Light of Hope Church Update

It has been way too long since I have done a blog about our Light of Hope Church we started last year. It will be a year in November since we had our first service. Before that we had been meeting in home groups and at the Light of Hope Children’s Center. The vision at ICM is to teach pastors, teachers, church workers, and anyone willing to learn, how to study the Bible Inductively (book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse). Here in Russia that is the main part of our mission, but the Lord has also laid it on our hearts to work with kids, parents, and orphans. Over a year ago the Lord laid it on Abner’s and the team’s hearts to start a church that will combine these visions. We are the only church I know of in Cherepovets, a city of about 300,000 people and with around 10 churches that teaches the complete, whole, balanced, and unbiased word of God. Not to say other churches don’t teach the word, but you cannot really cover every aspect of the word, balanced and in context without teaching it book by book, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse. Many principles get placed on the back burner and others become the only main courses people are fed.

Abner is now leading us through the book of Mark and I believe people are starting to catch on to the idea. At first people seemed not to understand this simple system of studying through the Bible, feeling it was not deep enough and monotonous. However now people are starting to understand the story as a whole and see the pieces fit together. People are starting to understand what it means to hear from God, through the Word, and not from a Pastor, a man. It is a huge blessing to me to see the Word working in the hearts and lives of believers, and in mine. A couple Sundays ago a woman came forward and prayed the sinner’s prayer. I hope and pray that she will grow in the strength and power of the Spirit, as her new seed begins to grow. Now is the time where rocks will be revealed, weeds will appear out of nowhere, and birds are trying to snatch the seed. Please join me in praying for this woman and for others that are starting their walks with Jesus. Also please pray that others would be called into the kingdom and that workers would be brought up.

We are still a young church, and still have some growing to do. But I know that the Lord is doing great things. I know that the only thing that will really change people’s lives is the Holy Spirit working through God's Word. That is what we in our church are committed to. However being a small church we are having a hard time finding people to help with things like the sound system, showing the words for worship, and children’s ministry. I have been helping with the sound and words at church, and it has been a blessing to finally feel like I am doing something. However I know that I will have to go on trips to America and to do seminars, so I have been trying to build a team of people that can help when I am no longer able to do these ministries. So far it has been hard to find help, but I know that as the word starts to light fires and fan the flames in the hearts of people that people will begin to get involved.

It is important for the Lord to lead people into ministry. It is also important that we encourage people to get involved and have a ministry they can get plugged into, lucky for us there will never be a shortage of ministry. Therefore please join us in praying for the Lord to raise up people to minister in our church and that we would have wisdom to know how to manage everything. Jesus said, , “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” There is so much to be done, there is so much fruit, so many people to minister to, but there is always a shortage of people to harvest. But if we pray, the Lord will provide. In Matthew it is interesting that right after saying that Jesus sent out the twelve. We need to pray and go out and start the ministry, because if you remember, next time Jesus sent out seventy-two. That is what we are doing, praying, trusting, and ministering. Please join us in this wonderful privilege.

Artem (on the right) has decided to help with the sound. He is still learning, but he has proven to be a big help. Please keep him in prayer, that he would continue to be encouraged to minister and grow in the spirit.

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