Tikkun America Network

Tikkun America is an equipping network to build healthy and devoted Kingdom communities with a focus on Messianic Jewish ministry.

The Tikkun America Network is a Messianic Jewish network of congregations, leaders and ministries that is committed to several important distinct values. The vision and values of Tikkun were refined over the course of 40 years and is rooted in covenant relationships of leaders who have walked together over decades with loyalty and mutual commitment. We invite people to join Tikkun America who share our vision, values and theology and who are led by the Holy Spirit to do so.

What distinguishes us?

Tikkun America Distinct Values

We believe that the Lord has led us to great clarity on the priorities for a Messianic Jewish congregation. We remember this by an acronym tool, FYSTR (Father, Yeshua, Spirit, Torah, Rabbinic Tradition). We urge all to maintain a biblical balance of emphasis in teaching and worship expression. We first of all emphasize worshipping the Father and the Son, Yeshua. The Bible says that we are to honor the Son as we honor the Father (John 5). The New Covenant Scriptures show that the Father and Son are normally honored together. Then we are to be a people who seek the power or anointing of the Spirit in all we do; we pursue revival and that all would be immersed with the Spirit. In this we make room for all the gifts of the Spirit. The emphasis in our worship and teaching is to magnify God for his great acts of salvation for us in Yeshua and to clearly show that FYS emphasis.

Next in priority is the application of the Torah beginning with the model of the application in the teaching of Yeshua. Mosaic Torah is to be applied as it fits the New Covenant Order and emphasis. We are last of all judicious in our evaluation and application of Rabbinic Tradition. In this, we seek to embrace what is good, beautiful and true, and apply it as we are led by the Spirit but also to reject that which is not in keeping with the Spirit and letter of the New Covenant. This balance keeps our focus clear. All our congregations and members are always encouraged to keep this balance.

We secondly constantly emphasize what we call our Five Pillars Eschatology as a primary motivation and direction. While we have interpretations of the many texts that deal with the last days, we are primarily oriented to note that the most important aspects of the Last Days is our participation in God’s will in history and what He is seeking to affect. As such we know that the Kingdom of God has broken into this Age and we are called to invite people into the Kingdom and to live in and from that Kingdom. We preach the Good News of the Kingdom. We believe that God will use His people to bring about five key fulfillments before the Second Coming of Yeshua. This is the most important matter to know for eschatology. They are: First, that we are passionate about the prayer for unity voiced by Yeshua before He died, that “We might be one as He and the Father are one so that the world might believe that (the Father) had sent Him. (John 17:21.)” We believe that we are to seek unity with all true believing communities and that there will be a move of the Spirit to cooperative unity in every region, nation and city before the return of the Lord. This will be by the Spirit and not mere human contrivance.

We believe in last days revivals or outpourings of the Holy Spirit until a final last days world revival that will have great effect on a harvest from all nations. We believe that it is clear that Acts 2 was an installment but that a much greater fulfillment is yet to come.

We are passionate about Matthew 24:14 and believe that “The Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached to all nations (ethnicities) and then the end will come.” That end is the return of Yeshua. This is connected to the first two pillars. The Gospel will be presented with signs and wonders at a level that people will respond to Yeshua as King.

We believe that commitment to the salvation of Israel is the responsibility of all disciples of Yeshua. We are committed to expand the numbers and quality of discipleship in the “remnant saved” (Romans 11:5) of Israel because the part of Israel saved is key as well to all Israel being saved and the return of Yeshua. We believe in the call to Messianic Jewish life so that we can show the living testimony of the Gospel to the Jewish people first and God’s covenant faithfulness to Israel. We partner with believing Gentiles who are called alongside with us to make Israel jealous, pursuing the salvation of Israel and the glorious return of Yeshua.

We believe that God will raise up a leadership in these last days that is passionate for these four. Indeed, Eph. 4:11 looks for that leadership that will equip the saints until the Body comes into unity, maturity and fullness in Yeshua. Only with such leadership can we see the purposes of God in the Last Days fulfilled.

We are committed to what we call five-fold ministry from Eph. 4:11 ff. Clarity on this passages and its implications is very important to us. This connects to how Tikkun sees both government and ministry. In the Bible, we see that the government of congregations and of networks of congregations and ministries is always under a plurality of mature elders who are mutually submitted.

Each local congregation has its own plurality of elders often guided by a lead elder. The congregations are linked to the national body of leaders (Tikkun American Council) where a representation of elders form the ultimate government of Tikkun America. The national body is led by the America Apostolic Team, a group of senior elders coordinated by a lead elder of this group who is called to be an apostle. Why is this important to us? It is because we see all five gifts/roles in Eph. 4 as important to equipping and producing a fuller capability in congregations. Not every local congregation has all five gifts. The five gifts/roles are, apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher. Some people have more than one of these gifts. They key to the segifts/roles is finding both support and space for them to operate for the good of congregations. We do this by providing equipping visits to congregations, regional and national conferences and online sessions.

