Analysis of Survey Results

Not surprisingly, the highest level of interaction between believers as a whole takes place in the context that facilitates the lowest level of interpersonal relationships: congregational services.  About 2/3 (60%) of all respondents reported service attendance at least weekly, which may, in and of itself, indicate only a moderate overall commitment even to such nominal interaction.

Conversely, at exactly the same rate, respondents reported the lowest level of interaction in the context that facilitates the highest level of relationship: simple fellowship. Again, almost 2/3 (60%) of all respondents have no fellowship with believers outside services or other meetings on a weekly basis. This, of course, is in stark contrast to the standard of daily fellowship as exemplified in Acts 2:46, especially considering that only 4% of all respondents claimed to participate in daily fellowship with believers outside their family.

Small group involvement, however, offers a glimmer of hope, and some potentially illuminating insights. While only a little more than 1/3 (38%) of respondents participate in a congregation-affiliated small group (such as a Bible Study or cell group), another 1/3 (32%) are involved in independent small groups, including 12% in independent home fellowships. All told, this accounts for almost 3/4 (70%) of the respondents.  Though small-group type is diverse, the fact that more people are involved in small groups than in weekly congregational services could be an indicator that people desire closer, interpersonal interaction, and need only to be encouraged in it.

While interaction at each level (services, small groups, simple fellowship) may have some amount of influence on the others, factors such as marital status, children living at home, etc. also appear to play a part. Involvement in independent groups, as opposed to those congregationally-affiliated, do appear to have lower rates of simple fellowship. This speaks to the need for independents to overcome the negative aspects of their independent-minded tendencies. Clearly, congregational organizations continue to offer a convenient framework in which people can more easily find places in which to comfortably fit. Independents need to not necessarily be more organizationally-minded, but more mindful of the organism that is the Body of Messiah, and eschew any idea that it is beneficial to walk alone.

In conclusion, if the results of this survey even slightly resemble the character of the larger Body of Messiah, there is a significant vacuum of fellowship among us. We are a fragmented, disjointed Body, and if we have any hope of adequately shining the light of Yeshua, we must overcome this glaring shortcoming.

Survey Results

Congregational Connection

Almost 2/3 (60%) of all respondents attend weekly services or more; almost 3/4 (72%) attend at least monthly.

Women attend weekly services slightly more than men (39% to 31%), however, of respondents who said they attend services twice weekly, men attend more than twice as often as women (36% to 17%). More women than men attend services less than monthly (31% to 24%). Among women, unmarrieds attend congregational services the most (68%), while married women with and without young children attend at about the same rate (50% and 52%, respectively). Among men, marrieds with young children attend congregational services the most (73%), compared to 63% in the other two groups. Married men without young children attend services the least (37%).

Jewish and Gentile believers attend at-least-weekly services at about the same rate (35% and 37%, respectively), though Jewish believers had a slightly higher percentage of more-than-weekly attendance (29% to 22%). Gentile believers, compared to Jewish believers, had a higher rate of occasionally, rarely, or never attending services (7%, 11% and 12% to 6%, 6% and 10%, respectively).

1/3 (32%) of all respondents are involved in some kind of independent fellowship, separate from a congregational organization (20% in independent Bible Studies, 12% in an independent home fellowship).

Small Groups

Almost 3/4 (70%) of all respondents participate in a small group outside of family. Almost 1/2 (47%) are involved in some kind of small group Bible Study, while more than 1/2 (59%) are involved regularly in more than one small group.

Of respondents who attend services at least weekly, almost 2/3 (60%) are involved in a congregation-sponsored small group, while those who attended services less than weekly were more involved in an independent small group (44%). Nearly a quarter of congregational attenders are also involved in independent small groups.

Men are slightly more involved in small groups than women, both in groups connected with congregations (40% to 37%, respectively) and independent small groups (33% to 31%, respectively). Married men with young children are the most involved in congregational small groups (60%), whereas married men without young children and unmarrieds are considerably more involved in independent small groups (42% and 63%, respectively). Married men without young children have the highest rate of non-involvement in small groups (21%). Nominal percentages of married men have fellowship only with their family.

About 1/3 of all women are involved in congregational small groups. A third of married women without young children and a third of unmarried women are involved in independent small groups, compared to less than 1/4 of married women with young children. Married women with young children have family-only small-group-fellowship the most (22%).

