The Echad Project was begun in late 2006 when Kathy Skinner was called to write about diversity vs divisiveness in the Body. Leading Dr. Skinner to observe many different congregations of believers/followers, our Heavenly Father directed her attention to issues within the Body that were driving brothers and sisters apart rather than bringing them together. Dr. Skinner has observed primarily in the United States, and she has limited her observations to a few types of groups. Part of the work of the Echad Project is to continue building on that understanding of what brings the Body into echad and what drives members apart through the spirit of divisiveness. Dr. Skinner is currently working on a four part book series on the subject of diversity vs divisiveness in the Body. As books are completed, they will be made available to this community at this website.

While working on observations for the writing project, Dr. Skinner had opportunities to develop and deliver presentations and retreats on the subject of echad. As a part of these opportunities, Sue Johnson was called into the project and began working with Dr. Skinner in this effort. Through these opportunities, Ms. Johnson and Dr. Skinner found a hunger within members of the Body to grow into one cohesive Body that is unified and truly of one heart and one soul in all aspects of life, not just during organized congregational worship services. And, yet, few seemed to know how to break through the barriers of divisiveness that have grown within the Body over many years in order to return to that state of that original community (Acts 4:32) and to walk in the Way intended by our Messiah when He prayed that we would be one even as He and the Father are One (John 17:21). Because of these opportunities, Dr. Skinner recognized that simply writing a book was perhaps not all she was being called to do. She understood that her efforts were to join with those of Ms. Johnson's. Together they felt a greater, perhaps broader calling ... one to help bring the Body of believers back into echad.

Then in the spring of 2009, Father brought together a small team of followers who met with Dr. Skinner and Ms. Johnson to discuss the current state of echad in the Body and to consider what steps might be taken in order to move forward in this work. With that meeting, Our Heavenly Father launched the ministry of The Echad Project in its current form. Some members of that group fulfilled their calling from Father by engaging in that initial meeting/discussion. Others have been called to continue in the works of this ministry and are current members of the Echad Project team.

Over the next year, members of the team prayed, listened, observed, questioned, and built this vehicle and others to fulfill the ministry of the Echad Project. A solidification of general curriculum for Echad Retreats was built and pilot tested. Agreements were made regarding the breakdown of retreat groups and how to approach customizing retreat experiences for each of those groups. Understanding of what topics could be addressed and how through Echad consulting services was confirmed. And, the development of the research function, the retreat/consulting services support opportunities, and the community building components of the Echad Project website were determined. Finally, this website was designed and constructed to be available to the Body in mid 2010.

While we constantly listen to members of the Body, and we are ready, at the direction of the Holy Spirit, to revise, add to, delete from, and otherwise refine the work to which we are called, we currently feel led to engage in the following activities:

Online community of believers/followers - If you have reached this page, you have already begun to experience the work of the online community. You have probably already learned that this is an open community freely available to those who seek to follow Y'shua (Jesus of Nazareth) who is indeed ha'Mashiach (the Messiah) who was foretold throughout the Scriptures. As a part of this community, you are invited to:

Post messages to your brothers and sisters in order to share in the support of a community as we work to bear each other's burdens and support each other in the accountability of our walk in the Way.

Enter a virtual tabernacle (tent) of praise where you can join with brothers and sisters in praise of our Lord any time day or night.

Participate in a research study to help us gain a better understanding of the current state of echad in the Body.

Complete a self-assessment to determine the current state of echad within your family, your place of business, and/or your congregation/organization.

Keep up with and/or contribute to news that is meant to support walking in the Way with a Kingdom Purpose.

Engage virtually in daily social and business activities with fellow members of the Body of Messiah.

Consulting and Coaching - Members of the Echad Project team will work with you to help you apply Biblical principles to your life in such a way as to facilitate following after the Way of our Messiah. Because it is His Will that we be one even as He and the Father are One, members of the Echad Project team believe that applying Biblical principles in all aspects of our daily lives brings us both into alignment with our Messiah and into unified fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Messiah.

Echad Assessment - Members of the Echad Project team are available to help you interpret the basic echad self-assessment that is available online and expand the assessment so that you may determine what your echad building needs might be.

