294. How Jews for Jesus is Adapting to a New Generation, with Aaron Abramson, author of Mission Design

Jews for Jesus helps Jewish people come to know Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. What’s fascinating is how Jews for Jesus has not only remained committed to that mission of sharing the hope of the Jewish Messiah, but has also adapted as the world around it has changed. As ministry leaders, we face the tension between time-honored tradition and the need for fresh approaches—and the story of Jews for Jesus offers some compelling lessons in adaptive leadership.

In this episode, Aaron Abramson, CEO of Jews for Jesus and author of Mission Design, shares how Jews for Jesus has reimagined its strategies for sharing the gospel, as well as how leaders can cultivate a posture of learning and flexibility without compromising core convictions.  

THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• Jews for Jesus began as a movement to share the gospel with Jewish people, focusing on presenting the message in accessible and relevant ways.
• Aaron Abramson clarifies that believing in Jesus as the Messiah does not require abandoning Jewish identity.
• The earliest followers of Jesus were Jewish, and the concept of Gentiles joining Jesus was initially controversial in the early church.
• Markus Watson asks Aaron Abramson to share his own journey of faith and what led him to believe in Jesus as the Messiah.
• Religious and cultural barriers often make it challenging for Jewish people to consider faith in Jesus.
• Jews for Jesus historically used bold street evangelism, including handing out creative broadsides and literature on college campuses.
• Aaron Abramson observes that the primary strategy for evangelism shifted as cultural contexts and modes of communication changed.
• The rise of digital communication made traditional street evangelism less effective for connecting with Jewish people.
• Aaron Abramson describes pivoting to a process of empathetic listening and learning from the communities he was trying to reach.
• Teams at Jews for Jesus began to adopt audience-centric communication, tailoring their approach for different Jewish communities and subgroups.
• Aaron Abramson explains the development of new outreach models, such as setting up coffee shops and arts ministries as relational spaces.
• Ministry teams use design thinking, prototyping, and iteration to refine new strategies and measure their impact.
• Changing methodologies and staying adaptive allow Jews for Jesus to remain effective in reaching diverse Jewish audiences.
• Markus Watson highlights the importance of continually learning and adapting, affirming that keeping a posture of learning leads to meaningful change.

RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:

• Jews for Jesus website
• “So Be It” Youtube channel
• Books mentioned:
  • Mission Design, by Aaron Abramason
  • Center Church, by Tim Keller
• Related episodes:
  • 187: Tackling Adaptive Challenges in Church Leadership, with Angie Ward
  • 264: Building a Future-Focused Church, with Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, and Raymond Ch

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