A special Arab-Israeli pastors & families retreat

One of our highlights each summer is a special retreat organized by the ministry of our dear friend, Tom Hess, for pastors, ministers and their families. We were close to 300 people this time, spending an amazing time together in fellowship, prayers and study of the Word by the beautiful Lake of Galilee. Despite the difficult time of growing challenges, problems and conflicts in our cultures, we continue to spend time together, Jew and Arab, reflecting the unity and the love we have for one another in the Lord.

It was a beautiful time of worship and joy, with lots of contemporary worship and Middle Eastern sounds. We sang in Hebrew and in Arabic, and it was priceless to see how with each passing year, the friendships that we’ve begun building are only growing stronger.

I’m personally grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this retreat also as a speaker. The chance to share from the Word and inspire other pastors and leaders from the Land, is really amazing.

Being a pastor in Israel is not an easy task. Not only is it not exactly prestigious, unpopular and considered odd to most people in the land, but it’s also very challenging because of the continuous pressure, criticism and persecutions. Maybe that is why God is blessing the work here in Israel in a special way. All those who took part in the retreat went back home encouraged, refreshed and ready to continue carrying out the task God has entrusted them.

Please pray for: 

Pastors and ministers in Israel.

Unity between the congregations and churches.

Growing unity, friendships and love between Israeli and Arab believers.

Other Posts today

Art Exhibit at Beit Hallel Congregation for local Ashdod artists

We always love to support art people among the believers, we here at Beit Hallel we have been blessed with several creative and artistic people who have really enriched our congregation with their creativity and gifts, to name a few: Avital, who is a gifted painter, her daughter Shai – an anointed musician, singer and songwriter in our […]

Eternal message – Innovative methods Hosting TX Vikings at Beit Hallel

Last week we had some unusual guests and friends visit us and bless people with their unique ministry. They are called TX Vikings, and this team of modern day Norwegian Vikings are gifted with unusual strength and physical abilities, which they use to share their testimony and witness through their amazing gifts. We organized a special evening with […]

The day is here – we’re finally launching our ALPHA course!

There’s a historical feeling in the air, a tangible excitement and anticipation… Tonight we will host a historic number of 147 people at our very first ALPHA course event. It’s really something amazing and we are eager to see what the Lord is going to do and how He is going to work in people’s lives. ALPHA course […]

Youth Conference

December was such an eventful action-packed month for us. One of the amazing events we organized was our very first large scale youth conference for the entire region of south of Israel. The response was overwhelming. Young people from all over the south of Israel came excited for a special night of worship and celebration. It was a […]

A special Christmas project

We shared with you about the special Christmas outreach project we were planning at our congregation. For the past few years Christmas has become a cultural fascination and has awakened in many people an interest in something that always seemed so foreign. So we decided to bring Christmas and its true significance to them by organizing a special night […]

Hospital visit report

On Hannukah we took our teenagers and young people to visit children’s hospital, to bring them toys, put smiles on their faces and light up their Hannukah with warmth and love. It was an amazing experience for our young people, they really embraced the biblical principle of “it is more blessed to give than to receive” and […]

YOUTH WORK UPDATE

Everyone can agree that young people are the future of the church. Here at Beit Hallel Congregation it is no exception and youth work is one of the most important aspects of our ministry. It is wonderful to see how God is moving among young people, igniting their hearts with fire and placing in them the desire to […]

Youth Visiting Children at the Hospital

A few weeks ago we took our youth to visit a children’s wing at a local hospital in Ashkelon. We stocked up on soft toys, candy and our finest smiles. It was so beautiful to see children’s faces light up when we came in with the gifts. As much as it wonderful for the children to receive […]

ELAV – Arab & Israeli Youth Conference

In August we sent our youth to an annual Arab Israeli youth conference where over 500 young people from all over Israel, as well as Palestinian territories and all over the world, came together to spend time together in teachings, worship, prayer and fellowship.0 It was an amazing time for all the young people who were a […]

Our latest posts

When the Shofar Sounds:
Remember the God Who Still Speaks

As we prepare here in Israel to celebrate the Feast of Trumpets, I have been thinking about a sound that has echoed through the story of our people for thousands of years: the sound of the shofar. In Hebrew, this biblical feast is called Yom Teruah—the Day of the Shofar Blast, or the Day of Trumpet […]

Hebrew Word of the Week:
HaKol Efshar (הַכֹּל אֶפְשָׁר) —
All Things Are Possible

Sometimes we face situations where we simply do not see a way forward. We have prayed, we have waited, and maybe we have done everything we know to do, but nothing seems to change. After some time, we can begin to think, “Maybe this is impossible.” The Bible is full of people who found themselves […]

A Call to Draw Near:
Strengthening a New Generation of Believers in Israel

“Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to Him those He wanted, and they came to Him.” Mark 3:13 There are seasons when the voice of God can become difficult to hear beneath the noise of everyday life. Responsibilities, decisions, relationships, work, questions about the future—especially for young adults, life can pull the heart […]

When a Heart Begins to Open

Sometimes the most important thing happening in a room is something no one can see. A woman may sit quietly, listen without saying much, and give little indication that anything has changed. Yet a seed has been planted. The Word of God has reached somewhere beneath the surface. And sometimes it is only later that […]

He Saw Them —
Rosh HaShanah and Sukkot Evangelism Campaign

“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” Matthew 9:36 When Yeshua looked at a multitude, He never saw a number. He saw faces. He saw stories. He saw lives unfolding before Him—people carrying pain, questions, disappointments, fears, and […]

When God Leads You Somewhere New —
A Message from Joppa, Israel

There are seasons when life feels settled. Perhaps you have prayed for something, watched God answer, and finally reached a place where you can breathe again. There is nothing wrong with being grateful for that place. But today, standing in Joppa—the biblical city known today as Jaffa, on Israel’s Mediterranean coast—I am reminded of something powerful: sometimes […]