Jews for Jesus

(Tuvya Zaretsky is a CCCC minister serving as Director of Missionary Staff Development for Jews for Jesus.)

Dear CCCC Family and Friends,

The Apostle Paul often wrote “Peace and grace in our Lord Jesus Christ” as a salutation. The modern Israeli version would be translated, “Shalom and blessings in our Messiah Y’shua!” Though Ellen and I were stationed in Tel Aviv, Israel from most of the first six months of this year, I am writing today from west Los Angeles. We want to say thank you for your partnership in our ministry with Jews for Jesus. Your care and prayers among the CCCC churches mean so much us!

So, last week our family experienced one of those very special life-changing occasions — the marriage of our older daughter, Abbie. Some of you may have met her at an annual conference. It was a wonderful celebration of two lives becoming “one flesh.” She met her (now) husband when they were both students at The Master’s College. After graduation last year they both found employment at the same company. They created a beautiful wedding celebration that honored the Lord Jesus with Jewish cultural customs and celebrated a joy-filled occasion.

It was also the first time in nearly 40 years that Ellen was joined by all three of her siblings. She has worked hard to keep in contact with her Jewish family after coming to faith. Her brother (now also a believer) and their two sisters, all finally came together for Abbie and Marcelo’s wedding! The whole weekend was a wonderful time of openness and family reconciliation. Please pray for our unsaved family members who attended the wedding: particularly our sisters: Phyllis, Linda and Susan.

I continue to urge prayer for Jewish seeker, Bruce A. The Lord is consistently bringing incredible Christian contacts into his life. The latest testimony was from a friend of mine, a retired US Navy Admiral. I introduced Bruce to him when I heard that Bruce “just happened” to be visiting other evangelical friends in the same Pennsylvania town! My officer friend serves Jesus and loves our Jewish people. There are just too many of these “signs” for Bruce to write them all off as coincidences now! He is enthusiastically pursuing the truth of the gospel.

Last week I was up in San Francisco to meet with our executive team and train our newest class of missionaries. You can read about all the newest staff, our “next generation,” in the September issue of the Jews for Jesus Newsletter on pages 4–5. Training our incoming missionary staff is one of my favorite duties — next to discussing the Messiah Jesus with Jewish seekers! That was why I was in Israel earlier this year — to train the youngest workers in Tel Aviv! The Lord is on the move among Israeli young people, and especially among IDF soldiers!

Perhaps you are already aware that the Jewish High Holy Days began with Rosh HaShanah on Wednesday, September 4. Please pray for the outreach through our very appropriate worship services. I am honored to be ministering on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, September 13. Please pray that the message will reach open hearts with salvation on that night. I am also serving churches with messages about the background to the Jewish festivals of the Bible — like “Christ in the Feast of Tabernacles.”

And, September 17 marks the 40th anniversary of when we formally incorporated as Jews for Jesus here in California. Yes, that’s me pictured as I was 40 years ago, in animated conversation with a dear elderly religious Jewish man on 5th Avenue in New York. I’m so delighted to still have a vital part in our testimony — as from generation to generation we proclaim the praise of the Lord Jesus. Thank you for your partnership with our ministry too. I am honored to be part of the CCCC fellowship.

Let me know how we can be praying for you too.

Yours in our Messiah,
Tuvya Zaretsky
Jews for Jesus
10962 Le Conte Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Tuvya.Zaretsky@JewsForJesus.org
310-443-9553 (ext 25)