On July 19, 2014, the Tree of Life Messianic Jewish congregation became one with Skyline Church, a Wesleyan congregation in La Mesa, California, a suburb of San Diego. Rabbi Joel Liberman and his wife Darcie lead the Saturday morning Messianic Jewish service. “He leads ‘the Saturday people,’” said Dr. Jim Garlow, Skyline’s senior pastor, “as I lead ‘the Sunday people.’”
The fourth floor of Skyline’s Family Center is converted – on Saturdays – to a Jewish “temple” for worship. Dr. Garlow sees in this new venture a fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer for oneness (Jew and Gentile) in John 17.
The unique relationship of Skyline-Tree of Life goes beyond a group of Messianic Jews renting space from a Christian church, a practice that occurs frequently. Rather, Dr. Garlow observed, “The Jewish leaders and scholars do not know of another church that has done this – on a weekly basis – and with the rabbi on the staff.”
For more information on these ministries, see the church’s website: www.skylinechurch.org.
