IBS In St. Petersburg

Last week, it was our great pleasure to do an IBS seminar in Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg. On Sunday the fourth Svetta and I went to both Central and South Calvary Chapels to make an announcement about the seminar. It was great to come back and see people that I had known while I lived in St. Pete in 2008-2009 and went to CC Central. After spending three days back in Cherepovets working, we returned on Wednesday with Alexey to do the seminar on Thursday and Friday. In Russia, March 8 is Women’s Day, so they had a three day weekend. We used that opportunity to do a two day seminar.

There was a huge difference between the people at this seminar, compared to the people we usually encounter at Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Baptist churches in Russia. Like in the States, Calvary Chapel in Russia puts a lot of emphasis on the teaching of the Word, and as a result, the people that go there are more grounded. However, people are still not used to studying the Bible and thinking for themselves.

One of the difficulties of or our ministry is that we are not only trying to teach people to study the Bible, but how to look at the text and pull out truth that cannot be seen at first glance. Learning how to study the Word requires work, but it is worth it! Once the participants were able to dig into the Scriptures themselves, the Bible came alive like never before and their Christian walk became much deeper.

Everyone was encouraged by the ministry of the Word and the personal application we received. Pastor Dima has invited us to come back to do more seminars, possibly to do the second course, and to attend a pastor’s conference that will hopefully open new contacts. We look forward to working together to equip God’s people to grow in their relationship with Him and to raise new Christian Bible teachers.

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IBS Seminar in Berezniki

Pastor Vitaly

Alexey, Svetta, and I got back from a fruitful trip to Berezniki, in the Permskii Krai, last Sunday. We met the pastor from this church when Alexey and I were in Izhevsk. They came to a conference in the same church we were doing the seminar at and spent the night where we were staying. The church is only five years old and most of the members are ex-drug-addicts. Pastor Vitaly started the church by first starting a rehab center, and as the amount of believers grew, the church started.

Center: Asistant Pastor Mirad

The first night of seminar was packed. We were told to expect around sixty people, so we brought sixty-five manuals, but there were about seventy-five to eighty people. Afterwards the assistant pastor told us that they did not expect so many people because the response to their notice about the seminar was met with not very much interest. However, after hearing Alexey teach from Luke 6 they all got excited. They said that it seemed like the scripture was simple enough but where shocked by how much Alexey was able to get out of just using the simple method of Observing, Interpreting, and Applying the Scripture text. This is a testimony of the effectiveness of the Inductive Bible Study method.

As we fellowshipped with the people we were again reminded of the necessity in Russia for solid Bible teaching. They are hungry for the word. Question after question revealed hearts belonging to people desperate for spiritual wisdom and unable to find those answers themselves. The constant storm of conflicting doctrines that flow through Russia has led them back into bondage of legalism and religion. We believe the Lord would have us set the people of Russia free by teaching them how to get the spiritual truth they so desire by simply studying God’s word.

Now our thoughts turn forward to March 8-10. We will be doing a seminar in Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg. Please pray for open hearts, safe travel, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit as we move on in the ministry.

Teaching at the rehab center.

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Sharing the Story of Christmas with Orphans

Every month a team from Light of Hope goes to two orphanages to share the gospel with them and try to meet their material needs. This month we came to celebrate Christmas. Olga and Alla joined us this time from the children’s ministry at Good News church. They put together a very good program with different games and skits, all teaching the story of Christ’s birth. It was a good fun time. Then we gave them gifts.

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Christmas at Light of Hope Church

Light of Hope church celebrated Christmas this year in an entirely different way. It was great fun! The Russian Christmas is on the seventh of January, so for our Sunday service, on the eighth, we had a party. Abner gave a message about Jesus’ birth and what it means for this world. Then the fun began. I will let the pictures tell the rest…

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IBS Seminar in Klimovskaye

During the week of the 11 - 18 of December Svetta and I were able to do an Inductive Bible Study seminar in a nearby suburb of Cherepovets called Klimovskaye. Alexey’s wife Luba is from there and he organized the seminar for us. Sunday the eleventh, Svetta and I announced the seminar and preached the sermon. We taught from Acts 8 about Philip and Simon the Sorcerer. We held the seminar on their Wednesday evening Bible study and on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

The church is rather small. More than half the church came to the seminar, totaling 10 people. So far it was one of the best seminars we have taken part in. Usually, as we get into the word, people tend to have a hard time because of misunderstandings and false doctrines they have been taught. People especially start to argue when we go through Jude. But in this church there was little to no resistance. They were very receptive, not only to the IBS method, but also to the doctrines that are taught once you let the Bible speak for itself. They were greatly encouraged! At one point one of the men said that he had been asked to do a Bible study once, but he didn’t know how to do it, but next time he would be able to.

That is the reason we are doing these seminars. Our desire is not just to give people fish, but to teach them how to fish. I believe that as we continue to do this the Lord will grow His seeds.

This will be the last seminar we do for the year of 2011. So far Alexey and I have been able to do three seminars this year. We already have about three lined up for 2012 starting in February. We hope to do a seminar every month until we come back to the States some time in June.