Only FFOZ Friends at the Ally or Pillar level are eligible to start a Torah Club. These are individuals who share in and have joined in First Fruits of Zion’s global mission. You don't need any special credentials. All you need is a desire to bring Messianic Jewish teaching to Christians and Jews. We will provide you with training, ongoing support and everything you need to start a successful club.
If you are an FFOZ Friend at the Ally or Pillar level, you are already eligible. There is no fee for leadership in the Torah Club. Just follow these simple steps, and we'll get you started:
Torah Club Leaders represent First Fruits of Zion on a local level, so they need to be fully invested in the work. As an FFOZ Friend, you have already demonstrated your exceptional commitment to the kingdom mission and vision of First Fruits of Zion. Our FFOZ Friends are our most trusted constituents and serve with us on the front lines, sharing this exciting and challenging mission of making disciples and studying God's Word from a Messianic Jewish perspective, and that's exactly the stuff it takes to be a successful Torah Club Leader.
FFOZ Friends are the financial backbone of our mission. They support the mission of First Fruits of Zion as Companions ($25.00/month), Allies ($50.00/month) or Pillars ($100.00/month). FFOZ Friends believe in and support the development of resources that will continue to explain and expand our shared mission. FFOZ Friends support our learning center in the heart of Jerusalem and many other outreach efforts. In return, FFOZ Friends receive monthly teachings, complete Torah Club commentary sets of their choice, access to an online library of years of extensive audio and video teachings, and a monthly newsletter with updates, prayer needs and mission activity. FFOZ Friends are eligible to be Torah Club Leaders as they have demonstrated in practical ways that they support and share in our mission. Learn about becoming an FFOZ Friend.
You only need to facilitate the club meetings and help the club members work through the discussion questions. We’ll show you how to do that. Our First Fruits of Zion teaching team does the bulk of the teaching. We provide a Portion Connections online video (15 to 20 minutes), taught by one of our Torah Club teachers for your club to view. You can depend on this video to deliver solid teaching for your club and supplement this teaching with your own insights as much as you are able and comfortable.
Torah Club Leaders will have access to a weekly online teaching through torahclub.org featuring a teacher from First Fruits of Zion presenting insights and commentary on the weekly lesson. These short, conversational, Portion Connections videos will correspond to the weekly discussion questions in the workbooks. When your Torah Club meets, everyone watches the short video before you lead them through the discussion questions together while adding your own insights as much as you are able and comfortable. The Portion Connections video update and lesson introduction will connect your club to the global Torah Club community.
Anyone whom you invite can attend your Torah Club (for up to two weeks as a visitor), but everyone must register and become a Torah Club Member to participate. You can decide how to make your Torah Club accessible to new students. A club can be "Open to the Public", or be "Private, by Leader Invitation". You can define your club as exclusively for women, men, young adults, families, or men and women together. How your club is structured is completely up to you.
Childcare is not part of the First Fruits of Zion Torah Club program. If an individual Torah Club decides to provide any childcare, the Torah Club Leader agrees that they are entirely responsible for providing such childcare, including the selection and supervision of all childcare and the safety of all children being cared for.
All Torah Clubs are studying the same material each week. Each lesson is dated and numbered to help leaders and students stay on track and study the correct workbook throughout the annual study.
Interested individuals can register to join your club through your public Club Page at torahclub.org. You can also send personal invitations to individuals, or share a registration link. These online services are all available in your Student Management section. Once you have approved them and they have paid their annual membership fee, they become members in your club. Every aspect of this process will be managed through your Student Management page.
Leaders cannot sign up their students, as all students who register to join a club needs to create their own unique account in order to participate in all aspects of Torah Club. Leaders should use the Student Management section to invite students into their club by sending an invitation or sharing a registration link.
After a student has registered to join, and a leader has approved the registration, the student will receive an email to pay the membership fee. However, there is also an option on the Student Management page to pay on behalf of the student.
