This month marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of CCF, which had its first meeting on Saturday, December 19, 1992, in Kfar Shmaryahu, Israel. The history and formation of CCF is quite unique, and I have wanted for a long time to write a mini-history of its founding. Recently the Lord brought to mind the fact of the upcoming 20th anniversary, so I thought the next best thing would be to write a kind of open letter to you at the Community Christian Fellowship.
By way of introduction, my wife Debbi and I were among approximately five founding families of CCF. (CCF’s founding members and initial core group included: Tom and Mary Pucci, Doug and Miriam Kook, Phil and Debbi Barth, Emile and Joyce Corneille, Rita Howard, Bruce and Sandy Meyer. Another key couple who joined in leadership early the first year was Chow Leng and Carolyn Wee. Due to the length of their eventual stay in Israel, the Wees helped provide important continuity during the first decade of CCF, along with others.) In the fall of 1992, the Lord (independently) put on many of our hearts the need for an English-speaking fellowship in the Tel Aviv/Herzliya/Kfar Shmaryahu area, with a strong focus on worship and the ministry of the Word. At the time, the available options were either too far away, or fell short in one way or another: Biblical emphasis, sense of community, spiritual dynamic, etc. Following a period of prayer, discussion, and discernment, we sensed the Lord clearly leading us to start something new. It was an exciting process to be part of, and to watch as the Holy Spirit orchestrated things many of us had not previously experienced.
I found it particularly exciting to see how He brought together people with a diverse and complementary set of spiritual giftings, so that various functions of the church were provided for (preaching, teaching, worship leading, childcare, prayer, logistics, etc.). I think it helped that Israel tends to draw motivated and gifted Christians, either for ministry or through their secular work. Our theological backgrounds and traditions were also diverse, although there was a good representation of those with a charismatic orientation. However, the emphasis was on Biblical teaching, worship, community, and prayer, not the promotion of a particular tradition. (Even the name of the fellowship remained generic for the first few years; for a time, it was simply named, the “Saturday Morning Fellowship.”) Within a year, the fellowship had grown to about 50-60 people, including children. At times during the first two years, we probably reached around 75.
It was a blessing to watch how the Holy Spirit led us in decision-making. Because we were relatively inexperienced in church-planting, and had no formal leader, the founding members would come together to make plans and decisions, resolving not to move forward without unanimity, or at least a clear consensus that we all could live with. We did this more as an act of faith, recognizing our need for the Lord’s leading, than as a rigid theological doctrine about how a church “should” be run. It was in this context that CCF’s distinctive pattern of “core group” leadership emerged. Over time, as people moved on, others would emerge as particularly gifted and/or motivated to help with leadership, and these people would be asked, invited, or volunteer to join the core group.
An outgrowth of this leadership model was that we were all being stretched and challenged in new ways, and this resulted in significant spiritual growth. I’m sure each person’s experience differed, but I believe we were all learning to better recognize God’s voice, through prayer, through our dependence on Him, and through listening to one another. I also believe that the spiritual gifts that were already evident in each person were strengthened and developed in this process. Tom, Doug, and Chow Leng were all gifted preacher/teachers, but the regular opportunity to express this gift resulted in a consistency and maturity that was a blessing to receive. Their diversity of style also brought a kind of balance to the teaching: Tom with his pastoral, relational approach, Chow Leng with his classic, motivational messages, and Doug with his desire to grapple with issues of the faith (augmented by his New York taxi-driver stories!).
Miriam, Mary, Debbi were joined by others to meet regularly for prayer, both for mutual support, as well as to discern needs and pray for our embryonic church. I believe that their prayer provided an important covering that enabled the church to grow, thrive, understand the Lord’s mind, and remain united.
As already mentioned, the fellowship had a somewhat "transient" nature in the early years, due to the fact that many of the members were expatriates on temporary assignments in Israel. However, CCF was also home to some whose commitment to Israel and/or ministry there was long-term, yet who found it desirable to maintain an English-speaking fellowship and worship experience. Their presence helped to create a stability and longevity for CCF.
In addition to ministering to the English-speaking expatriate community in the Tel Aviv area, other areas of ministry emerged. The first was a collection and distribution ministry to the poor, primarily through existing works: this was to both new Israeli immigrants, and to West Bank refugees. The second area was a ministry to Chinese expatriates, led by two families from Singapore. This resulted in the establishment of a Chinese speaking congregation in Haifa (consisting largely of students from mainland China). This ministry later branched out to include outreach in Eilat to (mostly) construction workers from mainland China, as well as another location in central Israel (Beth Shemesh?).
1994-1995 was a watershed time, as we were forced to find a new meeting location, and had major changes in leadership. Approximately half of the core group moved on to other assignments, so we sought the Lord for future direction, praying for a smooth transition to the next stage in the development of the fellowship. We seriously considered taking on a formal pastor, and had a particular candidate in mind, who had made himself available. The core group prayed and met often to consider this question, including an overnight retreat. We also sought the counsel of Wayne Hilsden, pastor of the King of Kings Assembly in Jerusalem, and others in ministry in Israel.
In the end, no clear consensus emerged so, in keeping with our practice of seeking unanimity in major decisions, we chose not to call a dedicated pastor. We did this in faith, not having a clear alternative, only the knowledge that the Lord had blessed us and brought us this far with the existing model of leadership. I don’t think I was the only one who felt some uncertainty about how long the fellowship might last with such an organization, with leaders constantly changing. However, the fact is that the fellowship has survived and thrived for 20 years now, and it is a great encouragement to be writing this letter to you. Obviously the Lord has preserved and sustained the Community Christian Fellowship on His own terms!
Over the years, we’ve gotten various reports of how the fellowship had evolved and adapted, from friends who either stayed in Israel, or returned after an absence. In January, 2001, I attended a CCF service, and enjoyed getting to know a congregation that was mostly unknown to me. Nevertheless, I still felt a definite connection to the congregation, as I still do now. This is hard for me to rationalize, except that there is a sense of parenthood that comes from investing in a living fellowship like CCF. I hope you also have that same sense about your own involvement. During our time in the CCF, I also gained a greater appreciation for the fact that the lasting substance of God’s kingdom is built in the hearts of his people, through shared worship, fellowship and service (vs. the size, style or perfection of our programs). This probably explains my sense of connection with people I’ve never met or barely know.
I’m sure that other chapters could (and should) be written about the life of CCF over these past 20 years. I also look forward to watching CCF over the next 20 years. Maybe we should start a Facebook group for CCF Alumni! I had hoped to visit you this month, but unfortunately it will have to wait until another occasion. Until then, we wish you every blessing and pray that the Lord will give you a clear sense of his guidance and provision, along with a growing understanding and experience of his presence and power in your midst.
In Him,
-Phil (and Debbi) Barth
