Session and Workshop Details
Monday, May 6th
Dr. Galen Peterson
It’s Still the Promised Land from the River to the Sea
We live in a time when passions are running high concerning the land of Israel and the adjacent territory that remains in dispute. This paper will explore what the Bible declares regarding the land and how it has been administered and divided in modern times, thus providing us with a basis for discussion in these critical days.
Galen Peterson is Executive Director of the American Remnant Mission, pastor of Brit Hadasha Messianic Congregation in Concord, California, and adjunct professor of intercultural studies at Western Seminary.
Laura Barron and Team
Educating, Inspiring and Mobilizing for Haredi Ministry
We are stronger together when we harness our resources to bring God’s love in word and deed to this most unreached segment of our Jewish people. You will hear about the vision for expanding this ministry and how we are inviting others to join this network. The Haredi ministry teams are working with others in the Body of Messiah, and with the Jewish world, to love and serve the Haredim. We can all participate in this pioneering work!
Laura has been on staff with Jews for Jesus since 1989 when she helped her husband, Andrew, to establish the first overseas work of Jews for Jesus in South Africa. They transferred to Toronto to serve in 1996. Since 2015, she has focused her efforts on reaching out to ultra-Orthodox Jewish women. The Barrons are blessed with three older children: Rafi, Ketzia and Simona. Laura is a graduate of San Diego State University with a B.A. in English literature. She also has a master’s degree in Missiology with emphasis on Jewish studies from the Fuller School of World Missions in Pasadena, CA. She enjoys writing about her faith and teaching the Bible and loves leading the team of women reaching out to Haredi women.
Erik and Jonathan
Entering the Void: Two Messianic Jews on YouTube
YouTube and podcasts are for the 21st century what the printing press was for the 15th. We are living in the middle of a technological revolution that has made information more accessible than ever before. Not only is it the easiest to ever attain information, but also to proliferate. This has radical consequences, good and bad. All people and communities have been impacted by this revolution: Jewish missions and Messianic Judaism are no exception. Unfortunately, the bad information has outpaced the good information on YouTube and podcasts when it comes to Messianic Jewish discipleship. Two Messianic Jews seeks to do their part to close this gap and provide sound, normative Messianic Jewish theology, teaching, and discipleship content for other Messianic Jews. This content also strives to counter the endless stream of countermissionary, replacement theology, and Hebrew Roots/One Law content on YouTube. But we need others to join us!
Come hear about the importance and impact of YouTube and podcasting, our approach and strategy for Two Messianic Jews, the impact we are making, and examples of what our content is like. We’d love to meet you and hear your ideas for online content for Jewish evangelism and discipleship!
Erik and Jonathan work for Chosen People Ministries, where they produce content addressing questions and objections Jewish people have about the New Testament and faith in Yeshua. In 2020, while they were completing their master’s degrees in New Testament at Duke University (Jonathan) and Emory University (Erik), they started a YouTube channel and podcast called Two Messianic Jews. On the channel, they explore Messianic Jewish history, theology, and apologetics.
Olivier Melnick
The Proliferation of Antisemitic Conspiracy Theories
Colorado Ballroom
In an age when antisemitism is taking over the global community, the oldest tropes are getting revived and recycled against the Jewish people. Olivier Melnick will be exposing four classic antisemitic conspiracy theories and present arguments to defend the truth. This study covers the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, The Rothschilds, the British Israelites and the Khazars.
Olivier Melnick was raised in a secular Jewish family of Holocaust survivors, in Paris, France. He has been a follower of Yeshua since the summer of 1983. Olivier has a bachelor’s degree in Jewish Studies from Moody Bible Institute and a master’s in biblical and theological studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. He has served in Jewish ministry since 1992, and is co-founder and Executive Director of Shalom in Messiah Ministries based in Texas. Olivier specializes in teaching the Church about antisemitism in all of its forms and how to fight it. He has written six books; four on the topic of antisemitism. Olivier can be found at shalominmessiah.com.
Dawn M.
P.O.E.M. to Create Low-Conflict, Successful, and Satisfied Teams
Centennial Room
How can we create better ministry teams? Let’s discuss drafting an effective P.O.E.M.-- Philosophy of Effective Ministry -- that focuses on what you value and how it impacts your ministry. Every team has a P.O.E.M., whether it’s written or not, but well-written P.O.E.M.s help teams minimize conflict and increase synergy, all while creating satisfied and unified teams. If you work alone, P.O.E.M. could help you recognize fruitful partnerships, and also ensure that your strategies and projects align with your values. In this breakout, we’ll provide guidelines for good P.O.E.M.s, discuss best practices and pitfalls, tell stories, and hear about your experiences as well as answer questions.