We do not see leadership gifting as a basis for honorific titles. In keeping with the teaching of Yeshua, we seek to avoid such titles, but note what roles a person serves. It is important that people not be miscast but function according to the actual giftings from God. We see examples of miscasting. For example, when evangelists who are not pastoral seek to pastor a congregation (unless there is a strong pastor partner) it produces frustration for all. This robs congregations from having equipping that all might be effective witnesses. Often this leads to a lack in producing a stable flock. When prophets pastor instead of functioning on a team, it can wear out the flock. Teachers bring the whole council of God but without the other giftings they can wear out the people with the details of biblical theology! On the larger trans-local level, we seek the larger eldership to include the mix of all five gifts so that our directions will be solid and balanced. Are we giving adequate space for equipping and direction to all five giftings?

Because we believe that Yeshua is Lord and leads by the Spirit, we do not have a dictatorship, but believe that the Holy Spirit will lead us to unity in direction. Yes, there is also leadership and vision casting from the lead elder, but not in an exclusive way.

In this vision, it is important for us that finances are given to enable the fullness of five-fold ministry, contrary to the idea of just having a local pastor as the one five-fold minister supported.

Tikkun America is linked to Tikkun Global based in Jerusalem, Israel. The Global family includes the network of congregations in Israel, called Tikkun Israel, and several other networks and ministries around the world. We also maintain fraternal relationships with other networks of like values.

We are most glad to be in communication with you to explore the possibility of being part of our growing association.

Why become a Tikkun member?

There are many reasons why leaders and their congregations join Tikkun America. Leaders of ministries may also join. Here are a few:

1. Alignment with the vision and biblical theological values of Tikkun America. Many are convicted by God that they are called to foster the kind of Biblical Kingdom of God understanding developed by Tikkun. These leaders know that they need to be connected to something larger for greater impact (see the Twelve Pillars and Tikkun America Leadership Manual).
2. Being joined in covenant love with like-minded leaders who mutually support one another. Over the years of being connected in covenant through Tikkun America, leaders have found relationships of mutual care, prayer support and pastoral care through the senior team of Tikkun America. This covenant love sustains us in the many battles we face.
3. Embracing being part of an equipping network. As a five-fold network (Eph. 4:11 ff.) Tikkun supplies equipping leaders to encourage, train and develop. Strengthening leaders and congregations to enable greater effectiveness is the center of Tikkun’s activities. Conferences, regional gatherings and subsidized congregational visits all are focused on equipping.
4. Connecting to a heritage of leaders who have walked together in mutual accountability and humility for over 40 years. Recognizing that heritage of continuity in covenant leadership by joining Tikkun places those who join in a position to receive the blessing of the heritage of those leaders.
5. Receiving the blessing and reward of impartation. The Bible says that if we receive a prophet as a prophet, we received a prophet’s reward. This means that one receives the enrichment of the gift that the five-fold leader brings. Receiving the Tikkun five-fold equippers brings the enrichment of their area of gifting. Receiving the prophet enables more prophetic people in the congregation to be developed and support the prophetic destiny of the community; so also, for the evangelist who enables the people to be effective witnesses, and the apostle who brings more solid foundations to benefit all.
6. Connection to Israel and a world movement. Tikkun brings leaders and congregations into connection to Israel and the network of congregations in Israel that was the fruit of senior leaders who were part of establishing Tikkun America more than 30-40 years ago. This connection to Israel, we believe, will grow more and more over the coming years as we prepare to be in the last battles together leading to the return of Yeshua.
7. Effective tithing for leaders and congregations. Tithing leaders and congregations embrace covenant responsibility to help prosper other congregations and ministries in the network, equip leaders, support planting new works and indeed receive blessing back to the giving leader and congregation. It answers the heart cry for getting behind something important in the Kingdom in a substantial way. Where ones treasure is, that is where your heart will be also.
8. Fulfilling appeals for help. Tikkun provides leadership to answer appeals to come alongside when there are crises in a congregation. Mature leaders can help to reconcile divisions or support the enforcing of biblical discipline. Many congregations have been saved from division and ruin because the Tikkun leadership team was there to support mediation and to resolve issues.
9. Opportunity for ministry beyond one’s local community. When a leader has healthy foundations within a network, it can open up opportunities for ministering in one’s gifts beyond the local community.
10. Commitment to the Unity of the Body, Jew and Gentile. Tikkun connection enhances the efforts for unity undertaken by local Messianic Jewish congregations in their own locales. We foster healthy expressions of One New Humanity (Eph. 2).
11. Provides modeling for a style of relational leadership. Tikkun models biblical leadership, a leadership that is not abusive but operates in humility of mutual submission as a team.
12. Fosters the fulfillment of the Biblical models of mutual accountability among congregations. When leaders study the Bible they see that congregations are linked to one another in accountability under apostolic leadership. They see that independent congregations are not the biblical model. The norm is for semi-autonomy under local elderships with mutual accountability. Independent congregations are not as safe since their leaders are not accountable.
13. Emphasis on Yeshua centered, Holy Spirit Power within a Jewish expression. This establishes healthy, biblical priorities within our local congregations.
14. Tikkun stands together as a bulwark against aberrations from Messianic Judaism that are undercutting the Messianic Jewish Movement. It enables us to stand together against error. Tikkun includes many who are well trained in Biblical theology to help us in this. We provide position papers on various topics as needed.

