I am very grateful to be serving an incredibly generous community at Moscow Bible Church. One of the signs of this generosity is Charity Sunday – a special Sunday service traditionally held during the third Sunday of September. During this time, we not only get to highlight social initiatives within our church, but also usually to invite a charitable foundation in Moscow to share with the congregation about the important work that they do in the city. We partner with these foundations through volunteer service, but Charity Sunday gives us a chance to also bless their work financially since all the money that we collect that Sunday and the following week goes to these foundations.
This year we got to share with the church about our work at the children’s hospital in the South of Moscow, our ministry to the elderly in a nursing home about two hours away from Moscow, and our ongoing ministry to people in the Donbass region. However, this year we did not invite a foundation. Instead, we decided to send all the funds we raised to help the refugees in the Kursk region.
Kursk is a city southwest of Moscow. Its population is about 440 thousand people and it became the focal point in the news back in August when the Ukrainian army’s offensive overtook several large villages and the city of Sudzha in Kursk region. It resulted in over 150 thousand refugees fleeing the fighting and flooding the city of Kursk. The local churches have responded to this humanitarian crisis offering shelter, clothing, and food to those in need. Thus, it was only natural for us as a church to support the ministry of our brothers and sisters.
Our team of volunteers that visited the Donbass in September made a stop in Kursk to minister there, also. The money that we raised during our Charity Sunday and the ensuing week will also go towards this great need.
Thank you in turn for your generosity and for your faithful support of our ministry. It allows us to minister not only to Moscow Bible Church but to a greater community of believers in Russia.
Yours in praying and hastening the day of revival in Moscow and Russia,
Constantin and Alexandra
THREE THINGS TO PRAY FOR:
Please join us in praying for God:
- To bring peace to Ukraine and Russia. It appears right now that peace talks are a distant dream. But nothing is impossible for God.
- To bless our upcoming annual “All Saints” Youth Conference with depth of impact and width of reach by making our talks and seminars deep while attracting many young people to attend. Our theme this year is “Sola Gratia.” I will be speaking on the need for grace and then will lead a seminar on the relationship between faith and science.
- To provide the necessary resources for us to finish up remodeling our new place. We have moved in, but did not finish installing a coat closet in the entryway, book shelves, or shelves in the closet.