Dawn is a first-generation Jewish believer in Yeshua from a family with deep roots in the Haredi world. She participated in the Lord’s work among Central Asian Muslims for about 10 years before concentrating her time among Jews in her hometown of New York City. She serves with the church-planting organization International Project and oversees their training program Equip as well as other short-term programs. Dawn is a wife and mother as well as an attorney in her little-to-no free time.
Dr. Tuvya Zaretsky
LCJE – How’d We Get Here, and What Can We Do Next?
Cherry Creek Room
Whether you’re a newbie to the LCJE community or comfortably settled in, it’s good to know how we got together. Ever wonder what Lausanne, Switzerland has to do with Jewish evangelism? Let’s talk about our LCJE culture, how to get things done and why you want to be an insider to the network.
Tuvya Zaretsky is one of the pioneers of the Jews for Jesus ministry, beginning his service in February 1974. Raised in the institutions of American Judaism, he came to believe in Yeshua in 1970. During his career, Tuvya has provided leadership for Jews for Jesus branches and specialized outreach teams. His current passion is for ministry with Jewish-Gentile couples based in Los Angeles.
Tuvya earned an M.A. Missiology in Judaic Studies at The Fuller Seminary School for Intercultural Studies and the Doctor of Intercultural Studies degree from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He is married to Ellen, also a Jewish Believer in Jesus. They have three adult children and three grandchildren.
Dr. Jeffrey Seif
Painting on the Mind for Better Communication
With no exceptions, all of history’s great communicators were great story-tellers. Along with other sages in the ancient near eastern world, Jesus conveyed His truths through story: parables. In this brief talk, Dr Jeffrey Seif, executive director of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations, will pull from research conducted for his PhD work at Cambridge University, England, and underscore how and why painting on the mind delivers better than mundane and abstract wordsmithing.
Tuesday, May 7th
Dr. Rich Robinson
All the Books You Wish You’d Read, But I Read for You! — 2024 Edition
A whirlwind tour of recent books on Jews, Jewish evangelism, Messianic Jewish theology, Israel, antisemitism, and much more. Fasten your seat belts—it's going to be a bumpy session!
Rich grew up in Brooklyn, New York, in a Reform Jewish home. He came to faith in Jesus in 1973 as a student at Syracuse University following several years of spiritual searching and exploration. He has served with Jews for Jesus since 1978 as a missionary at several North American Jews for Jesus branches. Rich currently serves as senior researcher, where he works on writing, editing, and researching the Bible, Jesus, and Jewish culture. Rich received his MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 1978 and a PhD in biblical studies and hermeneutics from Westminster Theological Seminary in 1993.
Dr. David Sedaca
Interacting with Jewish Academics: An Untapped Resource for Jewish Evangelism
Those involved in Jewish evangelism have not had many opportunities to interact with Jewish scholars in the same way that we have tried to reach other segments of Jewish life, e.g., the Haredi, secular Jews, new immigrants, Holocaust survivors, etc. There is an unfounded perception that our personal beliefs will be a barrier that would prevent us from engaging with Jewish scholars, whether in Israel or our local communities. My experience is just the opposite. For over 15 years, I've been teaching and interacting with distinguished professors at The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, The Israeli Department of Antiquities, The Israel Museum, the Shrine of the Book, and other academic institutions in the US and worldwide. Because most persons involved in Jewish evangelism have received their biblical training from Evangelical institutions, we are more inclined to explore deeper relations with Christian academics, neglecting to explore the possibility of engaging with Jewish academics in theology and related biblical studies. Likewise, I would suggest what things to avoid in pursuing to form genuine and effective personal and academic relations with Jewish scholars.
David Sedaca is a Jewish believer in Jesus and serves as Vice President of Chosen People Ministries. He received his BA "Suma Cum Laude" in Psychology from Harvard University, attended Biola University, and continued at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Buenos Aires. David Sedaca studied Judaism in New York and continued rabbinical studies at the School of Middle East Studies of the University of Belgrano. Professor Sedaca has been a lecturer on Homiletics, Biblical Archaeology, Judaism, and Jewish evangelism in several seminaries in the United States, Canada, Argentina, America, South Africa, Israel, and Europe.