Benefits Of Tikkun America Membership

a. External relational accountability for the senior leader(s).

b. Direct personal spiritual and pastoral care from other Tikkun America leaders.

c. Input, mentoring, and guidance from established Tikkun America congregational and apostolic leaders.

d. Non-interference and semi-autonomy as a general principle. The local elders are the primary leadership of the congregation.

e. Tikkun may provide intervention or mediation in case of serious need, supporting resolution of disputes among the eldership team or serious issues that may arise within the community.

f. Counsel and prophetic input to the leadership and the community.

g. Opportunities for the congregational leaders and elders to bring their gifts to bear for the national network – ministry, teaching, and equipping venues.

h. National and regional conferences for equipping, relational strengthening, and strategic initiatives.

i. Opportunity to receive financial aid for leadership development and scholarship programs.

j. Financial support for emerging congregational leaders and internships.

k. Intangible benefits of belonging to a family of communities with shared values and commitments.

l. Enhanced credibility from membership within a long-standing ministry family of integrity and accountability.

We are looking forward to be in communication with you.

Addendum: Final Considerations

An Apostolic Network

First of all, Tikkun is what we call an apostolic network because it is founded on the biblical pattern of apostolic team leadership, and is led by a person (one day it might be persons) who is recognized as having the gift of an apostle. It is unique in being one of the very few Messianic Jewish organizations that are apostolically led and Holy Spirit oriented; its organizational premise is that congregations expressing the Kingdom of God ideally are submitted to a fivefold ministry leadership that is inter-congregational. What that means is that, just as our members are submitted to the oversight of the congregational leaders in appropriate matters, the congregation and its local leaders are, themselves submitted and accountable to the oversight of a plurality of translocal Tikkun leaders. Most of this team is comprised of congregational leaders, although some of them are also anointed for other “five-fold” ministry services (Ephesians 4:11). Today, the Tikkun network is overseen by Benjamin Juster, whom we call our shaliach (apostolic leader), who leads the Tikkun America Apostolic Team. The oversight and our accountability to Tikkun provides safety for congregational members in ensuring that the congregation’s leaders are serving you with honesty, morality, and fidelity to biblical truth.

Other Aspects of the Network

In addition to being apostolic, Tikkun is also prophetic in that it seeks prophetic input from God for major decisions. The shaliach himself does this for Tikkun, and we are encouraged, as a congregation, to do likewise. This is sometimes called being led by the Spirit, something we all can and should do. However, there are some in Tikkun who have a special prophetic gifting, that of a prophet or navi, and these persons are given a significant role in hearing and speaking God’s direction for Tikkun. This hearing, when it occurs, is submitted to the Tikkun America Apostolic Team for discernment. Tikkun maintains a network of relationships outside of our family of congregations where we also process and discern prophetic direction.

In addition to the above two of the Ephesians 4:11 five-fold ministries; the other three are evangelist (m’baser), pastor (roeh), and teacher (moreh). All five gifts are for us today, and Tikkun believes that the Bible teaches that senior ministers of five-fold gifting, led by a senior shaliach, ought to tie congregations and trans-local ministries together so that the usual conflicts between the congregational and para-congregational is eliminated.

What Membership in Tikkun Means to You

Tikkun is your major connection to other like-minded congregations with common values, and is your link to Israel through our relationship with Tikkun leaders in the land such as Asher Intrater, Eitan Shishkoff, Ron Cantor, Guy Cohen and many more. Tikkun sponsors five regional councils. This ties local congregations together for mutual support and prayer. Tikkun also sponsors the Annual Leadership Conference, the annual Members’ weekend RESTORE Conference, Training Institutes, Emerging Leaders events, and various other educational and spiritual functions.