Moscow Resprise

The last day of our very busy schedule we visited with the Dean and Director of an active and dynamic denomination that will remain confidential for now for obvious reasons. We had a great discussion but no photos because I lost the battery to my Kodak Digital Camera in the snow. So, you will have to use your imagination. (The two Pastors on the right are typical of the men and women we trained during this trip.)

They told us about the fact that their groups is growing by leaps and bounds through serving people's basic needs. They currently have one large Seminary or Institute in Moscow and ten schools for their uneducated pastors spread out all over Russia's 9 time zones. (NINE! We have four in the USA.)

The Dean showed us a photo of one school with 30 students but each student was the Senior Pastor or Second Pastor with several hundred members and ten or so other church plants and numerous staff members. He asked us to teach our Basic Counseling and Pastoral Care at every school so every Pastor can train his staff and people.

WOW! Talk about multiplication and ministry to the masses. They have the right ideas. The Dean is meeting today with our team to discuss them doing a pilot training at a Moscow Church. Pray with us about how we could possibly arrange such a massive training program all over Russia. Only God could pull it off and supply the team, time, materials and finances. This trip was very expensive as the Russian government is making it more difficult to travel there on a budget. We had to stay at a hotel for the first time and they are sky high.

But the opportunity is mind blowing in its implications for us and for Russian churches, most of which have no pastoral care and counseling despite facing immense problems. They do not trust secular programs and rightly so. The anti-Christian forces in Russia are very strong, but God is able to minister His healing presence. Through healing the good news is spread and peace is promoted throughout the world.

Pray for us and our friends overseas. Developing good relationships with the Russian churches is vital to God's plan of salvation and our future as a nation.