Israel (MNN) — A new year sparks a new two-pronged media outreach targeting Russian speakers in the Middle East.
“After the fall of the Soviet Union, more than 1,200,000 people moved to Israel, back to their homeland – I’m speaking about Jewish people – and they all speak Russian,” says Pavel Shifman, who heads up TWR’s work in Israel.
He says Jews have moved from the former Soviet Union to Israel in several waves, adding that they seem more open to the Gospel.
“Fifty percent of the evangelical church or the Messianic church in Israel today consists of Russian-speaking Jews. This is the most responsive group of people in Israel,” Shifman says.
The Nehemiah Project, named after the Old Testament leader who traveled from Persia to Jerusalem and rallied the Jews to rebuild the city walls and study God’s Word, will develop in four phases. The first will be a 24/7 internet stream intended to build community among secular listeners. Not pervasively spiritual in content, the programming is produced by believers and features music, cultural news and discussion of life issues. Christian perspectives will make up a smaller though significant portion of the programming.
The Nehemiah Project will connect Jewish seekers on the Internet with local churches.
(Photo courtesy of TWR)
Second, listeners who want to learn more will eventually have the opportunity to check out a YouTube channel featuring videos of Russian Jews sharing their testimonies. Phase 3 will incorporate other social media to enable believers and interested audience members to interact, asking and answering questions. Ultimately, interested participants will be invited to meet in person with believers from follow-up teams or to visit local churches.
In the second prong of this outreach, believers will contextualize TWR Women of Hope radio scripts and then record new Russian episodes for streaming.
Click here to support the Nehemiah Project. A gift of $60 will help develop unique content and establish the infrastructure needed to support this outreach.
Most importantly, pray. Pray Gospel workers receive the wisdom and resources needed to successfully launch this project.
“The launching phase is critical because the 24/7 stream and the YouTube channel helps you reach large numbers of people, and then it all narrows down to individual meetings and online communications,” Shifman says.
The Nehemiah Project will expand to secular Jews later this year. “They don’t think that there is a God behind this whole history of Israel and the nation,” Shifman explains.
“We want to explain and reach out with this message of hope that God is behind the history of the Jewish people and the whole world.”
Israel’s war against Islamic parties on two separate fronts is causing many Jewish people to question and doubt. Pray TWR’s new project will connect believers with people desperate for truth.
“More than 100,000 people were displaced because of the war with Hezbollah up in the northern part of Israel,” Shifman says.
“There are so many challenges that people face today, and that’s why more and more seek answers and turn to God.”
Header image depicts a Jewish man in Jerusalem. Photo courtesy of Tom Gordon/Pixabay.
