First Light Of Hope Church Service

I am very excited to say that I have finally found a church in Cherepovets that I can call home. Abner and the ICM / Light of Hope team have been praying for a couple years now about starting a Light of Hope Church and this last week we had our first service!

The excitement has been growing more and more over the past months as this day approached. We have been doing home studies and prayer groups for over a year now and have gathered together a good group of people. Everyone is hungry for the word and on fire, ready to spread the gospel and word around Cherepovets, Russia, and the ends of the earth. I am excited because it is the first and only church in Cherepovets that will actually be teaching the Bible, Inductively.

The atmosphere of the service was great. We all felt like close friends and family, worshiping and praising the Lord. Abner taught from the last two verses of James, explaining that we need try to bring back our brothers who fall into sin, but not judge or misuse our authority. The worship was inspiring and the fellowship was close. Next week he will be starting the book of Mark and I am excited! I know this will grow into a strong church, full of the Spirit, and firmly grounded in the Word. I look forward to watching the church grow and growing alongside it as we become more and more united in the Body of Christ.

I thank all of you who support and pray for me here in Russia, allowing me to take part in this great work of God. Please join me in continued prayer for Light of Hope Church: that Abner would have the wisdom to lead the church, and that the word would work in the hearts of people to grow bigger and stronger Christians. Amen and God Bless!

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Helping Light of Hope Reach Street Kids

I want to let you know that Andrey is taking another group of street kids on a camping trip. We have experienced great success in reaching the hearts of the kids in the forest. We have found that as the kids get out of their usual habits and spend time in the woods they begin to open up to the gospel. We have done several camping trips this year and are now doing one with the older kids. This will be longer trip, more like a backpacking trip. In order to do this we, at ICM, decided to give Light of Hope $400 to buy backpacks, sleeping mats, and a couple compasses. They will be leaving tomorrow on their camping trip. We want to thank you for your support which allowed us to help share the love of Jesus with these kids. We ask that you please keep the trip in prayer so that they would be safe on the road and the kids would be impacted by the love and word of God.

Andrey and Igor standing with their new friends.

Mission Trip to Belizyersk

Last weekend I went on another mission trip to a town called Belizyersk, much like the one to Karilov. This time I was not able to go for the whole trip because I had to stay and teach English. So on Saturday after English lesson I rode with Abner, his wife Ira and their son Tyoma to join the team. I am glad to say that though it was a great and exciting trip it was not quite the same excitement as experienced in Karilov.

Pastor Vitaly and the church there have been going through a hard time lately. It is a small church and Vitaly, in order to feed his growing family, is trying to juggle work and pastoring his church at the same time. After a while both the church and Vitaly are starting to feel worn out. So when he saw what we did at Karilov he asked us to come and do the same. I got there at the tail end of the event, in time to participate in the last evangelical meeting. It was a good meeting. Sveta, Abner, and Lina gave their testimonies; we had a great time of worship, and a good message taught by Pastor Yuri from Karilov. After the meeting we all had dinner and I taught a short English lesson for those on the team who were not able to come to the lesson in the morning. Then the guys decided to go to the banya, or sauna. Now that was a different experience for me. Basically we hung out and talked in our birthday suits, switching from a hot room to a cool room. It was a good time though; I really like this group of guys, and only wish I could be more a part of the conversation. After a couple hours it was time to go home. And this is when Igor felt lead to ask if I would like to teach the following morning. It is now about 1:30 in the morning and I have not prepared to teach a thing. In fact I had forgotten my Bible in Igor’s car and hadn’t even really read the Bible in a few days. But I agreed; I’m not sure why but I felt like I should.

I spent next couple hours of that night and a couple hours in the morning at breakfast trying to figure out what to teach on. Finally I decided to teach out of John 14, when Jesus really starts preparing His disciples for Him to leave and teaches them about the Holy Spirit. I have been sort of mulling over this passage for a while, therefore I figured it was the most familiar to me. The teaching itself was different experience for me. I felt very awkward the whole time and was sure that no one was getting a thing out of it. I don’t remember feeling like this even the first time I lead a Bible study. I have never been one for needing a lot of notes, but still I have never really preached a sermon with so little preparation. It was really uncomfortable almost to the point of being painful. But in the end I felt led to ask if anyone wanted to accept Jesus, and to my joyful surprise one woman raised her hand. After a little while I then asked if anyone wanted to rededicate their lives or confess and make a new commitment to the Lord. Amazingly almost everyone raised their hands. I was shocked and didn’t quite know what to say. I lead them in prayer and Igor ended the service with some more encouraging words. After service a girl asked to talk with Igor and me about some problems she has been having. It was a thrill for me to be able to talk to her and encourage her in the Lord. I have never really done anything quite like this. I have taught plenty of Bible studies and even lead people to Jesus, but this was different, spur of the moment and out of my control.