Ideally, every Torah Club should start at the beginning of the annual study cycle (around September/October), but even if the current Torah Club year has already started, you can still start a Torah Club or join a club to study along at any time during the year.
If you miss a week or fall behind, skip ahead to keep up with the schedule. It’s not a big deal. Individual members can always go back and study any material they might have missed on their own time. Better to stay on the schedule with everyone else than to get frustrated by falling behind.
No. However, Torah Club provides study materials for almost every week of the year and the best practice is to meet for every lesson. If your Torah Club needs to take some time off or skip a few weeks, the leader can give club members their monthly Member Pack in advance and let the members study on their own during those weeks that the club does not meet.
The priority of Torah Club continues to be gathering in a physical location, growing in face-to-face friendship, community, and learning. However, we understand that this may not always be possible. Torah Club Leaders may request temporary remote access for an individual student or their entire club due to exceptional circumstances such as illness.
All Torah Clubs can have remote students participate in their clubs. However, this should be a minority of participating students, not a majority. Eligible remote students are friends or family of members of the club who cannot meet in person due to distance from the physical club location, health restrictions, or schedule conflicts. Remote students will have access to the Portion Connections videos only while participating in the live Torah Club study (FFOZ Friends can access Portion Connections videos anytime through the FFOZ Friends Resource Center)
Right now, South Africa and Australia are the only countries outside of North America where we are able to provide printed materials. In the future, we hope to provide printed materials to all countries, but for now, to save money on shipping and to avoid delays, Torah Club Leaders outside of North America, South Africa, and Australia will receive their study materials electronically and be responsible for printing their own copies. (Torah Club licensing prohibits copying or printing Torah Club materials except for distribution to current club members.)
Sometimes the Jewish holidays land on the Sabbath and interrupt the regular schedule. When a holiday reading, such as Pesach, Shavu’ot, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, or Sukkot preempts the regular Sabbath reading for the synagogue, Torah Clubs take a holiday break or conduct holiday themed events.
Torah Clubs have access to the Club Hub where questions pertaining to the weekly studies can be posed and answered through interaction with other Torah Club Members and FFOZ teachers. If it’s a real stumper, an FFOZ teacher will address your question directly. Torah Club Leaders always have access to the Club Hub to engage with other club leaders. Also, all Torah Club Leaders have direct access to their assigned Mentor or Regional Steward as well as the Torah Club support team.
Club Hub is a web-based, private social media platform created exclusively for Torah Club. This feature allows every leader and member of Torah Club to collaborate within each club and also connect with the global community. Club Hub is your Torah Club’s online communication hub, meeting calendar, ongoing out-of-meeting discussions platform, and way of staying connected.
The Torah Club support team consists of full-time and part-time highly qualified individuals who are 100 percent dedicated to you as a Torah Club Leader. Whether you need counsel, technical support, or answers to questions they are available to support you in your role as a Torah Club Leader. They can assist you with difficult questions that come up in your club by giving insight or pointing you to additional sources for learning. The team is there for you in times of discouragement or if you need assistance in ensuring the spiritual health of your club. They are available by email, phone, or setting up a conference call. We are here to serve you and give you confidence in your leadership. You may also have access to our Communal Governance volunteer Mentors and Stewards. These approved leaders will be available to each Torah Club Leader for assisting you throughout each Torah Club cycle.
Ongoing learning opportunities are offered to Torah Club Leaders. A quarterly Leaders’ Roundtable will train in various aspects of small-group leadership. There will be an annual leadership event for you to connect with others and be encouraged in your mission. The Torah Club support team will be at your service for questions and support. Additionally, Club Hub is a moderated and active social media platform for you to engage with other leaders, strengthening and gleaning from one another.
Yes! Torah Club Leaders have opportunities to grow and sharpen each other in our shared mission through Club Hub, a quarterly Leaders' Roundtable, and the annual Malchut Conference for FFOZ Friends and Torah Club Leaders. Each of these opportunities will help you to make new friends and increase your capabilities as a leader.
