NYC Outreach

CITY OUTREACH: NEW YORK CITY - 2023 REPORT

New York Summer Outreach

It did not look like we were going to have the New York outreach like we planned as my colleague from ‘Life in Messiah’ had gone to Poland to be at the LCJE (Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism) Conference. Despite the challenges I knew that we needed to continue the outreach.

The Dirty Dozen

Just after arriving in NYC I had the opportunity to speak at The Vineyard Church in Fishkill where Mia and I got married eighteen years ago. To my amazement a dozen congregants decided to join us in street evangelism in the very Jewish area of Hopewell Junction, New York. After watching me share the Gospel using the infamous Shalom Board, where I would simply ask: “Who or what do you believe can bring true peace, Shalom, into your heart and into this world?” They realized this can be a great conversation starter. Before I knew it others joined in to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and handout Bibles and tracts. By the end of our three hours, we even led a Jewish man, Ed from Connecticut, in a prayer to know his Messiah. He has since gone to the Vineyard congregation.

Upstate New York (State of Mind)

For the last three summers, I have been able to hang out with Pieter from Life in Messiah in the Catskills, picking up Orthodox Jewish hitchhikers and sharing Jesus with them. This summer because Pieter was in Poland I figured that I might as well go to the Catskills and do some evangelism on my own. I am amazed at the amount of Orthodox Jews that have migrated to Upstate New York. There are over a quarter-million Jewish people that have moved upstate in the last six years.

I was able to have some wonderful conversations while I was there. I gave out about 2-3 dozen tracts and a dozen New Testaments (containing over a hundred Messianic prophesies) while walking the streets of Sullivan County.

I had a short conversation with a Jewish couple taking a walk in the park with their child on a beautiful summer day. I shared with them that I was a Jewish man that for the last 47 years has believed that Yeshua (Jesus, “salvation”) was the Messiah. To my amazement they did not know much about Messianic prophesies and how Jesus fulfilled over three hundred of them in His lifetime. I answered their questions about my background and listened to my testimony. The said that they both grew up in an Orthodox family and that their marriage was arranged when they were both in their mid-teens. Even though they disagreed, they were very cordial and even took some tracts and a Messianic Bible. Please pray for Sarai and Schlomo!

After walking through the park, I noticed a line in front of the Café Chocolat that was 100% Orthodox Jewish people. I was the only man without a kippah (head covering or “yarmulka”). Also I was wearing my CWI Mi Hu (Who is He) t-shirt, which led to many stares while sitting there. I figured that might start a conversation.

Two Orthodox men that were sitting next to me happened to be talking about when they believed the Messiah would come. Coincidence, I think not! I gently gave them a “Ask the Rabbis” and “When Messiah Arrives…How will we know HIM? ” tract, as well as a Messianic Bible and my testimony. They looked at the literature and ended up leaving it on the table (though I deliberately left it for others to pick up and read). While they were sitting, I asked them if they have ever considered Yeshua as the Messiah? When they emphatically said no, I told them that they owe it to HaShem (“the name” which is what they call God which they believe is too Holy to speak), to study the scriptures and take an honest look at Jesus. Even though they looked at me perplexed, I know that I planted a seed with both of them as well as others that were listening in to our conversation. Please pray for these two unnamed Jewish men!

Pray for the hundreds of thousands of Orthodox Jewish families that are leaving the cities to be in a community where they feel for to worship God, that they may find their Messiah!

“Do The Work of An Evangelist, Fulfill Your Ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:5b)

We believe one of our ministry tasks is to ‘mobilize for mission; that is, stir local believers to reach out to their Jewish neighbors. Let me introduce you to Paul Frey, a ninety-year-old man who is doing just that. Paul has been praying and supporting CWI for decades. He has been sending letters and tracts to every Jewish organization that he can think of. Paul is old school - no texts, emails, or social media. He just uses snail mail and phone calls to communicate.

I first spoke to Paul on the phone but finally met him in person in Little Neck, Queens, New York, a place where I spent many Passovers with my family at my uncle’s house. In fact it is where I had my Bar Mitzvah reception over fifty-three years ago. Pray for Paul as he plants seeds and shares the Gospel with Jewish people everyday of his life until the LORD takes him home. What a guy! Now, is he not someone you would want to imitate?

Mitch Tepper