Worship (Avodah)

Avodah is the Hebrew word for “worship.”  It comes from the root word for “service” as well.  Of course, in Jewish tradition, these two thoughts naturally connect.  Worship is not merely sitting in a pew and watching someone else worship God.  It is better understood as a service that we offer to HaShem much like the priesthood of the ancient Temple.  There are some important ways in which we, as a messianic synagogue, offer up our avodah to the Lord.  Check the links below to find out more of our philosophy regarding liturgy, music and dance as expressions of our service of the heart.  We hope you will come join us as we lift up Messiah within the beauty of  Jewish tradition.

Music Ministry

Eric and Joanne Kragenbrink – Music Directors

We love music! And we are very blessed to have a premium music ministry that leads our services every week. The Psalmist exhorts us to break out the guitars, flutes, trumpets, drums and a rabbi on the bass guitar (rough paraphrase!) All this is led by the Kragenbrinks who are recording artists and dedicated worship leaders. You will hear everything from Carlebach Chassidic tunes to Israeli traditional songs to modern Messianic jazz. You won’t want to miss our High Holy Day Choir either. Every song and meditation is meant to be a tool to draw us closer to the presence of God and every week this time is a great source of joy and encouragement. A wonderful part of our music ministry is the outreach band called Zemer Yeshua (Hebrew for “Song of Yeshua/salvation). This dynamic music group presents concerts in all sorts of venues including at community theaters, the San Diego County Fair (for the last 24 years!), conferences, college campuses and even at the local malls. Be looking for their new CD of messianic worship coming soon! We are always adding new dimensions to the music ministry. If you are gifted in this area or a vocalist, please talk to our Music Directors Eric and Joanne. “Sing to the Lord a new song!”

Dance Ministry

Since the days of our redemption from Egypt (Exodus 15), dance has played an integral part in Jewish worship. Miryam, King David and our people through every generation have entered the joy of this expression. At Kehilat Ariel, we believe in expressing the joy of our redemption even today. At almost every main service (Shabbat and Holy Days) you will witness the visual mosaic of traditional Israeli dance. For us, it is not just for the wedding reception or bar mitzvah but rather a weekly statement of our love for God and Messiah. Whether you have a background in dance or can’t tell your left foot from the right, all are invited to join us to learn this Messianic Jewish way of praising our Creator and Redeemer.

Our vision is to honor our Lord Yeshua (Jesus) with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength through Jewish or Davidic dance. We learn and share choreographed dances with messianic believers at regional and international conferences, as well as from the Israeli dance community. Our desire is to worship the Lord together with fellow believers and to be a light among the nations and in our local community. We honor Yeshua through dance in several ways:

At our weekly Shabbat services in a joyful and disciplined expression of unity, as we lead the congregation in choreographed dances that seek solely to honor our Messiah. 9:30 am reviews are held the Social Hall. All are welcome!
Through special dance presentations and during the Biblical feast celebrations such as the High Holy Days, Hanukkah, and Passover.
By teaching dance workshops and providing dance teaching videos for those wanting to learn choreographed dances. Check the KA calendar for special workshops and the Resource Center at KA for our own original videos.

Through presentations to churches and members of the body of Messiah, to share our joy in dance worship, as well as the Jewish roots of our faith and in dance.  Through outreaches to our community, to share the joy of dance as well as the Jewish roots of our faith. We are blessed that many of these happen year after year, but we always look forward to new opportunities.

We welcome all to learn and participate in our dance worship services and special classes and events in a spirit of unity and reverence. We encourage all participants to be mindful of their attire, conduct, and attitude to enhance the joy of worship individually and corporately.

Nagila B’Ariel will gladly share to both English and Spanish audiences. For more information please contact Kehilat Ariel Messianic Synagogue at 858-490-4355, by emailing KAdancemin@gmail.com or come to join us at our Shabbat dance reviews or workshops listed in KA’s calendar of events.