At the Church’s Ministry Among Jewish People (CMJ USA), our mission has always been to help the Church understand its Jewish roots and to love the Jewish people around us with the love of the Messiah.

We remember that the Last Supper—the very foundation of our Communion—was a Passover Seder. To love Jesus is to love the people through which the Messiah was given to the world. Our "freedom in the Messiah" is not a replacement for the Jewish story; it is a profound extension of it.

Right now, antisemitism continues rise beyond what was already an all-time high., and it is reshaping the daily lives of Jewish Americans. According to the American Jewish Committee (AJC) State of Antisemitism in America 2025 Report, an overwhelming 91% of American Jews now feel less safe in the U.S. following high-profile violent attacks over the past year.

As the Israel-Hamas War wages on, CMJ Israel continues to find ways to do life and ministry amidst the strife, turmoil, and lack.

In the midst of different responsibilities here in Pittsburgh, I have been monitoring the news, as I expect many of you have. The numbers and violent stories are hard to process.

Ruhan – a young Jordanian man – had been sitting in the back of the room listening, unbeknownst to most of us. He spoke only Arabic. He had never met anyone from Israel.

Each year, during or on Good Friday, churches and congregations around the world take up offerings for the work of Christ Church in Jerusalem. The offerings we receive underwrite the ministry of our Mercy Fund, which is used by Christ Church throughout the year to relieve suffering of many kinds.

We call it the 'Oh-No!' principle... that moment just after the Spirit stirs you with a genuine call of God... that moment when your flesh kicks in and pulls back on the reins. Moses had an 'Oh-No!' moment at the burning bush. Gideon had one when God called him into battle for his people. Most of the prophets initially responded to their own calls with an 'Oh-No!'. Peter had an 'Oh-No!' reaction when he heard Jesus describe the suffering that awaited him in Jerusalem. Maybe it's one way to see Jesus' own agony in Gethsemane.