He is currently "The Tim and Jeri Erdman Permanent Visiting Scholar" and Professor of Archaeology and Biblical Studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, in the Rothberg International School/Moriah International Center. He teaches at Israel's most prestigious university "Introduction to Biblical Archaeology," "The Jewishness of the Gospels," "The Jewish Background of the New Testament," "Paul and Halakha: Between Law and Grace," and "Introduction to Rabbinic Literature." He is also a professor at Haifa Theological Institute in Israel. His live lectures are turned into DVDs and translated to Russian, Spanish, and Hebrew; thus, his teachings are now reaching hundreds of people throughout the United States, Latin America, Israel, and Russian-speaking countries.
David is married to Julia Sedaca who serves as the Manager of Chosen People Ministries' Headquarters and Special Assistant to the President. They presently live in Virginia Beach, Virginia. David and Julia have four married children and nine grandchildren.
Dr. Alan Shore
The Making of Modern Jewish Identity and Its Implications for Jewish Evangelism
Centennial Room
As developments in 18th Western Europe ushered in what historians term the Enlightenment, a corresponding movement among Jews known as the Haskalah arose that, among other things, sought in various ways to engage with the wider, non-Jewish world. In so doing, Jews encountered Christian culture in a way it had not previously. One highly relevant result was the Jewish discovery of a Jewish Yeshua, and a new era of Jewish engagement with the Jewish roots of Christian faith. This, in turn, has led to a new era of Jewish evangelism that to this day affirms Jewish identity even as it promotes the Gospel.
A native New Yorker, Dr. Alan Shore has lectured widely in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Israel on various facets of the Jewish-Christian encounter in the modern era. He holds a doctorate in Modern Jewish History and Culture from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, where he studied at the Dinner Center for Jewish Studies. He has served in a variety of capacities with Chosen People Ministries for over 25 years. Alan and his wife, Kirsten, make their home in Bellingham, WA.
Murray Tilles
How to Share Jesus with Your Jewish Friends
Cherry Creek Room
This workshop will focus on practical ways to engage Jewish friends in spiritual conversations, and how to share the gospel in a culturally relevant way. Whether you’ve known your Jewish friend for a week or a decade, this workshop can help you build and strengthen your relationship.
Murray Tilles, born and raised in a religious Jewish home, accepted Jesus as his Messiah while a student in college at the University of North Carolina in 1979. Founder and Executive Director of Light of Messiah Ministries, a gospel centered outreach to the Jewish people in Atlanta, GA, Murray has spent 39 years proclaiming the message of Jesus to the Jewish community. His desire is also to help Christians understand the Jewish roots of our faith.
Murray earned his BA in Economics from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill as well as earning a Masters of Divinity and an M.A. in Counseling and Psychology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield IL. He is a missionary, author/writer, theologian, apologist, and teacher, who has appeared on television and radio, and has spoken in over 4000 churches around the world. Currently, Murray speaks in churches around the country helping his brothers and sisters in Christ understand the Jewish roots of our faith through Passover services, teaching on the Jewish foundation of faith in Christ, the Jewish festivals, the conflict in the Middle East. He also serves as the North American Coordinator of LCJE.
Justin Kron and Anna Beth Havenar
Jewish Ministry in a Post-October 7th World: Opportunities and Challenges
Colorado Ballroom
We will consider the challenges that are facing us in a world that has quickly become hostile toward Israel since the October 7th Massacre and the opportunities for ministry we may now want to consider as we serve the Jewish people in the U.S. and abroad. We will discuss and invite others to share testimonies and practical ministry ideas that have proven effective in light of rising antisemitism.
Justin Kron is the Founding Director of the Kesher Project, which is committed to helping Christians demonstrate the love of Jesus to their Jewish friends and neighbors. He frequently leads tours to the Holy Land and serves as an adjunct professor in the Jewish Studies department of the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.
In May 2021, in partnership with the Philos Project, he released an award-winning documentary film that he co-created and produced with Todd Morehead called HOPE IN THE HOLY LAND: Delving Beneath the Surface of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.
Justin earned a Master of Divinity (MDiv) at the Moody Theological Seminary and he is very grateful that the Cubs won the World Series at least once in his lifetime. His wife, Judy, is the Executive Producer and the Acting Manager of Programming of Moody Radio. They have three children and enjoy living with their dog, Ivy, in the suburbs of Chicago.
Anna Beth Havenar serves with Light of Messiah Ministries in Atlanta, GA as the Director of Communications and Community Outreach. She also teaches Hebrew classes and coordinates Light of Messiah’s Israel Tours.