Gentile believers are involved in congregational small groups at a slightly higher rate than Jewish believers (39% to 35%), but at more than seven percentage points higher for independent small group involvement (34% to 26%). Jewish believers, however, are significantly more involved in multiple small groups (68% to 56%), while Gentile believers tended toward Bible Studies over other small group types (37% to 29%).

Simple Fellowship Outside Organized Meetings

2/3 (60%) of all respondents have no fellowship with believers outside services or other meetings on a weekly basis; only 1/2 (52%) do so at least monthly, though nearly the same amount (44%) have fellowship even less frequently than that (25% “occasionally”; 14% “rarely”, 5% “never”).

Of respondents who attend services at least weekly, only 41% have fellowship at least weekly with other believers outside services; about 50% of those have fellowship more than twice a week. Only a little more than 1/4 (29%) of those attending services less than weekly have weekly fellowship or more. About the same percentage of respondents in both groups (53% and 51%, respectively) have fellowship outside of services on at least a monthly basis.

Women are considerably more involved in simple fellowship on a weekly basis or more (41% to 29%). Men and women are about even when it comes to nominal or no simple fellowship (40% and 38%, respectively). Unmarried women have simple fellowship the most (45%), while a little more than a third of marrieds do as well (39%). Married women without young children are the least involved in regular, simple fellowship at 42%.

A little more than 1/3 of unmarried men (38%) engage in simple fellowship on a more-than-weekly basis, while only a little more than a 1/4 of married men do so. About half of all men do not fellowship with other believers outside services and meetings.

Almost half of Jewish believers (45%) have more-than-weekly simple fellowship, compared with 1/3 of Gentile believers (33%). Three times as many Jewish believers meet daily with other believers (6% to 2%), while twice as many Gentile believers never have simple fellowship at all (6% to 3%). Overall, Gentile believers are more likely than Jewish believers to have fellowship on a less-than-monthly basis (46% to 39%).

Small Group – Simple Fellowship Connection

Of the 36% of respondents who report they have simple fellowship at least weekly, more than half (54%) are also involved a small group connected to a congregation; only 37% of the same group are involved in independent small groups. Of the 44% who occasionally, rarely or never have fellowship with other believers outside of services, it made little difference that they are involved in a congregational small group (35%), independent small group (25%) or no small group at all (31%).

The Raw Data

Here are the actual results of the survey.

The traditional date of Shavuot is Sivan 6, which, according to the Jewish calendar, is always 50 days after the second day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 16, Pharisaic reckoning). While 28% of respondents selected this choice, 15% also indicated that they rely upon the traditional Jewish calendar to determine when to celebrate Shavuot. This means that 43% percent of all respondents celebrate Shavuot according to the traditional date of Sivan 6, putting this reckoning in a dead heat with the formerly apparent leader.

Breakdown by Demographics

It is interesting to note that both Jewish believers (by a 19 point margin) and those involved in Messianic congregations (by a narrow margin of 4 points) favored the traditional reckoning, while Gentile believers favored that of the Sadduccees by 6 points.

This may indicate that Jewish believers are less likely to part ways with the Jewish community, and that Messianic congregations have a slight tendency to side with tradition—at least in the matter of Shavuot. On the other hand, Gentile believers may be more likely to dismiss Judaism’s point of view, indicating a certain level of disregard for the people of Israel. That said, it may be just as likely that those willing to challenge the traditional reckoning—Jew and Gentile alike—have done so through sincere study of Scripture, or even having been persuaded by Jewish roots, emotion-based reasoning (i.e. Yeshua was resurrected on a “Sunday,” allegedly making that day “first fruits,” and should therefore start the counting from the Omer, etc.). How people arrived at their conclusions cannot be discerned from the survey results, only that there does appear to be a correlation between viewpoint and degree of actual connection to the Jewish people.

Conclusion

All respondents were at least aware that there is an enduring controversy regarding the time of counting from the Omer and the subsequent dating of Shavuot. While some are content to simply follow the Jewish calendar (15%) or the lead of their congregation (8%), the majority (71%) has a definite opinion, and that opinion is heavily centered on the two main alternatives that have been in competition since the days of Yeshua.

