In September 2016 our United Methodist Church “Grace” celebrated 15th anniversary. Hallelujah – 15 years in Grace! Glory and thanksgiving to the Lord, for He has kept it to this day!
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”. (Galatians 2:20)
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Today, looking at the way the Lord moves the church, it is hard to believe that the various ministries that He raised up for dedicated ministers who work in the field of God, bearing fruit, which a few years ago the church was going through difficult times, the life in it extinguished.
Our church has experienced various stages of its development, from origin, long years of nomadism due to lack of a building, from short bursts of spiritual revival, to recessions and a small number of parishioners, from a shortage of ministers and a frequent change of pastors, until finally a long-awaited answer to the prayer for the temple, According to God’s grace, his subsequent consecration and the filling of the people of God.
For seven long years the community prayed for the temple, it was not an easy matter of faith, as to be sure of the invisible and to wait for the expected fulfillment is not easy. But we were constant in prayer. The Lord, as always, is faithful to His Word. And in 2009 the Lord, with the prayer support of the church “Kvanrim”, gave the opportunity to build a temple. The consecration of the church was held the following year.
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In June 2011, with the arrival of Pastor Yevgeny Lee, the church gets a second wind. The Lord uses the pastor, and the life of the church begins to be arranged. We are grateful to God for the vision He gives to the pastor. Let me reflect on the vision of our church:
– SLEEP (salvation of each person, personal evangelism, alpha-course, street evangelism);
– STRENGTHEN – to help a Christian grow and develop in spiritual gifts (home groups, as well as youth, male and female ministries);
– LEARN – through the school of Christ, seminars to teach disciples to encourage others to follow Christ;
– SEND, equipping the students with all the knowledge and send them to the ministry.
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A lot of work is done with the children in the church. The Lord works through the teachers of the Sunday school, cultivating faith in these little ones. One of the significant achievements in the children’s ministry is the formation of a glorification group.
It is impossible to ignore the service of home groups. Truly here you can plunge into the atmosphere of brotherly love, openness, spiritual reinforcement and strengthening, as the basis of this ministry is a deep study of the Word of God and being in prayer. To date, there are seven home groups. Some of them have already begun to share, thereby multiply, for our God is the God of multiplication.
Our community has always been distinguished by the diligent service of the tables. A great contribution to this ministry is made by the deacon of the church. Pass other services, such as: prayer, Alpha-course, glorification, fraternal, female, youth and so on. Not so long ago a choir of the church was formed. Thanks are to God for His abundant grace in the life of the church, it is she who helps to go to the fulfillment of the mission, to reach unsaved souls and turn them on the path of salvation, to make them disciples of Jesus. The Alpha course and the school of Christ, the home groups are an effective tool for this. The Lord moves and reinforces the realization of the calling of the church. We believe and trust in His grace in the attainment of the next phase of the vision of the church, the mission. May the Holy Spirit fill us with His strength, so that we can fulfill His great commission!
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“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Marina Yugai, UMC “Grace”
Photo: Stanislav Em and UMC “Grace”
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