As I walk down Broadway, I can see the true heart of New York City. Below the heights of 30 Rock and beyond the Brooklyn Bridge, you will find the true essence of the Big Apple. More than 8,000,000 people live in the New York area, and it is the quintessential melting pot. To and outsider, New York City would seem like a hard place to find community – but for the young Messianic believers of this city, it has proven to be much easier than expected.

Metro Moses Manhattan is a group of Jewish and Gentile young adults who believe in Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah and who come together every week to study the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and Brit Chadashah (New Testament). The goal of Metro Moses is to pursue God, learn what He says about Messiah, and provide a platform for spiritual seekers to do the same. In the process, we have had the pleasure of seeing God cultivate a new community – it is a community of friends who feel more like family. We help each other through life’s different seasons by praying, discipling and celebrating.

Although Metro Moses is a somewhat new community, we have already shared so many meaningful times together. One big part of our identity and ministry is celebrating the Jewish Holidays. This year’s Purim Party was a celebration of many colors! The costumes were surprising and creative – from an airline stewardess to the Blue Man Group. Celebrating Purim together is a great way to fellowship, enjoy homemade hamantaschen and share the story of Esther (Megillah).

In April, we had the pleasure of observing Passover (Pesach) together. Metro Moses Manhattan’s Second Annual Passover Seder welcomed over 65 people, including Jewish seekers. As we all ate the traditional charoset sandwich, tasted the bitter herbs and followed along in our Haggadahs (a book that directs the Passover meal), the message of Passover and God’s deliverance through Yeshua was shared throughout the night.

Outside of holidays and Bible studies, the Metro Moses group enjoys the benefits of living in one of the most exciting cities in the world. Whether it is watching a movie at Bryant Park or listening to the Philharmonic under the stars, we take pleasure being in each other’s company. Last month, we all came together for Havdalah on a rooftop overlooking Manhattan. With a beautiful view and burgers cooking on the grill, we laughed, ate, and even had the chance to develop friendships with two Israeli seekers and several other new people. During conversations with these two Israelis, they both expressed their surprise at how welcoming and friendly we were, and even how “Jewish” we were. It was a true testimony of the love and grace of God working in our community.

As we carry on through the summer and look forward to the fall, we hope to continue growing in numbers and in faith. We want to challenge ourselves and others to learn more about who God is, what His Word says, and what it means to be a Messianic believer.

Contributed by Lyndsi Vasquez