The months was replete with the events and opportunities.
On the first weekend our development team went to the conference of the Novomedia – an association of Christians who works for secular media to make a presentation of The Lesson video as well as promote the documentaries we have available. Many showed the interest to use our materials through secular media whenever they have an opportunity. Please join our prayers for that door to spread the message.
On the next week we had very joyful and fruitful visit with Anderi, an Apologetics society regional coordinator for Uzbekistan, and worked on the apologetics ministry in Uzbekistan strategy development. The strategy is going to have three levels. The first level is building the bridges for the personal evangelism. The second level is a national network of the apologists development. We are starting the preparation for the first Uzbek apologetics national retreat. The third level is training and equipping the leaders of the leaders alongside with other regional and national coordinators. We plan Uzbeks to be actively involved in the coordinators retreats, media production workshops, international summits and symposiums, etc.
At the same time our coordination/support team went to Kursk, our base for the ministry in Central Russia, for the meeting with leading Russian apologists to supply them with the new materials we have available as well to update them and be updated on the partnership the ministry and further development in the region.
The Symposium, ‘a short-term mission to the tribes of intellectuals’ was very successful. We can admit that after the decades of intolerant atheism in the areas of academia we have developed the culture of respectful and constructive discussion on the issues of faith. Been responsible for the technical support of the symposium, we are working on its growing as a recognized academic event. This year for the first time we were able to distribute a wireless internet access to the participants – a service very few highest level conferences provide in our part of the world. At least this increased the quality of the translator’s work considerably.
Right after the symposium we (our international coordinator Vadim and I) went to Kiev for the Theological Education conference by Euro-Asian Accreditation Association that involved the representatives of every Christian and para-Christian colleges and universities of former Soviet Union (see the picture attached). As an opening plenary speaker, I had an opportunity to address the gathering with the message ‘Worldview Foundation of the Theological Education’. In brief, my goal was to challenge the schools leaders with the image of academic standards as a roof of the theological education building. It is important to have reliable roof, but if the walls are supported by the roof only without the solid Biblical worldview foundation, the entire building is in the danger of collapse.
The message had the effect of shock. For some it was exciting shock (one person told me afterward: “It is hard to believe we have started to discuss the real issue after all!), for some – a shock of the frustration (“Why should we listen something that has nothing to do with the academic issues?”), but it was definitely a challenge. Thanks to the Lord for giving me the right words in right moment.
The EAAA leaders have showed their interest in involving me into the work of the Association board, but I had to refuse that privilege at least till I complete my doctorate studies and have some more time to be considered for any new commitments and responsibilities. But I have assure them that our ministry is going to continue equipping schools, teachers and students with the resources for effective Biblical worldview persuasion. We have supplied every school representative with a set of our books and videos for the schools libraries.
I have wrote you in August newsletter how God used for the outreach opportunities increase the necessity to change our regular broadcast from Zhisa to Neapolis channels. This happened to be not the end of the story: Zhisa has decided to broadcast our The Lesson movie any way, free of charge for us! Isn’t it amazing? The loss keep turning into the gain!
Please pray for our ministry, for our team, for my family, for all the activities and projects, for God’s guidance in everything we do.