Caspari Center in Jerusalem
If you are wondering how followers of Jesus in Israel can get equipped for ministry, you need to know about the Caspari Center in Jerusalem. Located in the heart of the city, the center helps believers gain a deeper understanding of God and the Messiah.
The home of Caspari Center is right around the corner from the bustling King George St. in the city center of modern Jerusalem. The Center teaches and supports the local and international Body of believers through study of Scripture and the Jewish roots of our faith.
The CEO of Caspari Center is Elisabeth Eriksen Levy, a graduate of University of Oslo (Norway) and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem (Israel). Together with local and international staff Levy ensures that the programs at Caspari Center are both highly educational as well as practical.
Normally, Caspari Center could use their conveniently located headquarters to gather teachers and students together. However, last year hosting anyone at the Center has become close to impossible.
The Visionary Transformation
Astoundingly, the Caspari Center started moving their domestic programs online already in the fall of 2019. Did they know what would happen just a few months later? No, of course not. But by the grace of God, a shift has already been in the works for quite some time.
Although Israel is not a big country, traveling from one city to another can be time-consuming. Local pastors and Bible teachers turned to Caspari Center, requesting more resources online.
The directors, understanding the challenges while also knowing the benefits of technology, were quick to adapt. Before 2020 even began, Caspari Center was already leading trainings and seminars via the internet.
Caspari Center Spreading Light in Israel
Many of the Jewish believers in Jesus have not grown up in an environment aware of who Jesus was. We sometimes make an assumption that most people have at least heard His name and know basic facts about His life.
However, that is not true of a society mostly devoid of even cultural Christian influences. For example, Sunday is a workday in Israel, and you will not see Christmas decorations in most Jewish towns.
The decorations are not that important but demonstrate how different Israel is from the West. Many believers lack education in the foundational doctrines of our faith which some may consider common knowledge. They lack the time and resources needed to deepen their faith as disciples of Jesus.
In response to this great need, Caspari Center provides non-academic, practical training to Israeli believers. At the same time, they also develop high quality, academic resources pertaining specifically to this audience. Additionally, they aim to strengthen biblical foundations of the next generation by equipping children’s ministry leaders.
Ahead of Its Time
We are in awe of God’s goodness in the process of going digital. Before Israel introduced any restrictions, the Messianic leaders already had the freedom to learn from the comfort of their home.
By spring of 2020, when the world became unrecognizable, the Caspari Center was able to continue with their work, ahead of everyone else. Seminars in Hebrew and Russian that used to happen in person, switched to online in November 2019. Soon they also offered translation to English, Amharic and Russian.
While the directors hope to return to in-person meetings in the future, they are in no rush. Holding occasional conferences and special events in Jerusalem would promote fellowship among the online attendees. But all things considered, it is a true blessing that the educational programs can continue as normal.
Caspari Center International
One would think that investing in the local Body of believers would keep Caspari Center busy enough. Nevertheless, the leaders of the center know that the wealth of knowledge tied to the land of the Bible comes with a responsibility. That is, to share it with the world.
For this reason, Caspari Center also offers theological training on the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. It is specifically geared to international ministers and students of theology.
Their commitment is to teaching the international Body about the land of the Bible and the Jewish context of Jesus’ life. This includes teachings on the early church and the Jewish nature of the Scriptures.
The challenge is, it is imperative for most of the courses to be physically held in Jerusalem. Therefore, the three Bible schools that usually take place in a year had to be postponed until further notice. It is everyone’s great hope that the international programs can reopen this September.
Play a Part in Israel’s Story!
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