At lunch I found out we were going to go to a nearby rehab center and I was expected to teach again. Well I didn’t know what to do because, if you ask me, the last study was a miracle! I did a study on John 15, abiding in the vine. Again this was tougher than anything I have done. Part of it was the translation process; it is hard for me to teach through a translator. The other part I found out later. Here in Russia there is a slightly different understanding of terminology. I believe it might be because of a few reasons. One, he Russian language itself and how people understand things because of their language. Another, might be an inclination to oversimplify or make things too practical, not realizing that good theology could lead to better practice. Part of it could also just be me and my understanding of terminology. But I do not think that terminology should be a big issue, as long as it isn’t a result of or it doesn’t result in wrong teachings or practices and it isn’t allowed to cause confusion or dissention. I am learning that I have to be careful with my words and learn to say things in a way that they will be understood. This will hopefully get better as I get better at Russian. All this is to say that the experience was very uncomfortable, but the Lord was able to touch the hearts of a couple of the people there. One man even made a step of faith and asked for prayer. So we laid hands on him and prayed.

I learned a couple things on this trip and left Belizyersk with mixed feelings. On the one hand I was burdened once again by the language barrier and the confusion it causes; on the other I was pumped to see the Spirit work, despite my own inadequacies. I learned I need to be prepared. Not that I should have Bible study notes in my back pocket, in case I need them. Rather I am talking about what Jesus was saying in John 7:38 referring to the Holy Spirit working in and through a believer saying, “…out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” I want the Spirit to move in me like that. I want to have the word planted in my soul and made alive by the Spirit, so that I can teach a study at the drop of the hat because I have His words living and working in me. God is teaching me through the Russian tradition of last minute planning and Igor’s last minute inspirations that I have become complacent. I do not really dig in the word for myself but only to share it with others, and I have been doing things in my own strength all this time. Of course I would not have been able to do anything I have done if I was not working in the Spirit, but am learning there is always room to grow in your relationship and dependency on the Holy Spirit.

Once again I thank all of you for your faithful prayers and support. It is a privilege for me to be able to do this, and you are making it possible for me. I would ask that you please keep me in prayer, that I would have rivers of flowing water, that I would walk closer with the Spirit and remove any obstacles that might be in my way, and that I would have the wisdom to understand how to say things here without causing confusion and I a way that will build people up and not tear anyone done. Continue to pray for the ministry in general as I seek the path God would want me to walk here in Russia. And last but not least, please pray for pastor Vitaly and his church as we continue to work with them to try and build them up into a strong healthy church. May His grace abound in your life, Amen.

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Thank You Letter From Moscow

We received this letter of thanks from the Seminary in Moscow. They where blessed by the training we gave them. It is our great pleasure that they received a blessing from us. We pray that they will be able to apply what we taught them in their ministries as the go out and build a strong and healthy church.

My First IBS Seminar

Friday, Abner, Valentine, Sveta, and I went to a small town called Veliki Ustug to teach my first IBS Seminar. I think it is fun that we went to the city where supposedly the Russian Santa Clause lives. We went to teach the truth in the heart of what I believe to be one of the world’s best deceptions. We went to a small church that is just starting in the city. Valentine has family in the city and had become acquainted with the church. He saw the need in the church for what we offer here at Intensive Care Ministries.

I was excited to be able to finally teach people how to study the word inductively, book by book, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse. I am eager to share with others what God has used in my life to change me in mighty ways. If I have ever seen a group of people that need to learn how to study the Word correctly this group is definitely one of them. These people are hungry for the Word, and as I looked at them I saw them through the eyes of Jesus; as sheep without a shepherd. We jumped into the course right away by and though there was a little hesitance on their part at first, when they saw how they could learn to work with the texts of the Bible they were eager to learn. There is a lot I have to learn about dealing with Russian people and about the false doctrines that are crippling the church today, but I know that we have the only antidote that will help heal the church. As we spent three days going through the course it was a joy to see their hearts moved and their desire grow like a fan on the flame.

The team worked very well together and I was pleased to see how the Holy Spirit was able to bring us together to teach his sheep. Sveta is a great interpreter, Abner a great leader, and Valentine has a huge heart for the Lord.I look forward to working together with them in the future as God leads us to different places to strengthen the Church. We have already decided that we will most likely come back to this city in the next couple months to try to teach the second course. We have given them homework so that we can see if they are ready for the second course, if not we will review what they have learned. I hope that they are able to apply what they have learned and are diligent to take the time to really get into the Word. I would ask that you would join me in praying for these people, that they would be filled with the Spirit and filled with wisdom to be able to learn the first course well enough to move on to the second. I am convinced that through our faith we will be able to strengthen these people and give them the tools they need to grow into a strong and healthy church.

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Preparation in Moscow

I am excited to say that Igor has decided that it is time for me to get started teaching Inductive Bible Study Seminars (IBS Seminars). We have been talking about how we might be able to get me involved with but we could not get around the language barrier. Our friend Sveta, has been wanting to get involved with ICM. Sveta is an English teacher and it has been her desire to minister as a translator for a long while. It would seem that the Lord is bringing together a great well rounded team. Igor asked if she would be willing to start traveling with the team and translating for me till I am able to do the seminars on my own. She was happy to get involved since translating is what she feels called to do and she has been looking for some sort of ministry to get involved with.

