TELA

SEND Strategy for Russia's Central Black Soil Region

1. Prepare young men and women for full time ministry. This is being accomplished through a Bible education program that combines classroom study and field internship under the supervision of qualified mentors.

2. Strengthen local churches. They should be mature and reproductive; equipping their members and sending them out to establish new churches. SEND missionaries help these churches by offering a ministry of teaching, modeling and mentoring.

3. Start new churches. Many national pastors desire to see new churches started in areas where none exist. SEND missionaries help these pastors develop a strategy, and join a church-plant team along with the local nationals. Missionaries add enthusiasm to the team; and help train the other team members. Missionaries also initiate various kinds of ministries in a new church, with the goal of turning them over to the nationals and working themselves out of a job.

TELA plays a very important role in this strategy by concentrating evangelism on the age group most receptive to the gospel. Also, the emphasis on discipleship reaches a young person before facing 3 major life decisions; who to marry; where to study; and what occupation to pursue? A young person committed to following Christ will allow Him to give direction in making the right choices. Young people are also the prime candidates for enrolling in a Bible education program, and could be developed into missionaries, pastors and leaders of new churches.

With these three elements in place, and only by God's grace, young men and women can be trained for full time ministry, equipped and sent out from their churches, and placed on a church-plant team, while being developed into the leaders of that new church.

		SUBSCRIBE TO TELA NEWS

News

The saga continues on the boilers. Additional details for completion were given by the gas company before the boilers are allowed to be switched on at TCC. These details of course, cost money; and winter is quickly approaching. PRAY for God's provision.

No heat at TCC meant that session 2 for the CBSR (Central Black Soil Region) Training Center was held at the First Baptist Church in Tambov, and students lived in the HiBA Center. On Saturday at the end of the session there was a seminar for mentors to the students. They were given an overview of the purpose and program for the training center, and given an explanation of their responsibilities to the students, and how their role is essential to the success of the students. They will be monitoring their students' progress in 3 areas: their personal walk with God; their homework assignments; and their ministry involvement. PRAY for these mentors to have a major influence on the progression of the six students.

Donna Macomber was a missionary with High School Evangelism Fellowship for many years before joining SEND International in 2002. She recently finished her language study in Far East Russia, and her assignment by SEND is to work with TELA in western Russia. Her ministry will be to lead the HiBA Club part of TELA, which will include writing materials and training leaders. Donna has many years of experience with the HiBA Club ministry in NJ, and is very qualified to oversee it in Russia. However, some issues with her parents' health have required her to be in Maine for making some very serious decisions with her brothers and sisters concerning the long term care of their parents. PRAY for Donna to have wisdom and strength, and for her father to know Jesus Christ as his Savior.

Two of TELA's staff members are involved in new churches. Pasha Litvinov is the pastor of a church in Morshansk that he began, and Andre Motenko leads the youth ministry and outreach of a new church in Lipetsk. PRAY for these 2 churches to grow in the grace and wisdom of God, and that God would add more people to their number.