With 43% of respondents choosing the Sadducean method, this indicates either an intentional antagonism toward tradition’s established decision, or a preponderance of alternative teaching that has had a significant influence on those both within and outside Messianic congregations. Either way, it is clear that the traditional point of view in this matter is in no way accepted carte blanche, at least in certain circles in and around the Messianic Jewish Movement, and that people are willing to entertain and embrace alternative points of view. The question is, will those who do not fall in line with tradition be willing to allow their own views to be challenged and questioned, or will they oppose tradition by reflecting their own dogmatism and closed-minded attitudes?

The Passover experience facilitated by Behold the Lamb is an uncommon, untraditional departure from the usual Passover seder, set apart by its unique and unapologetic use of Scripture—approximately ninety percent of the Behold the Lamb Haggadah is nothing more than a compilation of relevant passages from the Word… and nothing tells a story better than Scripture!

In addition to the groundbreaking Haggadah, Behold the Lamb also includes a 20+ page supplementary section containing recipes for delicious homemade matzah, an introduction to our unconventional children’s crafts, and pages of brand new teaching material on Passover topics that we have never seen treated in any other publication, Messianic or otherwise.

Because Passover is such a pivotal and foundational appointed time for Israel, we have also produced a companion Preparation Guide for hosting and facilitating the fullest Behold the Lamb experience possible. In it, we have condensed years of our own family’s Passover experience into practical advice and suggestions, not just for the ‘avodah, but for the weeks leading up to Passover, and the days immediately following it. You have never had a Passover like the Behold the Lamb Passover memorial outlined for you in these materials!

All in all, Behold the Lamb, together with the Preparation Guide, is the most practical resource we have produced to date. We are especially pleased, because it allows us the opportunity to offer you an accurate and personal glimpse into one of the most treasured and intimate moments of our own family’s life.  Not that we think what goes on in our home is more special or exceptional than others; rather, we felt it was vital to capture and present this personal perspective, because the very purpose of the Passover itself is an uninterrupted self-transmission from one person, family, and generation to the next. The way the Geoffreys memorialize Passover is just one of many, many innovative ways to do it. We only wanted to communicate our rendition to you in the hopes that you will find it to be a faithful memorial of the Passover of Scripture—and that it will provoke you to find Scripture’s Passover to be the only one worth repeating… person to person, family to family, year after year, generation after generation.

Learn more about Behold the Lamb and our other Passover-related resources by going to http://PassoverResources.perfect-word.org/ Group discounts are available!

About the importance of discipleship, Kevin says, “Many of us really have no clue what discipleship is all about. We vaguely think it has something to do with evangelism, or perhaps taking a class on the foundations of the faith. But real discipleship—true discipleship—is what the Master exemplified for us. He called people to follow Him and be like Him. If we’re truly living for God—and even if we’re struggling with it, but faithfully trying—we have something to offer those who don’t yet know Him, and those who need to know Him more.  I love this book because it hits at core topics that every believer in Yeshua needs to have settled in their lives.  These topics are linch-pins in our walk with the Master, and we need to get these down—get these solid, deep within us—if we ever hope to be productive servants in God’s Reign.  I promise two things from this book: one, you will be lovingly, but firmly challenged; and two, you will be encouraged to be the complete, whole and effective disciple that you have already been remade to be!”

Click here to learn more about Being a Disciple of Messiah.

When asked why he wanted to write this brief work about Yom Kippur, Kevin responded, “‘Deny Yourself’ is not just about making meaningful, practical application for the holiest day of the year.  This is what the Master told us to do: deny ourselves.  In order to serve Yeshua, we have to stop existing–we need to supercede all our wants, desires and needs, and completely replace them with the Master’s instructions.  In 2009–and it’s been this way for a long, long time–the Body of Messiah is a cultured, civilized, domesticated religion.  It’s all about us and what we can get from God.  The message of ‘Deny Yourself’ is the message of Scripture: it’s not about us at all–it’s about emptying ourselves just like Yeshua did and unselfishly serving God and everyone else.”

To learn more about Deny Yourself, or to order your copy, please visit http://denyyourself.perfect-word.org/.

