Passover Celebration (Two Nights)!

This year we are having two seders. The first is Monday, April 10 at 6:30pm. The second is Tuesday, April 11 at 6:30pm. They are the same event so choose which one you would like to attend and register! Please make sure you are on the night that you would like to register for.

Tickets are available through Eventbrite with the link at the bottom of this event post. Tickets will also be on sale at our Shabbat gatherings every Saturday until tickets are sold out.

Every year we celebrate Passover together with a full sit-down meal. We go through the order of service (Seder) and celebrate all that God has done for His people, Israel, and for everyone from every nation that calls on the name of Yeshua (Jesus).

Passover is the celebration of God freeing our people Israel from slavery in Egypt. As a Messianic Synagogue, we also celebrate the death and resurrection of Yeshua our Messiah (both events took place during Passover). There is so much to celebrate because the God of Israel is not only awesome but He is also the Only God!

So, join us this year. If you are able to buy a donation ticket for someone who cannot afford one, that would be wonderful! We do our best to keep the price low for the event so an offering box will be at the check-in table if you are able to help us meet our cost to put on these events.

This is going to be the best Passover ever! Don’t miss out on one of the best events of the year. This is a +1 event, so buy a friend a ticket and invite them to join us!

Buy tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/restoration-a-messianic-synagogue-3492160195

Winter Connect Groups

Winter Connect Groups begin next week and I want to encourage you to jump in and join a group. It is only an 8-week commitment and it will add real community to your life and encourage you more than you can imagine. 

As in past semesters, some of our groups will work off of Saturday sermons. When we write sermons we spend somewhere between 10-20 hours on them, and the life cycle of our congregation functions through our sermon series. It is a great way to connect with people in our community and on a deeper level with God. These are also great groups to invite friends to who don't yet know Yeshua!

3 sermon community Connect Groups:

Mill Creek: Led by Laurie Bachand @ Rick & Cindy Gile’s home - Monday nights @ 6:30pm (begins Jan. 16th)

Edmonds: Led by Chris Hamilton @ Tom & Gisela Fogle's home - Monday nights @ 6:30pm (begins Jan. 16th)

Northgate: Led by Aybars Uckun @ Aybars & Kelly Uckun's home - Tuesday nights @ 6:30pm (begins Jan. 17th)

We have a specialty Connect Group that studies the traditional Jewish readings from the Torah for each Saturday. It is a great opportunity for study and connecting with like-minded people at Restoration. It is very convenient as this group meets on Saturdays in our building following our Shabbat Gathering.

Torah Connect Group: Led by Janet Cothrell after Shabbat Gathering (begins Jan. 21st)

This winter semester we are adding Connect Groups specifically designed for men and women. These groups will use a video-based Bible study and will be totally different in context than the other groups. So if you are able, you can participate in a few different groups in one week!

Women’s Connect Group: Led by Piper Ditzler - Wednesday nights @ 7:00pm in the Restoration Office (begins Jan. 18th)

Men's Connect Group: Led by Matt Rosenberg - Tuesday nights @ 6:30pm in the Restoration Office (begins Jan. 17th)

You can get specific information about each group at our Shabbat Gathering every Saturday, or contact Emily Kennedy in the office at 206.232.0490 or info@shalomseattle.com.

These groups are going to be awesome. You are designed for community and we are better together. Join a Connect Group this winter semester!

A word of encouragement!

Yeshua is still Alive. For me this is what I have staked my whole life on. Yes, he was killed. Yes, it was bloody and brutal. Yes, he offered himself, no one took his life. But three days later he rose from the dead. Bottom line I'm sticking with the only person to ever die, come back to life and never die again. There are plenty of things to be afraid of but I don't want to be afraid. There are plenty of things to stress about but I don't want to live in anxiety. Yeshua offered himself for people who need a savior not for those who are convinced they don't need one. He came for the sick, the marginalized, the ones who don't belong. He came so that we can meet him and want to be like him. He doesn't need you to change before you meet him. But you will be changed after you meet him. Don't be afraid, don't be anxious, trust in the one who died, rose from the dead and still lives!

Hanukkah Latke Lunch

On December 31st (7th day of Hanukkah) following our Shabbat Gathering we will host a Hanukkah Latke Lunch in the lobby. We will fill the lobby with latke's (traditional fried potato pancakes) and fried donuts to celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah and for everyone to share! Come and join us for this unique Hanukkah celebration and invite some friends to our Shabbat Gathering and our Hanukkah Latke Lunch following! 

Baby Dedication at Restoration December 17th

We will be having a baby dedication during our Shabbat Gathering on December 17, and it is open to anyone who would like to dedicate their children. This is a great opportunity to invite family and friends to synagogue! Let us know if you would like to be included in this dedication!

Fleece Jacket Project for The Israeli Defense Force

Every winter Restoration participates in an amazing project called "The Fleece Jacket Project for the IDF." There are several units of the Israeli army that need fleece jackets to keep warm as the they protect the borders of Israel from its enemies. Restoration partners with a messianic organization in Jerusalem to provide fleece jackets for these amazing soldiers. The cost of one fleece jacket is $22. Last year we were able to purchase just under 300 jackets. 

During this season of Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, & Christmas we encourage you to buy one less gift and buy a fleece jacket for an Israeli soldier. There are three ways to give:

1. Restoration App: Use "IDF Fleece Jacket Project" in the dropdown menu

2. Website: shalomseattle.com/donate, Use "IDF Fleece Jacket Project" in the dropdown menu

3. Put a donation in an envelope marked "IDF" through the end of December at our Shabbat Gathering.

The Parsha Project

New to The Restoration App: a link to The Parsha Project.

My friend, Aaron Trank (formerly of Jews For Jesus), built a website where you can read the weekly Torah portions every week throughout the year. It's called The Parsha Project and it is, in part, a tribute to his brother Sean Trank who died of lung cancer in 2014. Sean made amazing videos for each Torah portion called "Parsha in 60 seconds" and along with the reading for each Torah portion you will find Sean's amazing videos.

You can use the link in the Restoration App or follow along at http://www.parsha.co.