If you would prefer to join an already existing Torah Club rather than forming your own, you can search for a local Torah Club by using the interactive Club Finder. If you find a club near you, visit the club's public Club Page where you can register to join, or contact the club leader for more information.
All Torah Clubs have a “Club Page” on the Torah Club website. Individuals will be able to locate your club using the Club Finder. You decide whether you want your club to be open to new members or be a private club. Your address will not be shown to the general public unless you choose that option.
First Fruits of Zion brings Messianic Jewish teaching to Christians and Jews. Our Torah Club materials teach from a Messianic Jewish point of view. To learn more about our perspectives and to see our statement of faith, click here
Your Torah Club has access to the Club Hub. Leaders can also attend our annual Malchut Leadership Summit, and other planned regional events.
Children’s Torah Clubhouse is a kid’s curriculum with stories, activities, puzzles, games, and study questions related to the weekly Torah portion and New Testament studies. It’s great for kids’ classes, homeschool material, and children’s programming.
You don’t need to be a teacher or have special qualifications to be a Torah Club Leader. We provide extensive lesson books and a video teaching for your Torah Club. You can augment these extensive resources with your own insights as you are able and lead the group through the provided Focus and Discussion Questions.
Yes, you are more than welcome to have a co-leader give support and help out leading a club. Co-leaders also need to complete the process and requirements for becoming an approved Torah Club Leader. Once they are approved, they will be connected to your club as a co-leader.
Once you are approved, you have to start preparing your club. A complete "Getting Started" guide is provided to help you through this process.
Torah Club Members study from comprehensive Student Workbooks that contain the Torah Club commentary and Focus Questions. Leaders receive Study Guides. We send these materials to you, the Torah Club Leader, in a monthly mailing. You distribute them to your club members. Each club member studies through the workbook and answers the Focus Questions in preparation for the meeting.
Approved Torah Club Leaders with an active club have access to the monthly Student Workbooks and Leader Guides. It is the responsibility of club leaders to protect from misuse.
All materials are under copyright protection and are strictly limited to use within the Torah Club. Archiving the PDF workbooks is prohibited.
All eligible FFOZ Friends (and spouses) do not incur any additional cost to become a Torah Club Leader. Spouses can receive Leader Guides or Student Workbooks and participate in the club as a student or co-leader.
Torah Club meetings begin with an engaging video teaching from our Torah Club teaching team called Portion Connections. The weekly Portion Connections videos are fifteen to twenty minutes of teaching and builds on the reading material. This fresh teaching will be a time of connecting the global Club community and provide a sense of connectedness to the learning community.
As a Torah Club Leader, you have access to our Theological Support staff for help with theological questions or other issues that may arise during the club meetings. Our Community Care staff can help you with leadership questions or issues that require wise counsel to maintain a positive spirit of learning within your club.
Torah Club Leaders and Members connect locally and globally through the Club Hub, a completely private social site for ongoing learning, connections, and global community. Club Hub is your Torah Club’s online communication hub, meeting calendar, ongoing out-of-meeting discussions platform, and way of staying connected. At times, there may be other local activities or ways to connect with a local Mentor or Steward through our Torah Club Communal Governance.
You will have opportunities to participate in quarterly, Leaders’ Roundtable online training and the annual Malchut Leadership Summit which will help you develop your leadership skills, strengthen your club, and connect you with others sharing in your mission.
Your membership renewal date is published on your Torah Club Student Home page.
A Renew Membership button will appear on your Torah Club student home page within 30 days of the renewal date. You can click-thru from there to renew your membership in your current club. The Renew Membership button also appears on your FFOZ Account profile page. You will also receive email alerts starting 30 days before your have to renew your membership.
