2007:  The Institute

This is the story of how Holy Language Institute got started. 

I had been intensively studying Hebrew for several years and had read through the entire Hebrew Bible a couple times - not to mention several Hebrew translations of the New Testament - when in the fall of 2007 I sensed a calling to start teaching Hebrew classes across my home province of Saskatchewan. I was reminded of the story of how Saul of Tarsus had a dream in which he saw an anonymous man from Macedonia begging him to come help them and took that as a sign that he should go to Greece. I wondered how many people were out there who were hearing the same things I was in the spirit but were isolated and didn't know what to do next. Around that time I was excitedly telling a close friend about my vision when a massive semitruck drove past us with the letters TNK bannered across it. As you may know, that's what Jewish people call the Hebrew Bible. I love big trucks so I took that as encouragement and proceeded to storm my province with the TANAKH! I prepared a ten-week Hebrew course and then drove to Saskatoon, Prince Albert, and North Battleford to introduce myself to pastors, put up posters, and reach out everywhere I could. 

Over the next couple years I taught several hundred students at a Nazarene church, a Charismatic Bible School, the office of a Member of Parliament, and in living rooms, helping people get closer to Yeshua by learning to read the Bible he read. I also taught at the old Baptist church that my Grandfather once pastored, and there in his old office late one night I found a treasure that would go on to become a centerpiece of the Hebrew Quest course I would one day produce...but that's a story for another chapter.

I wanted to put my lessons online and also needed a legal entity to run the financial side of my teaching activities through, and thus Holy Language Institute was born! Inspired by the great Christian Hebraists whose stories I tell in Hebrew Quest, I initially considered 'Hebraic Restoration' or 'Hebrew Renaissance' Institute but in the end chose 'Holy Language' as an expression of my core passion to help people encounter Messiah through the holy language of his Jewish people. I applied to the Canadian Government to found an Institute and was approved, which is no small task. Then, on February 14, 2012 (21 Shevat 5772), Holy Language Institute Inc. was officially recognized by the CRA as a Canadian Charity, which is the maple syrup version of a US 501(c)3.

You'll see this picture of my smiling face on HLI's social media profiles, along with a banner pic portraying Yeshua walking with his disciples. I've been criticized by some for using my face as the logo of HLI, but there are reasons for it. This is my personal ministry. I'm following Yeshua in a Hebrew way and HLI is my invitation to follow him with me, similar to Paul saying "follow me as I follow the Messiah". Also, I'm a Millennial. We don't relate to impersonal things like companies, brands, and logos so much as we relate to real people and their stories, passions, and vulnerabilities. Not to mention that Yeshua's disciples didn't have ministries and logos, although it's entertaining to imagine what that would have looked like if they did. The disciples were the brand, and the message they lived and the story they embodied was enough. At the end of the day people follow people and that's the focus of HLI, following Yeshua together.

The next chapters will continue to explain what exactly "following Yeshua in a Hebrew way, together" means to us and will tell the story of the courses I've created thus far. And if you're interested to see how far Holy Language Institute has come since 2012 come see us at holylanguage.com!