"I have a friend, her name is Olesya and she invited me to this group."
"Some time ago my house was damaged in a fire, and the church helped me rebuild part of it,
and I decided that I would like to have this house dedicated to God and to serve Him. So
for the past year I have been inviting a small group to come and meet in my house."
Olesya lives in the town of Krasnoyarsk, deep in the heart of Siberia. Life here can be
cold, and for the small number of Seventh-day Adventist that make their homes here, reaching
out to others has not been easy. But then a new approach was taken, one that has proven
to be successful.
"At our church we were discussing ways that we can share our love for God and our friendship
with others. one of my friends suggested that we have a small group meeting. because of
our group, now Ruslan and Margeurita are the fruits of our meetings and I am so happy that
they have joined us. ":
Ruslan is the newest member of the group to join the church, and he started attending
the group for a specific reason.
"I came to this group because they were studying the Bible."
"Now God is my life and my friend":
Getting a small group established isn't an easy task, so the group was thankful for some
help in the beginning.
"when we started our group, our pastor, Vladimar, joined us and it helped to get us going. It
was very helpful":
"This group is successful because they are united: and are like a family. They help each
other and I am sure that if something were to happen to one of them, the others would
support them and help each other grow spiritually.
The members of this group have been changed through their new friendships, as well as
the continual study of the Holy Scriptures.
"God has changed me a lot because before I never used to listen to other people’s opinions,
I was selfish and everything was my way. But when I went to church and got to know God,
I can now listen to people and consider their opinions."
Small group evangelism has proven to be successful all over the world. For many it is the best
way to truly grow the church and build strong congregations.
"I am sure that this model of outreach is one of the best ways to reach people and grow
as a church. People become like a family and their relationships help to unify the church"
The church members who started the small group are happy that they have found a way to reach
out to those people in their community who are searching for the truth. For Ruslan and
Margeurita, their lives have been touched by people who were willing to let them into
their church family.
"I am so happy that they have found the truth. They both used to be different people, but
now their lives have purpose. I used to be the same way, but when I found God, my life
changed."
This quarter a portion of your 13th Sabbath Offering will help provide a new church building
for the Seventh-day Adventist members in Krasnoyarsk. Currently they have to rent public buildings
so that their members can meet each Sabbath. This new church will provide a stable place
of worship where they can invite their friends and families to worship. Please keep the members
in Krasnoyarsk in your prayers as you give your Mission Offerings this Sabbath.