Frederick Buechner once said: “God’s calling for you is where your great gladness and the world’s biggest hunger meet.”
In Russia there is a great hunger: With a population of about 143 million people, the vast nation has only about 7,500 evangelical churches. This leaves countless towns and villages without a single Evangelical witness. The need for more churches is urgent – and the need for the Gospel to reach hearts without Christ even greater.
God has awakened Harvesters missionaries in Russia to this need. Through doors He has opened, we have established 10 active church planting Streams in nine regions! It is our great gladness to serve these churches by training them in evangelism, disciple making and church planting. Discover more and find prayer points below.
The Great Hunger
- In the city of Volgograd, a pastor confessed after training that he had grown tired and discouraged. He doubted if evangelism, discipleship and church planting could still work in his community.
- Similarly, Pastor Victor, from an island in the far east, has been serving faithfully for 30 years but admitted, “there are very little results or satisfaction.”
- Pastor Valodia in Kalmykia, a Buddhist republic with one of the least reached people groups in Russia, faces the challenge of finding pastors willing to go and plant churches in the remote towns and villages.
- In Krasnodar, Pastors Vlad and Katya have been praying for a tool to help them “multiply the Kingdom of God… raise disciples, raise workers and plant new churches.” Katya explains that they are taught to evangelise, but“do not know what to do with people” after that.
God, however, is doing something amazing, and hearts are being set on fire!
The Great Gladness
God has prepared a way for Harvesters to respond to this hunger. The results are our great gladness:
- The weary pastor from Volgograd attended Harvesters Phase A training. God renewed his vision, and now his church is planning to roll out the church planting strategy in six new locations while equipping their members in evangelism and discipleship.
- Pastor Victor has “discovered a new path” by working with Harvesters. He testified: “I truly believe we will see results because it is the Lord who is at work. If He has already stirred my heart so strongly during this seminar – giving me such a lasting desire to follow the Harvesters model – I am confident that He will bring results.”
- Pastor Valodia’s ministry was refreshed through Harvesters. He is now committed to the process of planting new churches, saying, “we trust that God will help us all.”
- Pastors Vlad and Katya’s church have committed themselves to the process too. “We want to plant more churches, we want to evangelise and we want to make disciples who make disciples,” declared Katya.
Answer the call
Join us in our great gladness as we pray for Russia:
- Praise God for two new church plants near Krasnodar city and 20 new churches around Perm.
- Thank God for 25 Buddhists who came to Christ in the Buryat Republic of Siberia.
- Pray that Russian pastors will be tenacious church planters who will persevere in evangelism and disciple making.
- Pray that God will continue to lead Harvesters to those who have a great hunger.
