Sermon Podcasts OTC sermons are now available as Podcasts. Click here to visit our "Sermons" page, and then simply click the Podcast hot-link in the media center.
Unshackled By Messiah... the dramatized story of how one Jewish young man found freedom over fear through faith in Messiah. Click here to listen in.
Who We Are
The Olive Tree Congregation is a unique part of Messiah's body. We are made up of Jewish and Gentile people committed to following Yeshua (Jesus), the Messiah foretold by the Hebrew prophets. Although we come from many different backgrounds, our love for Messiah Yeshua spills over into genuine affection toward one another. We're a friendly, caring congregation and we want you to feel welcome here.
What We Do
You will notice a definite Jewish sensibility in our worship. Shabbat services begin with the blowing of the shofar (ram's horn). Our music is frequently from the Psalms and includes traditional Jewish melodies as well as contemporary praise songs. The Jewish roots of our faith in Messiah Yeshua are important to us and we want Olive Tree to be a place where we can worship in a culturally Jewish setting.
But you don't have to be Jewish to be here! At Olive Tree, Jewish and Gentile believers in Yeshua are linked together through faith in one God, the Father of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Our services include congregational singing, a joyous and enthusiastic expression of our love for the Lord. We also recite the Shema, a portion of the sixth chapter of Deuteronomy. A watchword of Jewish belief, the Shema is the basis for much of Yeshua's teaching. On the third Shabbat of each month, we also include a traditional Torah service as part of our worship. The Torah service features readings from the Torah, Prophets, and New Covenant Scriptures, as well as traditional liturgy which helps us stay in touch with the biblical roots of our faith, and provides a worshipful link with our past.
As you can see, a highlight of our services is our time in the Scriptures. During the message each week, the ancient texts of our faith are explained in a way that brings them into the 21st century with power and vitality. We gain a whole new perspective on the realities of everyday life when we see them in the light of God's plan and purposes. God does have something to say about what makes life work!
Services close with the Aaronic benediction. But, even when worship has ended, you won't find many people running for the doors. We really do enjoy being together.