Jewish roots awareness conference set

For most Americans, the events of Sept. 11 were a startling awakening to the connection our Christian heritage has to the Jewish faith, as well as a sharing in their sorrows.

To promote understanding of the Jewish roots of our Christian faith, Crossroads Community Church and the Valley Pastors Prayer Network are cosponsoring a Jewish Roots Conference May 17-19. Starting Friday at 7 p.m., each session will be held at Wasilla Assembly of God off Knik-Goose Bay Road and is open to the public. Registration is $15 and free childcare is available for children ages 4 and younger.

Avner Boskey, conference speaker, will help participants explore the unique place that Israel has in the heart of God and what that means to everyone.

"In the increasing chaos and frustration in the Middle East, … Avner's words not only clarify and untangle the volatile web of Arab/Jewish dynamics, they also send a clear and convicting challenge to the heart," said Reuven Doron of Embrace Ministries, author of "One New Man."

Boskey was born in Canada and is known around the world as a powerful speaker on Jewish issues. He currently lives in Beersheva, Israel.

He studied at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and McGill University in Montreal, where he earned a degree in Jewish studies. He also studied at Dallas Theological Seminary.

In the 1970's he was part of the Messianic Jewish band, the Liberated Wailing Wall. Avner has served on the Theological Commission of the United Christian Council in Israel, on the National Evangelism Committee in Israel, and as associate editor of "MISHKAN: a Theological Journal," which is published in Jerusalem. He and his wife, Rachel pastored the Messianic Center in Saint Petersburg, Russia from 1995-96.

In addition to his book "Israel, Key to World Revival," and a booklet, "A Perspective on Islam," Avner and his wife have released three compact discs. They oversee Final Frontier Ministries, a ministry dedicated to the creative arts, worship, intercession, evangelism and the prophetic -- within a Jewish and Israeli matrix.

For more information about the conference, interested people may call Crossroads Community Church at 745-6701. Preregistration can be done at Crossroads' office at 7010 E. Bogard Road.

This article was submittd by Crossroads Community Church.