Representing the Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists of RussiaMonthly Prayer & Praise
OCTOBER 2008
6—Join us in thanking the Lord for the servant leadership of Pastor Yuri Sipko, president of the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists. As always, Yuri and his fellow pastors need God’s anointing and wisdom in leading this fellowship of 1,750 churches.
7—There can never be enough copies of God’s Word in the Russian language, both for children and adults. Pray with us for the funds needed to replenish our stocks of Bibles and New Testaments as supplies are depleted.
8—In the Belarussian town of Soligorsk, SGA-sponsored church planter Andrei Grushin has been ministering Christ’s love to men and youth who have criminal pasts. Lift these young men in prayer, asking God to bring them to saving faith. Pray also for Andrei’s ongoing church-planting ministry.
9—Pray for Kyler Welch and Greg Pyles, and the 21 faithful North American pastors who lead and coordinate the SGA-sponsored Antioch Initiative in Russia. Ask for the Lord’s wisdom and direction in planning and timing future expansion of church-planting and training.
10—Dr. Roman Dechtiarenko is SGA’s professor of Bible. Lift Roman in prayer as he continues his powerful teaching ministry at SGA-sponsored Bible institutes and seminaries. Pray also for his dear wife, Luba, who continues to battle an extremely painful chronic illness.
11—Rev. Zaur Balaev and several fellow pastors in Azerbaijan have again been on the receiving end of threats from police for continuing their ministries. Pray also for the pastors, and churches in Ufa, Russia, who are being threatened with closure. Please pray for the protection of God’s people, and for a change in the hearts of government officials toward evangelical churches.
12—The Lord’s Day: Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth (3 John 8). With 11 time zones of territory to cover, support of church-planting missionaries across the lands of Russia is vital. On this Sunday, pray with us for the additional funds needed to send out many more church planters. Millions of Russians have yet to hear the life-changing Gospel.
13—Lift Piotr Podrez and his son Dima in prayer today, along with our other staff at SGA’s Minsk RMC. We praise and thank God for their faithful service to Christ and His church across Belarus.
14—Pray today for Dr. Piotr Mitskevich, vice president of the Russian UECB. With his multiple roles as pastor, teacher and administrator — including being the president of Moscow Seminary — Piotr maintains a hectic, demanding schedule.
15—Please pray today for SGA’s ministry operations division, led by vice president Eric Mock. Eric is responsible for overseeing all ministry-related operations across the CIS — something that is increasingly a challenge as conditions change in each country.
16—We are thankful to the Lord for the ministry of general director William Smylie and his staff at SGA/England, which largely works in the former communist countries of Eastern Europe, plus Moldova and Kazakhstan. May the Lord greatly multiply their resources to serve and equip His churches in these nations.
17—Vitaly Zanin — office coordinator for the Russian UECB’s youth ministry in Moscow — left to fulfill his two-year military service requirement earlier this year. Pray for Vitaly during this time, as well as for UECB leaders as they search for a replacement.
18—SGA senior missionary Andrew Semenchuk was able to spend time in Ukraine this past spring attending graduations at SGA-sponsored seminaries, and encouraging churches. We are thankful for Andrew’s decades of service to Christ through our mission.
19—The Lord’s Day: But the Word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied (Acts 12:24). On this Lord’s Day, we think of how generations of faithful believers planted Gospel seeds during the communist years, sometimes at great cost. Today, as the doors are closing after such a brief period of freedom, we pray for believers across the CIS, asking the Lord to protect and sustain their churches in the face of opposition.
20—Please pray today for Valery Kazakov, Jake Schwarze, Natalie DuPuy, and Sergei Zayakin, who serve on SGA’s staff in Moscow. We thank the Lord for these faithful servants who help coordinate so much for our ministry from Russia’s capital city.
21—In addition to the SGA-sponsored Strategic Bible Institute in Surgut, Russia, our partners are also helping to sponsor an SBI in the Russian city of Kursk near the Ukrainian border. Please remember the students and teachers in prayer today.
22—Lift Russian UECB missions vice president Ruvim Voloshin in prayer. Ask the Lord to grant him wisdom and encouragement as he fulfills his significant administrative and ministry responsibilities.
23—Join us today in praying for governmental leaders in North America and in the CIS. We do this in obedience to Scripture &helip; I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
24—Even though summer children’s camp season is over in Russia, the evangelical churches we serve will be conducting follow-up ministry with hundreds of children in the coming months. Please intercede in prayer, asking God to continue working in the hearts of these little ones to bring them to Himself.
25—Pray for Rev. Piotr Zhuk, who serves as regional vice president for the UECB in Russia’s Ural Mountains district. Pastor Zhuk also serves as leader of the SGA-sponsored Antioch Initiative in the city and region of Ufa, Bashkortostan.
26—The Lord’s Day: For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4). On this Sunday, we praise and thank the Lord for the gift of His inerrant Word. May our churches — both here in North America and across the CIS — remain faithful and continue to stand on the firm foundation of Scripture.
27—Conditions for ministry in the nation of Kazakhstan continue to grow more difficult, with the government threatening more restrictions. Please pray for the churches, and for Kazakh UECB president Pastor Franz Tissen. Ask God to grant him great wisdom in his leadership responsibilities.
28—Please continue praying for the SGA-sponsored Immanuel’s Child Christmas ministry across the lands of Russia. We are praying to reach even more children with the life-changing Gospel this year.
29—Lift up SGA’s ongoing Orphans Reborn ministry in prayer. Through this wonderful outreach, thousands of lonely, forgotten orphan children are experiencing Christ’s love, and are being drawn to Him.
30—Please pray for the growing number of oppressed and persecuted churches in more regions of the CIS, especially those in heavily Muslim areas. May the Lord protect His people, and enable them to be lights for Christ even in the midst of great spiritual darkness.
31—Reflection: We conclude September joining the psalmist Asaph in worship of our wonderful Lord &helip; We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks, for Your name is near; men declare Your wondrous works (Psalm 75:1).
