Shalom Life January – March 2022
Shalom Chaverim!
“…so we may live a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and respectfulness.This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior.” (1st Timothy 1:2-3)
Welcome to Shalom Life, a newsletter designed to manifest the Peace of God in our lives.
In this issue of Shalom Life, we have much in store.
March 16th marks our congregation’s 8th anniversary.
It’s hard to believe that it was only eight years ago when this congregation began in Ro’eh Tom and Myriam’s home. Back then there were only about twenty of us meeting every Shabbat in their upstairs room, then as time went on, God blessed us and we grew. Eight years and three moves later, we are amazed and humbled by how much we have grown and already bursting at the seams of our current place.
Purim
Also on March 16th begins the festival of Purim. This festival, found in the book of Esther, commemorates the deliverance of the Jews from extermination by the evil Haman. We celebrate the deeds of Esther who fasted and petitioned the king to spare her people, and of Mordechai who stood up to Haman and gave Esther the courage to face the king. Click here for a retelling of the Purim story. Come dressed in your Biblically kosher costume, have some hamentaschen, and celebrate with us. Join us on March 19th as our congregation celebrates Purim and our 8th anniversary.
In preparation for Purim, we will have the Esther Tea for the ladies. A fabulous tea party with fancy hats, tea and sweets (of course), and spending time with the King. And for the men we will have Mordechai’s Table, a round table, faith-based discussion with pizza. This will be on March 13th and the theme will be The Antidote that Conquers Fear. More details to follow in our church center app and in the announcements.
Dance
Dance rehearsals for Passover will start Jan.15th for all groups including youth, ladies, men, and beginners. If you are interested please see the dance leaders for details.
Note: must be a regular attendee and be willing to commit to regular rehearsal
Hebrew Class
Do you want to learn how to read עברית? We have a class for you. Hebrew 101: Alef-Bet, hosted by John Grady, takes place in the oneg every Shabbat after service. With focus on the Alef-Bet, you’ll learn each letter and vowel in a fun, simple way with plenty of help and resources along the way. Please see John for details.
Hayesod
Are you interested in learning about the foundations of our faith? If so, consider joining Hayesod/The Foundation class. In this ten week course you’ll understand the Bible through a Jewish lens and discover the Jewishness of Yeshua (Jesus) which will transform you in your walk.
Here’s from Dr. Anthony and Liza Woods: “We are honored and humbled to present FFOZ’s (First Fruit of Zion) ‘HaYesod The Foundation’ as HaYesod Group Leaders of the English group. As HaYesod Group Leaders, we have an opportunity to help build the kingdom of heaven and prepare the body of Messiah for Yeshua’s return. Together, we can accomplish great things for God if we allow His Spirit to work through us. The Spirit of God can and will use HaYesod to change lives, ignite faith, transform families, rejuvenate places of worship, birth communities, and bring peace and healing in the name of Yeshua. We have adopted the following Vision for the HaYesod Class: ‘Ultimately, the knowledge we acquire, coupled with the relationship we have with Yeshua will cause us to disciple, mentor and to train future Messianic Leaders.’”
Please see Dr. Anthony and Liza Woods for more details.
Registration for Pesach 2022
Pesach will soon be upon us. Now is the time to get your tickets to our annual Passover Seder. The Seder will be held April 15th at 7pm at the Rosen Center Hotel and tickets cost $50 and are non-refundable. Please see Myriam Flores or Kelly Dones for more info.
Membership
Our annual new membership enrollment begins soon. If you share our vision and would like to become a member of Yeshua Bread of Life, please fill out an application. Please see Ro’eh Tom for more info.
Youth Service Jan. 28th
Be sure to join us for another youth led service at 7pm and Ignite your Fire!
Faith Nugget
“Now we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Why do bad things happen to good people? A common enough question asked by believers and non-believers alike with plenty of answers you’d think we’d stop asking by now.
In the art of story crafting, it is essential for bad things to happen to characters no matter how good they are. This is what develops the plot and builds the characters. The author has a goal for the story and understands how every action leads to that goal. In good storytelling, few things happen without reason.
In real life bad things happen regardless of how good we are or how strong our relationship with Hashem is. Take Job for example. We may not understand why these things happen, yet we have but to trust that the Author knows what He is doing.
Until next time, Shalom!