We are all excited about what the Lord is doing and I am excited to be able to be able start doing what I came here for in the first place. I have to admit, at first I was hesitant to jump right in and start teaching because though I have done the course, have been studying the Bible inductively for a long time now, and have gone through a teaching seminar. However all that is different than teaching the course yourself, especially in a different culture and a different language. To prepare us to go out we decided it would be a good idea for Sveta and I to travel with Igor back to Moscow and observe him teaching the students there at the seminar we just did the conference at the IBS method.

Sveta hard at work.

It was a great educational experience. I learned a lot about how to teach, deal with skepticism, and at the same share the Love the Jesus. I learned firsthand why Russia needs to learn how to study the Bible so badly. There is so much false and contradicting teaching out there that people are hurt, confused, week and skeptical. To deal with this the seminary is teaching the student to be critical of everything new that they hear, and to view every teacher with doubt and skepticism. True, though we are encouraged in Acts 7:11 to check the scriptures and to be careful about what we are willing to believe, we are to have an open heart. We need to be careful not to be like the Scribes and Pharisees that refused to believe everything they hear that does not match what they previously believe or have been taught. Because of this at first the students were very resistant to what Igor was saying and did not have an open heart. But I was impressed with Igor’s response and how he was able to win their trust by pouring out his love on them. It did not take long before they were receiving with joy what he had to say.

I believe this is exactly why the mission to teach the IBS method around the world and in Russia is so important. We need to get people grounded and not wondering around in confusion caused by false teachings. If we can get Christians to learn directly from the Lord’s word then we will have a church that knows the heart of Jesus and can work together as the healthy body of Christ. There are so many errors caused just by taking things out of context and not paying close attention to what God is saying in his word.

We spent three days teaching the course, Monday through Wednesday. We had a great time learning from the word and fellowshipping with the students. They are a great group of students on fire for the Lord and I look forward to possibly working with them again. We are already talking about coming back and doing the course again and probably doing the second course where we then teach how to develop questions to lead a small home group and how to prepare a sermon.

This is what your support and prayers are going towards. I thank you for giving us the ability to strengthen the Lord’s church. And I look forward to what God does through our joint effort. I would ask that you would please continue to support us in prayer and if the Lord leads financially so that we would be able to continue this work.

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My First ICM Leaders Conference

It seems like in the last few months I have spent more time in cars, busses, trains, in tents and in a strange bed than I have in my own bed. I was not back from Finland more than four days before we were off to Moscow for the Annual ICM Conference. I arrived back in Russia just in time to meet Lewis and Adrian from Ireland. Lewis and Adrian are on the board of Light of Hope Children’s Shelter and have been working with Igor, Olga, and the team, coming to Russia every year for a board meeting, doing the conference, supporting us financially, and praying for us. I was immensely blessed to meet these guys. I have met very few people in my life who are such fun, Jesus loving, sincere, open, honest, and encouraging people.

This was my second time in Moscow and I was shocked by how different the experience was this time and the first time I was here in Russia three years ago. I am glad to say that I am really starting to feel at home and comfortable in Russia, and with Russians. I almost didn’t even notice the cold nature of the people in the metro and streets that shocked me so last time I was here. We had our conference in a small Seminary in Moscow with no more than 50 students attending there.

This conference was one of the best I have been too. The topic was being and discipling good leaders. Adrian and Lewis took us through a book Million Leaders Mandate by John C. Maxwell. I think that the book is a great book for today’s church, with a message that we all as Christians need to take to heart. I believe all of us at one time or in one way or another will have to be leaders, and we need to learn how to lead and grow the next generation to lead and grow leaders of the generation after them. Basically what the book teaches is discipleship. The main idea is to not just teach and feed people who just come to church sit and are not involved themselves. But to get more people involved in the work of the Kingdom of God. Not to get everyone into full time ministry but to get people actively involved in their own walk while helping and growing others in their walks. I was very moved by the teaching, even though my book was in Russian I was able to listen to them teach in English and try to follow along as best I could.

During the seminar I was also very glad to be able to get to know the rest of the people who are involved in there different ways with ICM. There are pastors and teachers all over Russia and the Former Soviet Union that support us, pray for us, and even teaching seminars. They make up a very great team of amazing brothers and sisters with amazing hearts. Every one of them is passionate for the Lord. Together we are working to train and teach pastors and the church how to grow in the word. It is our desire that through our combined efforts and the help of the Holy Spirit we will grow a generation of pastors and leaders, who will be able then train and teach the next generation, strengthening the church and spreading the gospel all over Russia. I believe this conference perfectly fits this vision and if applied is what we need to reach this goal.

I thank all of you who have been praying for and supporting me in my ministry, allowing me to be a part in this wonderful team. I am convinced that through our further efforts, my serving here with your support and prayer, we will be able to do great things for the Kingdom of God bringing glory to the name of Jesus Christ. I ask that you continue join me in ministry by praying for and support me and the team. I look forward to what the Lord has planned for us.

From left to right: Cergey, Igor, Anthony, Gor


Lewis....Ira

Abner with his son Arthur

Peter and Andrey

Andrey...Garik...Abner


Olga

The group at lunch

Cergey and Adrian




Sveta translating





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