Building up Believers for Service

Pray for your local church and the local churches in Slavic countries. Ask the Lord to increase the spiritual life of each member of the church. Ask Him to assist your church in the area where you live to seek souls with salvation from sin. And may this assistance extend throughout the whole world. Pray for your pastor and leadership, as well as the pastors and leadership in the Slavic world. Pray for peace in the world. Ask God to restrain evil through the Holy Spirit in order that His Word may have free course in every country.

Working in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova since 1991 - 1992 with dedicated believers and leaders in the Christian community has been a joy for Slavic Missionary Service. Each year sees new decisions and new developments for God’s glory. The churches have been growing and youth are filling the services with energy and enthusiasm.

At times, the journey has been tedious and troublesome, but the community of Christians in each country has stood faithful to their commitment to Christ and the Great Commission. Now, Bible colleges and seminaries are producing strong, stable pastors, teachers, evangelists, missionaries and Christian workers in various fields to lead the believers to serve the Lord in all facets of life. Christians are testifying of their faith in their homes, in their schools, in their workplaces and on the streets.

In February 2018 Rob Zapotoski, SMS Interim Director, was able to participate in “building up the believers” in Belarus and Ukraine. In different cities “Youth Ministry” was taught in the seminaries, and also in the churches studies were conducted in the book of Jeremiah. The students were eager to hear personal stories concerning the life of a missionary and what “full-time” service for God involves.

How important it is for “guests” from different countries to present the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and to live the Christian life according to the principles in the Bible. The world is watching and many are seeking for the true meaning of life. Young believers in Christ, likewise, are watching and many of them desire to see God work in their lives in a stronger way, as they grow in faith.

Until the Lord Jesus returns for His church, pray for these Slavic countries that the Christian leadership will continue to instruct the next generation of potential leaders and instill within them the necessary tools needed to build the church for God’s glory. Also, pray for SMS that funds and resources will be distributed and used in the best way possible to produce “long lasting” results in God’s people and God’s work.

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

1 Peter 3:8

God’s strategy for world evangelism calls for two equally important elements: Co-missionaries and Go-missionaries, the senders and the sent, the supporters and the workers. A Christian church without missionary enthusiasm is a contradiction. God depends upon the faithful testimony of His people for the evangelization of the world. The Savior expects those who have tasted the sweetness of salvation to spread the news far and wide. He has commissioned His children to share His Word to the lost in every country.