Family Echad - We believe that before echad can be acheived in a broader community, each individual's family must be brought into echad. Our Heavenly Father used the analogy of parent/child; brother/sister; Father/Son; and family many times to help us gain understanding of what it takes to live together in unity. Using examples from Scripture, Echad Project coaches work with your family to overcome distractions of the world and to apply Biblical principles to daily living in a family setting.

Assembly Echad - Whether you are seeking to bring together a small social group or an entire congregation, Echad Project Coaches/Consultants can work with you to gain understanding of your current state of echad as well as to help you make decisions about what steps you might take to bring your group more deeply into echad.

Business Echad - Is your business running based on Biblical principles? Our Heavenly Father wants to prosper your work. Our consultants/coaches can help you bring your business practices in line with Biblical principles while we help you bring your staff fully into echad.

Research - We believe that growth comes from sharing information. In an attempt to help members of the Body as a whole gain better understanding of the current state of echad in the Body, we undertake to collect, analyze, and report both qualitative and quantitative findings about the current state of the Body and the growth of echad in the Body. Your participation in our research studies and in our Echad Challenges helps us bring information to the Body so that we can work together to bear good fruit and grow toward that Prayed for state of echad. Your participation is also very important as we work to identify and overcome the spirit of divisiveness in our midst.

Current research studies - Become a participant in a research study. All participation is held strictly confidential unless the participant requests disclosure of his/her participation.

Search reports of research studies - As results of research become available, they are published in Echad News. Here you can both search the archives of Echad News by topic, and you can access entire editions of Echad News by edition.

Echad Challenge - Much of our research data is collected qualitatively through reports on Echad Challenge activities. Visit this part of the site both to view challenges and to read case study reports of results of challenges.

Your participation is needed to make the Echad Project successful. Each time you actively engage with others through any part of the Echad Project, you are helping to bring forth the good fruit that moves us toward that state of echad. If you are a follower after Messiah, you are already a member of this part of the Body. If you would like to do more than simply participate, we could use your help. Use the links below to consider being a sponsor or joining in the work of the Echad Project team.

Become an Echad Project team member - There is much work to be done in this effort. Use this link to see our current needs. If you are called to this work and want to make a commitment to specific tasks, please let us know that you are ready and able to be a team member.

Sponsor the Echad Project - Our Heavenly Father provides for our needs. Sometimes He provides by asking one brother to gift another. There are few expenses associated with the Echad Project. However, there are some. If you feel led to support this project financially, we will list you as a sponsor and provide a link to your website from the sponsor's list. You may also feel led to offer services to the work of the Echad Project and/or to members of this Body. If you give freely or at a reduced rate of your services, we will list your business as a sponsor and provide a link to it from this ministry. Finally, you may be in a ministry or calling that is complementary to this one. If we are working toward bearing the same or very similar fruit, we would like to list you as a sponsor and provide a link to your ministry from this one.

The Echad Project is meant to be a world wide gathering together of Members of the Body of Messiah. As such, we hold no specific association with any denomination or other organized group of believers other than through our sponsorship program. We do try to maintain links to other web sites where work to bring the Body of Messiah into echad is being undertaken. However, we do not directly endorse or hold allegiance with any of those sites. We simply provide quick links for the convenience of those who are interested in viewing other efforts in this area. We also maintain NO government affiliations or specific legal rights granted by any nation. For example, any gifts or donations made in support of the Echad Project are NOT specifically tax deductible in any country.

While we encourage all members of the Body of Messiah to respect the laws of the country in which they live as long as those laws do not conflict with Scripture, because it is our goal and our deepest desire to assist in the bringing together of members of the Body from all over the world, we hold no allegiance to any governmental group. We do support Israel, and we look to Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) as the Chosen City of our Elohim (God).

The site is written in English because all of the original members of the team have English as their first language. Because our allegiance is to our Elohim (God) and His Kingdom alone, we choose to use a transliteration of Hebrew whenever possible to identify things of our Sovereign Lord. Currently, all interactions at the site are conducted in a combination of English and transliterated Hebrew. As time and talents are provided by our Heavenly Father, we will work to make information at this site available in other languages including, but not limited to, modern Hebrew. Please be patient with us as that part of this service grows.