She earned her B.A. in Linguistics and Arabic from the University of Georgia, and a certificate in Messianic Studies from Israel College of the Bible in Netanya, Israel. She is currently earning her MA in Jewish Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. Anna Beth hopes to help the church reject antisemitism and to more clearly and compassionately understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Diann Parkas
Faith in Motion: The Dynamic Power of Dance in Messianic Ministry
Dance is a beautiful way to make visible the heart of the worshiper. It’s visual, it’s musical, it’s dynamic. In a group setting it builds connection and camaraderie. In a worship setting it stirs hearts in deep and free expression of reverence and honor to the Lord. In this session, you will be inspired by the dynamic power of dance to attract the attention of unbelievers, to spur and enhance the worship of believers, to build community and teams, and to add vitality and beauty to Messianic services, events, and outreaches.
Diann was a dancer when she became a follower of Yeshua and she immediately dedicated her dancing, as well as the rest of her life, to Him. After in-depth training and earning a Master’s degree in Dance from New York University, the Lord gave Diann a passion for using dance in ministry contexts. She works full time with CJF Ministries, incorporating dance in her work in a variety of ways. She leads and teaches Messianic Dance, choreographs and performs original solo dances, and teaches believers techniques for worshiping the Lord in dance.
**Special Dance Workshop after the main evening session**
In this workshop, participants will have the chance to view, and to participate in, various types and functions of worship dance as they were explained in the General Session Presentation. This will include learning some basic steps as well as techniques that are improvisational in nature. No special talent or experience is required for participation. All are welcome!
Steven Ger
Friends, Brothers, Colleagues and Rivals: Sketches of Cooperation Drawn from the Apostles
An exploration through the New Testament, with emphasis on case studies drawn from Acts. We will focus on the level of evangelistic cooperation among early church leadership, drawing contemporary application when possible.
Steven Ger grew up in a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York and Aberdeen, New Jersey, where he was educated in both church and synagogue due to his distinctive heritage as a Jewish Christian. He is the founder and director of Sojourner Ministries, an organization dedicated to exploring the Jewish heart of Christianity. The name of the ministry is derived from the Hebrew meaning of Mr. Ger’s surname. In Hebrew, the word “ger” means sojourner or wanderer. This particular “wandering” Jew’s faith journey has led him to the conviction that Jesus is the Messiah who was foretold in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Steven’s first book, the commentary The Book of Acts: Witness to the World, was released in 2005. This was followed by The Popular Bible Prophecy Commentary (coauthor, 2007, revised in 2011 to Exploring Bible Prophecy from Genesis to Revelation), The Book of Hebrews: Christ is Greater (2009) and the audiobook commentary From the Ten Commandments to Gods and Kings: The Biblical Moses that Hollywood Forgot (2015). He is also a contributing author for the books The Gathering Storm (2005), The Popular Bible Prophecy Encyclopedia (2006), Zondervan King James Version Commentary: Old Testament (2010) and What Should We Think About Israel (2019).
Steven has led 17 tours to Israel, with extensions to Egypt, Greece, Jordan, Turkey and Germany. Steven currently serves as Senior Pastor for messianic congregation Beth Sar Shalom in Carrollton, TX. He earned a BA in psychology and interpersonal communications from Trenton State College and a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary. Steven lives in the Dallas area with his wife, Adria, and their son, Jonathan Gabriel.
Wednesday, May 8th
Susan Perlman
Media Review
A fast-paced look at how our movement has been covered in the media in the time period since the last LCJE gathering, followed by an opportunity for questions and comments.
Susan Perlman, a first-generation Jewish believer in Jesus from Brooklyn, New York is one of the founders of Jews for Jesus. She is also one of the founding members of LCJE. She has a media background and has written evangelistic materials from apologetics articles to tracts to skits to blogs to messianic coloring books. She is her organization’s Chief Partnership Officer, creating and expanding partnerships throughout the world. Susan also serves the global Christian community through her service with the Lausanne Movement and MissioNexus as well as Jewish-mission related boards such as Jewish Voice Ministries and The Messianic Times. She is also on the Board of Regents at Dallas Theological Seminary. Most recently, Susan served as Study Notes Editor on the Chronological Life Application Study Bible published by Tyndale. Susan's greatest love is to personally share the gospel with Jewish people one-on-one and with anyone else who needs to know Jesus.
Dr. Lee Spitzer
Yachad BeYeshua: An Experiment in Fellowship and Witness by Messianic and Church-Based Jewish Disciples of Jesus
Can Messianic Jews and Church-Affiliated Jewish Disciples of Jesus move from Fellowship to Witness to the Jewish world and the Gentile Church? Yachad BeYeshua (Together in Jesus) is an international network of Jewish disciples of Jesus who belong to Messianic Jewish congregations, traditional synagogues, Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and independent churches. But we are all united in our love for the Messiah and our commitment to Israel and the Church. In this workshop, we will address such issues as: Existential Loneliness and Communal Marginalization; the Ways of James, Peter and Paul; and A Novel Way to Heal the Divide Between Messianic and Church-Affiliated Jewish Disciples of Jesus.
