Dear Shalom Ministry Partners,

Thank you so very much for your prayers and generous support of this ministry. We are deeply grateful for your investment in this unique outreach. We are constantly amazed at the many doors that God has opened as we bring the Good News to our Jewish neighbors.

As reported in our last newsletter, planning for Shalom Ministry’s annual tour of the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills is gaining momentum, and we are receiving many inquiries from people interested in joining us. I’m enclosing a flyer with the details. Please post it in your church and encourage your congregation to attend. We invite all of our supporters to join us on Sunday, April 26, from 2 to 4 p.m., and be part of what promises to be an unforgettable afternoon. Last year, well over 100 people came, and everyone went away with renewed enthusiasm for reaching the Jewish Community with the message of Messiah. Remember, there is no admission fee for the tour, but please come prepared to contribute to a collective donation to the Holocaust Memorial Center.

We had a wonderful Purim service with a great turnout on March 7. The children of the congregation dressed in costumes representing the biblical heroes Esther and Mordecai as we celebrated God’s deliverance and salvation of the Jewish people from the villain Haman’s wicked plot. The children did an outstanding job, and I am extremely proud of the young people God has committed to our care.

By the time you receive this letter, we will have conducted at least three “Messiah in the Passover” Seders. Donna and I are training volunteer staff to lead these presentations so that we can keep up with the demands. One of our exceptional couples is the Harkonen family. Please keep them in your prayers. We also want to say that, in keeping with our unique ministry, Shalom Ministry’s Passover presentations are quite different from those of other ministries. We blend the traditions of the Jewish culture with the Gentile Christian perspective to provide an authentic Jewish Seder celebration. Please make every effort to encourage members of your church, civic group or school to invite us out to make this presentation. We are available year around.

We currently have three Passover presentations scheduled in April. These include a sit-down Seder dinner at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, at Grace Community church in Farmington Hills; and additional presentations at 11 a.m., Sunday, April 5, at Spring Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Pontiac; and 11 a.m., Sunday, April 11, with Congregation SAR Shalom at Calvary Baptist Church. For information on these and all other Passover presentations, please call our office at 248-545-8800, ext. 28.

Please continue to pray for the salvation of Sarah and Coby, our Jewish friends. Each of them will be coming to Sar Shalom in April. Sarah is a Holocaust survivor and will speak of her experiences during that terrible time. Coby will do a presentation on Passover from the Israeli perspective. Pray for our board member Mike who is recovering from a operation.

Donna and I want to thank all of you who supported us in prayer during our time of grief as well as celebration over our granddaughter who went to be with the Lord last month. Our daughter-in-law, Deidra, is still recuperating and wearing a heart monitor. We are praying that she won’t need to have a pacemaker installed at such a young age. We ask you again to continue in prayer for her and our son David, as we see God build the character of Messiah in their lives. He always gives beauty for ashes.

Our ministry is growing and we believe that God will expand our base of supporters – in spite of what the world calls an economic crunch. God always provides. And again we thank you for being used of Him to provide. May God bless you as you have blessed us.

Remember to reserve your place at the Fourth Annual Shalom Ministry Dessert Reception at Bloomfield Hills Baptist Church, Friday, May 29. We have a great program planned, with WMUZ Christian talk show host Bob Dutko as our keynote speaker. Don’t miss this one! Please call our office with your guest list: 248-545-8800, ext. 28.
 
Yours in Messiah’s service,
Rev. John and Donna Denson