News (Page 2)
Students Invest in the Seminary
This fall, the members of the Board of Trustees were pleasantly surprised that last year the amount of offerings for the seminary collected by students exceeded for the first time the amount of offerings from local churches of the UMC in Eurasia. This shows that, despite what is happening in the country, in the world, and in the global United Methodist Church, seminary students want to invest their own money in the seminary’s future. This testimony is also an invitation…
Academy 2019
On August 22-28, 2019, the fifth Academy of Spiritual Formation of the United Methodist Church in Eurasia was held at the Solnechnye Karpaty boarding house. The topic was “The Time of Grace”. The place for the Academy was unique. The very nature of Transcarpathia is an expression of the Grace of God’s creation, and a cozy boarding house with single occupancy, harmonious landscape design filled with this gift of God. The schedule was so balanced that the participants of the…
What is the use of open doors if there are no eyes and hearts to perceive them?
Among the 23 local churches of the UMC in Czechia, there is also a Russian-speaking church. What does it mean for its pastor to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world? His great-grandfather was persecuted for his faith in God, accused of being an enemy of the people, sentenced to death on Stalin’s orders and executed by firing squad in 1937. His grandfather, also a Christian and evangelist, was killed in the Second World War. His…
PEOPLE OF FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE IN THE TIME OF CRISIS
Bishop Eduard Khegay Eurasia Episcopal Area April 20, 2020 Isolation and loneliness then and now It was August of 1996 when I collected all my belongings into two suitcases and got on the overnight train from Moscow to St.Petersburg with one way ticket. It was a bittersweet moment. On the one hand, I was excited to receive my first appointment from the bishop to serve as a local pastor in the most beautiful city of Russia. On the other hand,…
DEEPER CONVERSATIONS UMC
A Call to Deeper Conversations Regarding New Expressions of Methodist Witness. 11.11.19 Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) As bishops…
8 bishops join in planning new denomination
By Sam Hodges and Heather HahnMarch 12, 2020 | UM News A group of United Methodist leaders, including eight bishops, has issued a statement sharing its vision for a global traditionalist denomination focused on evangelism and the “primacy of Scripture.” Among the group’s essential doctrinal beliefs is defining Christian marriage as between a man and a woman. Two of the bishops who signed the statement told UM News they would depart The United Methodist Church for such a new denomination. One other said…
ABOUT PERSONAL EVANGELISM
One of the participants at the seminar, recently held in the Western District, Katya Tokareva, shared with us: “I have recently heard a speech by a priest who denounced the parishioners that once they came to church they became “sick ”, although the church is a“ hospital ”where the Lord Himself is a physician. This priest urged people to remember that before they came to church they were sociable, cheerful, but then turned into a “sanctuary”, convicting their relatives, friends,…
South Africa. Diary notes.
This autumn Natalia Losak from Ukraine and Alyona Pirogova from Russia, two volunteers from Eurasia UMC, joint brothers and sisters from Resurrection Church (Kansas City, USA) to go on a mission trip to the Republic of South Africa. The aim of the mission trip was to serve children at Ditshego House of Laughter, teach children to draw during classes and share God’s love during games and fellowship.Natalia kindly shared how it all went… Day 1 South Africa. Incredible, I am here,…
A meeting near a well
Women are called to a ministry. What image comes to your mind? A woman, who takes care of a food table? A teacher in a Sunday school? Maybe a pastor? Or a counselor? Every image is unique and important. And it is not a full list of what God calls women to do. How to hear the God’s call? How to be a leader? How to serve? These and other questions were discussed in the conference of leaders – women…
METHODIST CONTRIBUTION TO A BIG PROBLEM DISCUSSED IN ITALY
Members of the European Methodist Council (EMC) discussed ecological problems at their annual meeting. The following statements came as a result as well as some others: – We pledge to be active in our own churches and countries with respect to climate change and to raise awareness in our local contexts. – We pledge to prefer the use of train/bus/local boat travel and only use a plane when necessary when travelling to EMC meetings. If it’s really necessary to take…
Therefore go and make disciples…!
The mission of United Methodist Church is to make disciples for the transformation of the world, just following the great commission of Jesus: «make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you» (Mathew 28:19-20). Jesus Christ spent three years teaching his disciples. His first disciples were making other disciples. All christians nowaday are the disciples making disciples.…