Rev. Dr. Lee B. Spitzer is the Historian for the Baptist World Alliance and an Affiliate Professor of Church History at Northern Seminary. He served as the General Secretary of the American Baptist Churches USA —the first person of Jewish descent to hold that office. He pastored three ABC churches and served as the Executive Minister and Senior Regional Pastor of ABC New Jersey. His PhD is from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, in association with the International Baptist Theological Study Centre (IBTS). His DMin and MDiv degrees were earned at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He serves on the Committee on Ethics, Religion, and the Holocaust for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and as an IBTS Research Fellow.
Betsie Barker
The Creative ART of Hospitality
In our world of fast-paced, fast food, and on demand living, society has misplaced the priority of relationships. We can meet the felt needs of the Jewish community around us with a simple cup of coffee or a homemade meal opening the doors to sharing the Jewish messiah. Join me so together we can discover the beauty in the creative ART of hospitality.
Betsie, a Pastor’s kid from Boston Massachusetts, grew up with a solid Christian foundation and strong examples of ministry leaders. Always having a heart for missions, at age fourteen started her ministry journey serving in Haiti. A graduate from 24/7 Leadership Discipleship Training School she worked for Compassion International for six years. Today, she has ministered in over 20 countries around the world. In 2012 while attending a Conservative Synagogue she started her education and call to Jewish ministry. In 2020 she was commissioned with Life in Messiah and serves together with her family in Southeast Florida. Her present roles include homeschooling her four children, hosting Shabbat dinners, holidays, and events all while exhorting the body of Messiah in the building of the Kingdom through teaching, discipleship, and outreach.
Rabbi Jerry Weinstein
Strategic and Thrifty Communication Tools for your Ministry
Like it or not, much of networking today takes place in the magical chaotic world of the internet. Jerry Weinstein, Chief Tech Nerd of Congregation Shema Yisrael, shares the tools and lessons he has learned communicating and networking in a digital world. This workshop will be a survey of some of the tools available for free and budget-friendly that could enhance your ministry. There will also be a discussion of the emerging use of "AI" as it relates to ministry.
Jerry Weinstein is an Associate Rabbi of Congregation Shema Yisrael in Michigan. He received his M.Div from Moody Theological Seminary in 2016. A lifelong technology enthusiast, Jerry has been involved and interested in the intersection of technology and ministry for close to 15 years. Livestreaming, video editing, websites, SEO, "AI" (really LLM), are a few of his technological interests.
Dr. Amy Downey
Crisis of Faith, Crisis of Community: Meeting an Unanswered Spiritual Felt Need of Jewish Believers
After Shavuot in Acts 2, the first believers were all Jewish and built the fledgling congregation in Jerusalem around the concept of community/kehillah. This foundational and theological model did not have to disappear as it did but can flourish once again in this 21st century world of growing conflict and lack of community … if only we are willing to try. Especially as Jewish believers AND Jewish seekers have an unanswered spiritual felt need that needs to be considered.
Amy has a Bachelor of Science in Education degree from East Texas Baptist University and a Master of Arts in Communication and Master of Arts in Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and was the first woman to complete a Ph.D. in Theology and Apologetics from Liberty University (May 2016). She is also the author of Paul’s Conundrum (2011) and Maimonides’s Yahweh (2019) and the upcoming Missions in the Minor Key (2024/25).
Dean Ropp
Banquet Speaker and LCJE Conference Chaplain
Dean will be available for conversation and prayer any time throughout the conference.
Dean Ropp has been the pastor of Midway Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia since 1997. Dean and his wife Cherie have been married since 1981, and they are the proud parents of three children: William, Rebekah, and Samuel, and 5 grandchildren Cameran (7), Liliana (7), Turner (with Jesus), Austin Annie (1), and Josiah (9 mos).
Prior to leading Midway, Dean was associate pastor of Atlanta’s Mount Vernon Baptist Church (‘94-’98). He previously served as the director of Student Life at Bryan College in Dayton, Tenn., from 1990 to 1994. Dean was state director of Georgia Fellowship of Christian Athletes for four years (‘86-’90), and he began his career as youth pastor of the First Baptist Church in Libertyville, Ill., where he served from 1981 to 1986.
Dean earned his M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 1985. He holds a B.A. in history and Greek from Bryan College, where he graduated in 1981.
The church blessed Dean and Cherie with a 25 years of service life changing trip to Israel with Light of Messiah Ministries in the Fall of 2022.