Analysis of Results

It is self-evident that the respondents as a whole did not hold the typical Christian view that Torah is obsolete and has been “done away with.” Indeed, in keeping with such a perspective, only three percent responded that “no one” should keep Torah. We can therefore surmise that the vast majority of our audience are not traditional Chrisitans. Rather, they have a positive view of Torah-keeping, individual definitions or applications notwithstanding.

In contrast to the traditional Christian view, an overwhelming 78% of survey respondents see Torah-keeping as valid for Gentile believers in Yeshua. Almost 75% of these respondents (58% of all respondents) clearly see Torah as an imperative for all believers in Yeshua, period. The remaining 25% (20% of all respondents) view Torah-keeping as optional for Gentile believers, yet permissible for those who desire it. (It is also possible that these responses reflected an “optional” view of Torah-keeping for Jewish believers as well. If so, they would be included in this 25% figure.)

Only 19% of all respondents viewed Torah-keeping as either an exclusively or primarily Jewish responsibility. Almost 90% of these respondents (17% of all respondents) placed Torah-keeping for Gentiles as a practice reserved for those living within the context of the (Messianic) Jewish community, and therefore not encumbent upon Christians in general.

Comments and Observations

In hindsight, demographics should have been collected along with this survey. Without such data, it is difficult to make a determination if the views reflected in the survey are representative of any particular group of people. The only demographics we can assume is that all respondents are part of the incredibly diverse Messianic Internet community (we can define this community as Jews and Gentiles who share or collect information about Messianic Judaism or Jewish/Hebraic roots through the Internet). So, while the survey results cannot be used to determine the general attitude toward Torah within the Messianic Jewish movement, it certainly points to the pervasive view of those active on the Internet.

Ultimately, the survey confirmed what was suspected: the majority attitude of the Messianic Internet community toward Torah is apparently one of obligation (or, at least, invitation) for all–Jew or Gentile. This should, of course, be a startling statistic, given the historical Christian view (that not only is the Torah obsolete, but Christians are not “under” it, i.e. obligated to keep it), and the explicit teaching of Scripture (that the Torah was given to Israel to distinguish her from the nations, i.e. Ex. 19:5, De.26:18-19, cf. Ex. 33:16).

In defense of the Torah-for-everyone position, however, proponents are quick to point out that the Scriptures speak of “one Law/Torah” for both Israel (the Jewish people) and the Gentiles who sojourn with them.  While this concept can certainly be applied in the context of a modern, Messianic Jewish community, it nevertheless begs the question: are all Gentile believers in Yeshua “sojourners/geriym” with Israel, according to Torah?  Is the goal of the Good News to bring all the Gentiles of the world to the land of Israel to live as Jews (like Caleb, Rahab or Ruth), or is there simply a figurative and spiritual unity between Jewish and Gentile believers, as described in Paul’s metaphorical olive tree? (Ro.11)  If there are indeed two types of Gentile believers–the exception that assimilates into Israel, and the majority that does not, though they separate from the world–do their differences affect their relationship and type of obligation to the Torah? With regard to the unity between Jew and Gentile in Messiah, do the Scriptures explicitly state or demonstrate that Jewish and Gentile believers are all now “Israel” (thereby obligating all believers to keep Torah), or do the Scriptures say that Israel’s believers (Messianic Jews) and the believers from the nations (Gentile believers in general) share not the Jewish believers’ national identity as Israel, but their covenantal promises as “one new man” in the “household of God”? (Ep.2)

The survey clearly revealed a majority opinion of Torah-keeping that less than 1/4 of respondents significantly challenge. The obvious question remains: can the survey’s majority view be upheld by Scripture, or do the Scriptures teach a different view of “who should keep Torah”?

We are also working on our new Preparing The Way “inPrint” Series, which features written versions of some of our teachings that are presently only available in recorded audio format.  The first book in the series “Deny Yourself: The Atoning Command of Yom Kippur” was released in August 2009.  The next book in the series is Giving Adonai His Due, a Messianic Jewish look at  living a lifestyle of Praise and Worship.  This title is in line for publishing in 2010-2011.

Also on the drawing board is our fourth devotional book, the Messianic Shabbat Devotional, though there is no publication date at this time.  On August 31, 2008, we released our third devotional book, the Messianic Torah Devotional.

Help us choose the topic for the next book we will publish.

We have several very different and important books that are presently in line for publication, but we want to know which topic is most important to you right now.

Watch the interview now!