During our 17 years in Russia we have observed and experienced the challenge of starting a new church. The years of Communism, with its atheistic teachings, has ingrained into the minds and souls of people that there is no God. That has now been replaced with secular materialism and re-enforces the same principle—you make life what you want it to be. The spiritual element, if acknowledged, is minimized. So even in a major city like Moscow, with over 14 million people, we have identified less than 300 evangelical churches. The same ratio can be seen throughout Russia. In Tyumen, where we lived during our last term, only 10 churches exist for a population of one million people. And where churches are established, the average size is between 40 to 50 members.
So starting a new church, in a region or city where no evangelical church exists, seems almost impossible. It is difficult to find meetings halls to rent for services. Church planters often have to find employment to provide for their families, which in Russia usually involves low pay and long hours leaving little time and energy for ministry. Children in these families often find themselves the only Christian in their school and still experience ridicule from other kids. Church planting in Russia is hard.
This past month we experienced a setback in our church plant in Butovo. Nina, a young woman who graduated from our Bible College in Southern Russia, moved to Moscow and for the past year was working in our church plant. She is gifted musically and was leading our Sunday morning worship services. She often requested prayer for God to send her a Christian man to marry. For several months she began dating a non-believer but eventually they broke up. Recently she shared with the church that she has met a man through the Internet who lives in Moldova. Within a few weeks Nina quit her job in Moscow, packed up her few belongings, and moved to Moldova to get married.
*Join us in praying for our church plant in Butovo. The group is discouraged over Nina’s decision. Pray for God to bring someone into the church who can help with the music ministry, especially leading the church in worship.
*The church presently meets in the pastor’s apartment for services. With 15 -20 people regularly attending it is getting crowded. Plus, in Russian thinking, unchurched people are hesitant to go to “church” in an apartment. There are several families that we would like to invite to these services, but they will not come to an apartment. After much prayer, we have decided to begin the search for a meeting hall on Sundays. Will you join us in praying for God to provide a place. The two major obstacles are cost and an openness to rent to a non-Orthodox group.
*Pray for Lisa as she begins planning the monthly women’s craft outreaches. Last year 20 new women came to these outreaches. Pray for ways to make new contacts as well as to deepen the connection with the 20 women from last year.
*During this past year you have joined with us in praying for Delara, the pastor’s wife, to find a job. This month she was accepted into a two month job training program. After her training is complete she has been told she should be able to find a job. In the process, God not only opened the door for her to get into the training program, but Delara was accepted on scholarship and will not have to pay for the course. As you remember Delara please pray for her health and family during these two months.
English Club
One of the more effective ministries our mission team in Russia has used to make new contacts is through English Clubs. Since just about everybody is interested in learning and practicing English, it is a natural way to make new contacts in a community. To help broaden our net of contacts in the Butovo region of Moscow, where we are planting a church, we are starting up an English Club ministry. During the summer we held several English game nights to get better acquainted with some of the people we have already connected with who speak some English.
*Our first club was held Oct. 23. Praise the Lord 9 people attended, all but 2 being new to us. We are passing out invitations and posting flyers throughout the region. Pray for God to open doors to people who are interested in speaking English. Can we ask you to pray for our next two clubs which will be held on November 6 and 20.
*We have been searching for over a month for a place to hold our English clubs. Several possibilities turned us down because of their fear of who we are. In the news and media foreigners, who are Christians, are still categorized as cults and Russians are warned to be careful not to associate with such groups. Then one day Delara, the pastor’s wife, stopped at a children’s after school program that rents a small hall. The director was open to meeting with us. The next week Bob went down and was able to work out a contract to rent the hall twice a month for the English club. God not only provided a place to meet, but the director shared that she would like to publish an invitation to attend our club in their monthly newsletter that they send out to over 300 families in the Butovo region.
