Ukraine (MNN) — Change. That's the campaign slogan of many politicians around the world. But change is the focus of Russian Ministries' Evangelical Missions Forum that's being held October 24 and 25 in Ukraine ,and they need help and prayer.
Vice President of Russian Ministries Sergey Rakhuba says, "After so many years of freedom and so many changes that [are] taking place lately, we are inviting evangelical missions leaders together to discuss all those important issues of partnership and to analyze the situation and start planning for the future."
Rakhuba describes the changes taking place in the region. "Russia is changing. Ukraine is more open. Belarus is on the edge of dictatorship again. Central Asian former Soviet Union countries are turning into more persecuted places [compared] to other countries in the world. So, this is the right time."
He says this conference will be a time of developing synergies that will help ministry move forward, rather than being stymied by political change.
Today many nations in the region are considering changes to their religion laws. Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Russia and others have already considered religion laws that will restrict religious freedom and curtail western workers.
Rakhuba expects results. "We [would] like to gather corporately, to come up with a strategic plan for the future, for evangelical independent groups, for evangelical churches/denominations, [asking] 'How should we continue working together to get better results?'"
The Forum will be designed to encourage networking and the sharing of experiences between national churches and foreign missions, as well as promote future fellowship and expand partnerships between leaders of churches, missions, educational institutions and international organizations.
In additional to plenary sessions, the following four workshops will be organized to discuss:
• Planting new churches: experience and new models
• Social evangelism as a new form of missions ministry
• Education as a form of ministry training: diverse approaches with a single goal
• Theology of missions: in search of new paradigms
Funding and other economic issues will also be addressed during these two days.
Rakhuba says this is more than just a way to help ministries. "This is a very important time when evangelical leaders can come together and can continue helping the evangelical church and working together shoulder-to-shoulder, helping them to adopt new progressive ways for outreach ministries so they can continue changing their countries, their communities and their families for Jesus."
The forum will take place in the Russian Ministries' Association for Spiritual Renewal's National Ministry Headquarters in Irpen (Kiev Region), Ukraine. For additional information contact:
U.S. and the West
Jean Zatulovsky
Program Director
[email protected]
(630) 462-1739
In the CIS
Mikhail Cherenkov
Vice President of Education and Russian Ministries Public Relations
Association for Spiritual Renewal
[email protected]
38 (044) 2237222
