2010 Ministry
Butovo church plant started just eighteen months ago. We are encouraged to see how far the group has grown since the early meetings when six of us began praying around the kitchen table of pastor Genya. Some of the answers to prayer we have seen:
*Start of a bi-monthly English club in the fall. An average of 10 people attends each time with over 20 attending the club at some time. Most of those attending are unbelievers.
*Women’s monthly craft night saw 7 unchurched women attend in December. Two of these women came for the first time. Overall, 25 women have attended theses events during the past year
*Pastor Genya participated in a local community theater. Over 100 attended the production of the Chekov play “The Bear.” Since then Genya has formed a theatrical group with plans to perform Christian plays.
*Several outreaches were held to develop relationships with unbelievers: two barbeques, paintball outing, fishing trip and sauna events enabled us to reach this goal.
One of the biggest needs this church has is a place to meet for Church on Sundays as well as hold English club, play practice and other outreaches. The biggest setback during the year was the situation with the national church. Due to the conflict, and the decision of the church planter to align against the national church, the church experienced discouragement and confusion regarding the future relationships with other churches and pastors.
Tyumen church plant continues to see growth as six people were baptized this past year. The church is able to meet on Sundays in a rented hall that can hold 100 people. They now have over 40 attending on Sundays.
*Several outreaches were held to make new contacts: Picnics in the woods, cross country skiing, ice skating, and several themed food nights.
*The church started a college student ministry. Over 20,000 students study in Tyumen. There is now a core group of student leaders beginning this ministry.
*Four times during the year the church ministered to an orphanage outside the city.
*Prayer is the main focus f the church. Three nights a week the church gathers for extended times of prayer.
Tobolsk church celebrated seventeen years of ministry. It continues to look for ways to share the gospel in the community as well as the region.
*Over 30 people were baptized this past year in the church.
*The youth ministry is growing with a full time youth pastor providing direction.
*Pastor Timofei transitioned out of the senior pastor role and now travels extensively speaking and teaching in churches throughout Russia.
*Muslim ministry continues to develop with an Uzbek pastor ministering among the Uzbeks and Tartars in the city.
*The church continued developing the partnership with the Tyumen church. It has also started a partnership with a church plant in Yvat.
Tobolsk Rehabilitation Center celebrated its one year anniversary of ministry in December. Over fifty people have been ministered to through the ministry of the center. God continues to provide for the development of this ministry in miraculous ways:
*A restaurant in Tobolsk has agreed to buy any meat and produce they grow at the center.
*Two construction companies have agreed to hire men from the rehab center for manual labor with their earning being given to the center.
* Both the director and his assistant moved to Tobolsk as single men two years ago. They both married women in the Tobolsk church and their wives are now serving with them in the center.
*The half-way house at the Old City Tobolsk Church is now being used to help people as they come out of the rehab program and need a place to re-enter society.
