APRIL '26: Very Personal Easter
Christ is risen! Now I know that Easter was several weeks ago but in Russia one can greet another with this tranditional Easter greeting up until Trinity Sunday. So Christ is risen!
How was this Easter special for you? I remember sharing once with Bill Bright about my personal struggles in trying to witness to my parents. In response he shared a very personal story with me about his dad. Dr. Bright mentioned that he also tried to share faith with his father, he prayed for him earnestly and then one day as he preached, he saw him up in the balcony. His dad prayed to receive Christ that day after the service. It was such a personal and heartwarming story that encouraged me greatly. Though at the time it hardly seemed possible that my parents would come to church, let alone any of my relatives.
I have mentioned a year ago about a very special service that we have been putting together for over 20 years. It is the ancient rite of Tenebrae or Liturgy of Shadows that we reimagined. Seven of the last words of Christ are read aloud. Seven candles are extinguished one by one until the room is filled with darkness. The music is played after each of the last words of Christ is read. We have also added the visual element and this year it was my dad’s art that served as the background of this very special service on Good Friday.
But what also made this day special for me was the visit from my cousin’s first wife, their daughter and son along with their grandson. My cousin unexpectedly passed away at the end of February. It could be that the grief made their hearts softer to the Gospel or something else. Be it as it may I think it was the first time that someone from my extended family came to a protestant church. Needless to say, they knew that I was a pastor. I have tried and failed in sharing Christ with them many times. But somehow this time it was different, and it made my Easter very special. As I greeted dozens of new people that came to this special service for the very first time, there was something special about greeting my niece and her mom after this Good Friday service.
They came over to our place a week later. We talked about God, church and Youth summer camp. It kind of felt surreal but so good. Let’s hope this is “the beginning of a beautiful friendship” that will last through eternity and I will able to share one day like Dr. Bright did that my extended family came to embrace Christ too.
Yours in praying and hastening the day of revival in Moscow and Russia,
Constantin and Alexandra
P.S. You may remember me trying desperately to put a positive spin on the Candlelight Service that quite frankly personally I did not enjoy all that much. Well, something happened about a month ago that completely transformed my take on this service. But before I share that story I would love to tell you more about training the new crop of trainers who will help us teach church planters in the nearest future.
THREE PRAYER REQUESTS:
Please take a moment right now, after you fnished reading this e-mail, to join us in praying for God:
- To bless Evangelical Free Church of Russia National Conference. I shared previously that Evangelical Free Church of Russia was essentially born out of the ministry of Moscow Bible Church in large part due to the ministry of Rick and Jan Thompson in Russia. Tomorrow I am heading out to the national conference in Kazan where among other things we will vote on our renewed statement of faith. There is a large group from Moscow Bible Church that is headed to this conference and I will be one of the keynote speakers there. Please pray for God to use this time in a very special way in strengthening the Evangelical Free Church of Russia and broadening its ministry and impact.
- To raise necessery funds for us to purchase our own building. I shared in my previous newsletter about our capital campaign that we just launched. Check it out if you have not yet and if you can please share about it with as many people as possible especially with the missions board of your church.
- To bring peace to Russia and Ukraine. Moreover, ask God to use this conflict by bringing reconciliation and revival to these countries.
