Congregation Chai v’Shalom

& Rev. Kevin Parviz

 

Congregation Chai v'Shalom (Life and Peace), a Messianic-Lutheran congregation of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod (LCMS).

Congregation Chai v’Shalom began in 1997 as a store-front office in Dogtown, St. Louis, MO, with Vicar Kevin Parviz as the first deployed missionary for Apple of His Eye Mission Society, and celebrated its first worship service on April 18, 1998, sharing sanctuary space at Village Lutheran Church in Ladue, MO, a heavily Jewish community in west St. Louis.



During its first seven years, Chai v’Shalom would see seven different sanctuaries, but continued to expand its ministry in Dogtown as it acquired more of the building at 6327 Clayton Ave.  By 2005, Chai v’Shalom would buy that building and move all of its ministries to Dogtown, where it is today and continues to provide and promote direct evangelism to the Jewish community in St. Louis, and throughout the United States through its partner ministries.

Congregation Chai v’Shalom also seeks to educate the church body regarding the need for evangelism and the richness of the Jewish roots of Christianity.


Pastor Kevin Parviz a Jewish believer in Jesus, came to faith through the ministry of St. John's Lutheran Church and School in Denver, Colorado. As the father of a child in a Lutheran school, he found an unusual love for the Christian teachers, parents and children who witnessed their faith to him so sincerely. Through the faithful prayers of his wife and children, and the patience of the pastors and members of St. John's, Kevin's heart was softened and he was brought to faith through the Holy Spirit.


His love for the school led him to eventually become a teacher there. Kevin spent two years as the school principal and then, Kevin entered Concordia Seminary, St. Louis to study for the pastoral ministry. It was there that Kevin began to realize the direction that God was leading, as he helped to begin the Apple of His Eye Mission Society in 1996, alongside Steve Cohen and Jennifer Krupp, working with Lutherans in Jewish Evangelism (LIJE), the first mission society for outreach to the Jewish community (founded in 1981) and a Recognized Service Organization (RSO) of the LCMS.  Apple of His Eye would also become an RSO of the LCMS.


At Concordia Seminary, Kevin was chosen as the first student to enter a new track for cross-cultural ministry. After completed his academic study, Kevin attended the Church Planters' Institute in Irvine, CA, and became the first certified church planter for the Missouri District in 1998. He graduated from Concordia Seminary in 1998, and served as mission developer and pastor of Congregation Chai V'Shalom (Life and Peace) and, since 2005 has been the Executive Director for Lutherans in Jewish Evangelism, where they moved from Orlando, FL and are  sharing space with Chai v’Shalom at 6327 Clayton Ave. in Dogtown, St. Louis, MO.  Chai v’Shalom celebrates Divine Service at 10:00 a.m. on Sundays, following the model of the 1st century Church.  Bible study begins at 9:00 a.m. and Oneg Shabbat follows the worship service.


Kevin has authored several articles for publication. Additionally, he is a contributing author to the devotional, The Best Loved Passages of the Bible, as well as to Concordia Pulpit Resources, the "Tell the Good News About Jesus" project, and has authored a LifeLight Bible Study called Bible Feasts, all for Concordia Publishing House. He authored the 2000 Lenten Devotional “Ponder the Path...,” the 2001 Advent Devotional “Amen, Come Lord Jesus,” and has written for the online "Equipping Newsletter," all for Lutheran Hour Ministries, has written for the synodical publication "Evangelgram," and the Lutheran Society of Missiology journal “Missio Apostolica.” 


He has served Concordia Lutheran Church in Kirkwood, MO as an interim youth minister, has served the Missouri District of the LC-MS as Missionary-At-Large to the Jewish people, as Field Counselor for Ethnic Ministries and as Urban Strategist-St. Louis.  He has served on the Board of Directors for Concordia Gospel Outreach, the Board of Congregational Services representing the Task Force on Witnessing to the Jewish People, has chaired the Committee for Curriculum Development for Missionaries and Evangelists to the Jewish People through the task force, and has served on the planning committee for the New Directions in Mission Leadership Conference.


Kevin is currently working on his Ph.D. in Practical Theology through Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Since 1997, Rev. Parviz has preached and taught in over 200 churches in 4 countries.



Kevin and Colleen have been married for 32 years and have four children, Courtney, Rachel, Benjamin and Joshua, two sons-in-law, Mark and Joshua, and a delightful granddaughter, Johnna, Courtney’s daughter.


Wherever Kevin gives a presentation, he hopes that those in the church will take the initiative to invite their Jewish friends to come and consider Jesus from a Jewish perspective. A free-will offering will be received for the ongoing missionary work of Congregation Chai v’Shalom.


Kevin can be reached at Congregation Chai v’Shalom, 6327 Clayton Ave., St. Louis, MO 63139. His phone number is (314) 645-4456. He may also be reached via e-mail at RevKevye@aol.com.

You are invited to correspond with him about Jewish people and evangelism.

 

E-mail the Pastor: RevKevye@aol.com