. The core of the congregation is
under the age of 40, including young married couples, both with and
without children, singles and youth. This young group of believers
is passionately committed to God, possessing a heart
to establish a strong congregation and transform the society in
which they live. Some of these young congregants are
gifted musically; displaying their talent by playing in the worship
team on Shabbat, at a Dugit LIVE event, or during other outreach or
prayer gatherings. Others are gifted in areas of teaching and prayer,
sharing the weekly Torah portion, teaching Shabbat school or
organizing prayer meetings in the VIP Prayer Tower. This group has
great potential to have an impact on Tel Aviv and the wider Israeli
society, please keep them your prayers! 