All Torah Clubs can have remote students participate in their clubs. However, this should be a minority of participating students, not a majority. Eligible remote students are friends or family of members of the club who cannot meet in person due to distance from the physical club location, health restrictions, or schedule conflicts. Remote students will have access to the Portion Connections videos only while participating in the live Torah Club study (FFOZ Friends can access Portion Connections videos anytime through the FFOZ Friends Resource Center).
Torah Club is a weekly Bible study where disciples gather to learn. Club members meet to fellowship with their brothers and sisters in Messiah and study the weekly Torah portion using Torah Club lesson guides and materials.
Annual Torah Club Membership fee is $60.00 ($5.00 per month!) per member. Membership lasts twelve months and starts upon registering and paying your membership fees. Members must be part of an active Torah Club to receive materials. Married couples need to both sign up as members. Sharing of materials is prohibited.
If you cancel within 30 days from date of registration, you will receive a full refund.
Torah Club Members are part of a Torah Club that meets weekly. They receive a monthly Member Pack from the Club Leader. It includes all the weekly lesson materials, assignments, and discussion questions. Members also have access to:
Every Torah Club Member needs to be part of a local Torah Club. Individuals who prefer to study independently should become an FFOZ Friend at the Ally or Pillar level and receive the commentary set of their choice, or purchase the commentary sets separately.
You can search for a local Torah Club by using the interactive Club Finder. If you find a club near you in the Club Finder, click on View Club Page for full details about that club. On the Club Page you can click Register to Join to request permission to join the club, or Contact the Leader to receive further details about the club. If there is no club near you, consider starting a club in your area.
A new Torah Club study cycle starts around September/October every year, but you can join a club or start a club at any time.
Each month, the Torah Club Leader will receive a mailing containing weekly course materials for every member of his or her club. The Member Pack contains extensive written commentary and lessons on the weekly Bible readings, including a set of study questions. In order to receive Torah Club Student Workbooks, members need to be active in attendance. The Club Leader also receives a Leader Pack with an easy-to-follow outline of the lesson, some tips for facilitating the discussion time, and an answer key for the weekly study questions. All club members have access to the online Torah Club Member sections, and the Club Hub, a private social media platform created exclusively for Torah Club.
Torah Clubs can meet in churches, congregations, Messianic synagogues, community centers, coffee shops, or even the comfort of your own living room. There are also a limited number of Online Torah Clubs which you can find using the Club Finder.
Torah Clubs can meet any time that’s convenient for the club. You will need about an hour and a half: thirty minutes for snacks and fellowship, twenty minutes for viewing the Portion Connections video, and thirty minutes or more for discussion and study time. The local Torah Club Leader determines the meeting time and length.
Childcare is not part of the First Fruits of Zion Torah Club program. If an individual Torah Club decides to provide any childcare, the Torah Club Leader agrees that they are entirely responsible for providing such childcare, including the selection and supervision of all childcare and the safety of all children being cared for.
Bible readings, Torah Club weekly lesson materials, and study questions require a couple of hours of reading and study per week outside of the Torah Club meeting time. You can study the materials yourself, or work through them with a study partner. Before you attend the weekly Torah Club, you should already have your homework completed. You want your club to be full of good discussion; the better prepared you are, the better the club will be.
The weekly Student Workbooks contain material adapted from the Torah Club commentaries. Each lesson is designed and formatted for group study with added focus questions, homework, and discussion material. Any registered Torah Club Member who would like a commentary set can purchase one or join FFOZ Friends at the Ally or Pillar level and receive one title of their choice as an annual thank-you gift for their support. (However, The Beginning of Wisdom, our Torah Club study track for 2022-23, is not yet a bound set and cannot be purchased.)
All Torah Clubs are studying the same material each week. Each lesson is dated and numbered to help leaders and students stay on track and study the correct workbook throughout the annual study.
Ideally, Torah Club Members should start at the beginning of the annual cycle around September/October, but even if the current Torah Club year has already started, you can join a club to study along at any time during the year.
