What’s New at King of Kings Herzliya
This year so far has been a whirlwind! At the end of last year, our congregation held a “Let There Be Light” holiday celebration for Christmas and Chanukah, where we invited believers and unbelievers to pack out our home, eat Christmas cookies and hot cocoa, sit by a fire pit, sing carols while we shared a simple gospel message. There were several unbelieving families there and God is leading us to “press in” for their salvation in prayer and sharing. Please join with us as it seems God is having us “get our nets ready” (Matthew 4:19)!
Our weekly congregation meetings on Saturdays are showing consistent growth. We had to launch a special giving campaign in January to buy more chairs! Within three weeks, the money came in to buy 50 more chairs from our generous congregation so we will have the ability to host more people in his presence during our corporate times of worship and Word.
We have also launched Growth Track at the congregation: a “next step” class that will help in getting attendees plugged in, identify their gifts, and help them live out their calling here in the community. Our heart is to identify soul-winners and disciple-makers and activate them in ministry here. It’s not all about us—we are called to empower others to the work of ministry!
Another thing I see that God is doing in our congregation is deepening the hunger for God in our young people. In January, we had 21 Days of Prayer where we invited the congregation to our home every morning from 6 – 7a to pray for the congregation, city, nation, and world. The majority of those who attended were our young students! I am praying for continued hunger for God that will be met with a move of God in Herzliya and on the University Campus here (Interdisciplinary College, Herzliya).
Other Ministry and News
In November, Daniela and I were asked to lead worship with a Spanish tour group on a boat in the Sea of Galilee. It was a wonderful time of Spanish and Hebrew worship and so amazing how strangers from different parts of the world can plug into God’s presence and be instantly connected!
Daniela has been starting to teach singing and cooking classes once a week in Jerusalem at an after-school program called Yuval. We are praying that this opens doors to eventually open up a music and fine arts after school program here in Herzliya.
During Christmas and New Year, I (Matthew) was happy to have my mother here with us for a whole month. Then, right after my mother left, Daniela’s mother was also able to come and be with us for 2 weeks! We spent Christmas with some friends in Jerusalem we have known for years, Marj and Dave Halquist. They were the ones that took me and Daniela (first separately, then together) to Israel years ago and have been serving in the Jerusalem Prayer Tower. We are sad that they will be moving back to the states this month, but we know that God has so much for them there. They have covered us DAILY in prayer for almost 15 years now, and I owe much to them for their dedication to us and to Israel. Speaking of prayer:
Please pray with us:
- Souls! We have been sowing gospel seeds to unbelievers in our Zumba women’s community group, outreaches, and relational interactions, but we want to actually see fruit and people coming to God! Please pray for a breakthrough.
- Continue going deeper in the things of God, especially for our young people.
- As our congregation grows, it becomes apparent that we will need to utilize more rooms in our facility. As Daniela and I live on the second floor taking up 3 rooms, I believe we will need to move out this year. Housing in Herzliya is very expensive, but since God is in this, He WILL provide! Please pray and agree for the right housing, timing, and finances for us as we begin to prepare living arrangements.
From where you are, you can empower God’s work in Israel!
