How do you usually handle doubts? During our youth retreat we tried something that we never did during our camps or conferences, and the experiment proved to be quite fruitful so we will definitely expand on it in the future.
There was nothing profound or unique about it though. It was a simple Q&A time when we gave the teenagers an opportunity to ask me absolutely anything. There were the expected questions on “How far can you go with your girlfriend during a date?” and inquiries on why one should not drink alcohol. There were also unexpected ones like “Why don’t you like the filioque?” (by the way I asked the teenagers how many of them even know what the filioque is and several immediately gave me the right answer, which shocked me even more than the question itself). But then there were heartfelt issues on forgiveness that were raised. Questions about “how to forgive others and how to forgive oneself.”
While there is nothing extraordinary about Q&A sessions, I believe they are vitally important because they instill a proper culture of questions and doubts. The one where doubts are not suppressed but at the same time it is not celebrated, but where honest inquiries are encouraged because Christianity offers the best possible answers.
We plan not only to continue this new tradition at our youth retreats and conferences but also hope to slowly include it in our Sunday services. Timothy Keller had a regular time for Q&A after the Redeemer Presbyterian church services in New York City. Everyone who was ever involved with these sessions remarked afterwards how beneficial they were for the sceptics who were just starting to attend the church. We would like to give it a try, too, after our services so as to attract a broader audience and give those who are new in church an opportunity to see firsthand how Christianity addresses issues that are most pertinent to them.
Yours in praying and hastening the day of revival in Moscow and Russia,
Constantin and Alexandra
P.S. Our apartment remodeling saga is over. We have moved in and began getting settled in our new place. Thank you for your prayers during this time of transition.
FIVE THINGS TO PRAY FOR:
- Please pray for Cru Russia. In my previous newsletter I shared with you that I was scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the Cru National Conference in Russia this year. However, due to unforseen complications the conference was canceled. I am not at liberty to disclose what exactly happened. But Cru Russia needs our prayers at the moment as they reasess how to continue their ministry in Russia. Please join me in praying for them.
- Please do pray that the surgery that Elena went through would cure her issue with tear-ducts.
- Join me in praying for the follow up work for our amazing youth and kids camps this summer. These camps were a blast and became a highlight for the teenagers and kids who came to them. But what happens after the camp is almost as important as what happens during the camp. Please pray with me that we find creative and meaningful ways to follow up these kids and to bring them to the point where they make a decision to follow Christ personally.
- There are two major issues that our church needs to tackle in order to grow and develop: small groups and evangelism. Please pray that we would grow the number of our small groups and that we would become the church that is know for boldly and creatively sharing the Gospel.
- It is easy to forget about the war and it is very easy to get used to it. I'm so grateful to our team of volunteers that bring humanitarian aid almost to the front lines of this war on a bi-monthly basis. Their stories and pictures remind all of us of the reality of carnage that is still going on. Please continue to pray with us for peace between Russia and Ukraine.
GIVING THROUGH INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES OF EURASIA (ICC-E):
You can donate to the Lysakovs’ ministry via ICC-E by check or autopay from your bank (see address below), or with your credit card via the ICC-E web site http://icceurasia.com/
Website: http://icceurasia.com
Email: icc.eurasia@gmail.com:
Mailing Address:
ICC-Eurasia
P.O. Box 34035
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Phone +1 (301) 514-7433
GIVING THROUGH CRYPTO CURRENCY
It's a new age and a new dawn, so why not use this simple method if you are so inclined and you have etherium or bitcoin that you want to use to support our ministry. You can use our Metamask wallet that was set up for these purposes (0xE021dB34F65C0F5B1F0ccF4Def059233B67891DB)
