Peace to you, beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Our Church does not have a special missionary strategy; we just conduct missionary work in the locations where our parishioners live, in order to nourish them with the Word and the sacraments and to share the Gospel with people around, inviting them to the church services.
Now we are starting a new mission in Krasnodar (2500 miles from Novosibirsk). From March 27 to April 4, with the blessing of our Bishop, father Pavel Zayakin visited this city to meet with the parishioners living there. This region became a home to a quite large number of our parishioners who have moved from different locations of Siberia. (During last years, many people left cold Siberia for warmer parts of Russia, including our parishioners).
Historically, in Krasnodar (as in all large towns in the Russian Empire) there was a Lutheran community, and in the center of this city there is still a building of a historic Lutheran church, which was confiscated at the end of the 30s of the last century and was never returned to anyone. Now this building belongs to the government and houses the local Union of Artists.
To celebrate the liturgies, we rented a small apartment in which father Pavel Zayakin celebrated the liturgies at Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter, and also met and talked with people. The Easter Mass was especially joyful, and after the Mass everyone did not leave, but they drank tea and talked with each other for many hours.
Fr.Pavel also visited the village of Esto-Sadok (five hours drive from Krasnodar). This village was founded in 1886 by 36 families who moved from Estonia (at that time Estonia was part of the Russian Empire). This place is still inhabited by ethnic Estonians, whom we also invite to the Divine services.
Our Church is small and poor, and she does not have funds to start regular Divine services in Krasnodar, but now our priests will visit the parishioners and serve them several times a year, with a hope that the mission will develop and grow into a permanent parish of our Siberian Church.
Please pray for the missionary ministry of SELC and for the newly organized mission in Krasnodar.
Christ is risen!
