In Israel, many people can know the names of biblical places and the stories connected with them — and still know very little about who Jesus really is.
For many of the new Jewish immigrants our partners meet, Israel itself is also new. They are building a life in a new country, discovering the land, learning a new language, and trying to find where they belong. And in the middle of that new beginning, there is an opportunity to introduce them not only to the land of the Bible, but to the One whose story unfolded there.
Before Jesus left His disciples, He entrusted them with a work that was meant to continue:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”
Matthew 28:19
The Gospel would travel from Israel to the ends of the earth. Nearly two thousand years later, believers in the land where it all began are still carrying that same commission among the people of Israel.
When Jesus walked through the towns and villages of Israel, He went where people were. He sat with them, ate with them, listened to them, met them in the middle of ordinary life, and spoke to them about the Kingdom of God. And then He entrusted His followers to continue that work.
Every generation since has carried the same responsibility: to go, to speak, to love people personally, and to make Jesus known. For our team at Beit Hallel Congregation, that calling is very close to home.
Very soon, the team will bring hundreds of Israelis with them for a full day in the Galilee. They will travel together, share a meal, visit biblical places, take a boat onto the Sea of Galilee, and, most importantly, share the Gospel message with them and give them an opportunity to respond.
But the places themselves are not the purpose. The people are.
Over the years, the team has learned that some of the most meaningful conversations do not begin behind a pulpit. They begin sitting beside someone on a bus, sharing a meal, walking together, or simply spending enough time with someone that they feel comfortable asking the questions they have been carrying.
That is why relationship has always been at the heart of this outreach. A day together gives something a brief encounter cannot: time. Time to hear about someone’s family, the life they left behind, the challenges of starting again in Israel, and the questions they may have about faith and God. There is time to laugh together, to answer questions, and to allow trust to grow naturally.
And sometimes, somewhere in those ordinary hours together, a door opens for a conversation about Jesus.
For some of these guests, this may also be their first opportunity to experience the Galilee in this way. Imagine standing beside the Sea of Galilee, perhaps seeing it for the first time. They may have heard the name of Jesus before, but what they have heard may have been shaped more by history, culture, or misunderstanding than by the Gospel itself.
Now they are standing in the region where He walked and taught, surrounded by Israeli believers who have spent the day getting to know them personally.
But seeing the places where Jesus walked is not enough. We want them to have the opportunity to know who He is.
During the evangelistic gathering, Pastor Israel will share the Gospel clearly, and afterward there will be an altar call, giving those who are ready an opportunity to respond personally and receive Jesus. For some, what they hear may challenge things they have believed about Him for many years. For others, it may be the first time the Gospel has ever been explained to them clearly and personally.
We cannot know what will happen in every heart that day. Some may respond immediately. Others may begin asking questions. Some may need months or even years before the seed that was planted begins to grow.
Our part is to faithfully help make it possible for the Gospel to be shared, for people to have the opportunity to respond, and then to trust God with what He will do in each heart.
That is why we are asking one final time for your help before this outreach takes place.
Bringing one Israeli for the complete day costs $100. That includes transportation to and throughout the Galilee, a shared meal, visits to biblical places, the boat trip on the Sea of Galilee, and the evangelistic gathering where the Gospel will be shared.
$25 — Help toward one Israeli’s day
$50 — Cover half the cost for one Israeli
$100 — Sponsor one Israeli
$500 — Sponsor five Israelis
When you give through Voice of Judah Israel, you are doing more than helping pay for a bus seat, a meal, or a boat trip. You are helping give an Israeli a day of friendship and discovery in their new homeland. You are creating time for relationships to grow, for honest conversations to happen, and, most importantly, for someone to hear clearly about Jesus.
Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus entrusted His followers with a work that was not finished when they left Galilee. It continued through them. It continued through generations of believers who carried the Gospel far beyond those shores.
And now, as believers in Israel continue that work in the land where the commission first began, we have the privilege of standing with them and continuing it together.