Expanding the Kingdom of God

Mel and Nancy Skinner are involved in kicking off two new home groups. Pray that this new church would be a lighthouse for our neighbors and friends.

In addition, the Skinners are using Scripture distribution to find folks who desire to know God better. They will start an evangelistic Bible study with those interested folks. Several weeks ago, Mel delivered a Bible to a lady of 64. While talking with her at the door, she volunteered, "Would you like me to help find people who would be interested in having a Bible? I know a lot of people." She called Mel back in the next couple of days and said she had 8 folks that wanted a Bible! This is just the kind of person we've been looking for! Pray for the Lord to raise up people who are seeking Him and that a new group would be gathered.

Our team mates, Keith and Kristie Sullivan, are working with a new church start. They will leave for furlough (stateside rest) in 6 weeks. Pray for stable, local leadership to take over when the Sullivans leave. Pray for the Sullivans as well. They are expecting a baby in May. Pray for a healthy baby and delivery. When they return in the fall they will move to Yaroslavl - still part of our team, just opening new work in a new city.

Pray that the students in the Bible study would make life-changing commitments to Jesus Christ and go on to become His church.

Our strategy hinges around small and rapidly reproducing house and/or cell churches. An important aspect of that is a larger celebration service where people from all of the groups meet together for worship. Our first such service will be February 20, 2005. Pray that God visits us in this service and that He will be glorified. Also pray that our small groups will be successful in inviting their friends and family.