JFJ Forums

I am interested in helping to get a group of people together to form a new Messianic Fellowship in West Los Angeles. Please email me at yourbuddyjonathan@yahoo.com if you are interested in being part of the group. We will get together informally on Saturdays and have music, fellowship, etc. and discuss ideas for forming this new Fellowship. I would like all people to feel welcome to come and participate in praise, worship, and fellowship with God and with other believers in the Messiah. Your background or nationality is not relevant here, but we would like to observe the seventh day sabbath (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown) and the biblical Feasts and holidays (currently referred to as the biblical holidays). The emphasis of the fellowship will not, however, be religion or conformity to dogma, but in developing one's relationship with the Presence of God within us and also developing friendships with other members of the fellowship, and eventually community and world philanthropy. The purpose of the fellowship will not be to evangelize anyone, though any attendee is free to do whatever they would like to do in that area, so long as they are not doing so in the name of the fellowship; however, I would like to see the congregation to grow and produce "offspring" congregations because I believe growth and reproduction is a natural part of life and a sign of health: "Be fruitful and multiply". I personally came from a reformed/conservative not-very-religious but culturally Jewish-American upbringing, attended a Quaker school (who emphasize Meditative prayer, egalitarianism, social involvement, and developing oneself inwardly including critical thinking skills and a broad education including international exposure). I later accepted Messiah (Christ) as my personal savior, went through a 6-7 year wilderness period, have explored many types of Christian or Messianic congregations including pentecostal ones, explored meditative or contemplative prayer, and currently have been attending something called a "new thought" church which always has provided me very helpful and deep messages, loving support, and awesome contemporary gospel music. All these diverse religious influences have value to me, notably the Quaker emphasis on egalitarianism in worship and in life. The "seat" of Quakerism is Philadelphia where the ideals and documents upon which this country were formulated: ideals described wonderfully in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution such as "All men [humans] are created equal and are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights. Among these are the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness..." Okay...well enough about that for now - but this fellowship will not emphasize one person or several persons having all the say in the group while the rest just follow along, but be more egalitarian and participatory, encouraging people to become leaders and initiators, not just followers and conformists (be "the salt of the earth").

hithere;

you have my attention, up to the point you say do whatever you want, except doing it in the name of your fellowship...LOL....and then end it with 'be the salt of the earth'  I got to tell you fellowship cries out for expression of: who's name you are doing it in?

I guess the most important thing I took away from your post, and most disturbing, is that you were in a lot of Christian settings and not one of them 'took'  and you are not willing to do anything in their name, either.

What was the deal?  why did their name not take? What is it that you want to do?

Personally The LORD should be glorified where ever two or more are gathered in His name, since He promised to be there in their midst.  But works, and outreach, and the harvest of our fellowship is not just to be a light under a basket...it is a city on a hill.  All lit up and shining...today, even visible from space with it's illumination!!

I got to admit, and confess, and fail you in this respect, too, ...I do not 'belong to a church'...But, most importantly, I have always tried to stay in contact with Jews for Jesus ...albeit a parachurch....and have always tried to get more of the churches I attend to welcome missionaries from JFJ to come and speak...they represent to me a life ...one lived without apology, that they belong to Christ.  And most importantly, a life lived without 'escape' from Christ, too.

most of the posts in this forum will tell you people have interests apart from ministry, too.  But the Name of the LORD is always foremost in every endeavor as a fellowship.

bye for now,
kimberly