The Great Commission is filled with verbs; it demands action. Information is useless unless you respond to the call and act. Cover your missions emphasis with prayer. Discuss global needs with other leaders. Lay the world's challenges before your people. Expect the Holy Spirit to direct them to do more than they have ever done before. Action is the evidence of conviction.
This Mission News Update shares current mission information you can use in your Sunday school class, care group, youth group, or children's ministry to mobilize your entire church. The Global Outreach web site will have all of these stories and more for your use during the month of October.
Plea From Belarus
Pastor Henadzi (Gena), national overseer, serves in Belarus, a 21st century mission frontier. The people of this former Soviet block country continue to experience subtle and overt repression of human rights and religious freedom despite government protestations to the contrary. Proclaiming the gospel in such an environment is fraught with difficulty and obstacles. As I compose this Mission News Update on October 13th, I am in Harkov, Ukraine, at a leadership conference where Brother Gena has shared the story of his dear friend and fellow pastor Slava Goncharenko. This brother pastors the Full Gospel Church, the largest congregation in Belarus. This church has been involved in a two-year battle with the government which has manipulated the country's court system to force the church to sell its building for a pittance. Brother Gena explained that if the government is able to succeed in this action, no church in Belarus is safe from its interference. Many pastors across Belarus have joined together to support Pastor Goncharenko and his congregation and they have issued a worldwide appeal to God's people around the world to assist this church:
We as pastors of Christian churches, appeal to you on the behalf of Christians of Belarus. We wish you all God's greatest blessings in your families, in life and ministry. Belarusian authorities don't allow New Life church to hold services in any place, even in its lawfully acquired building.
On August 17, 2005 Minsk City Executive Committee made an illegal decision to deprive New Life the right to use its land with further forceful purchase of its building of 1641 square meters (17,663 square feet) for $17,000, i.e., for $10 per square meter (10 square feet). For this kind of money one can only buy a room in one room apartment with shared kitchen in the city of Minsk.
The authorities are trying to make this illegal act look lawfully by hiding behind court decisions, meanwhile the courts do what they are being told by the authorities.
New Life has appealed and challenged these rulings in all courts, its Christians wrote to the President of Belarus – all to no result.
While praying to the Lord and trusting in His grace and power, the believers have defined their position toward the current situation. It's simple: New Life church will not give up its building voluntarily, which means that by gathering its all human resources New Life's Christians will stand for their rights alongside with other Belarusian Christians from other churches and stay inside the building day and night, if such need arises. At the present time there is a possibility for increasing tension concerning our situation.
On the 29th of September the authorities transferred to the church bank account money and in 10 days [8th of October] according to the court decision the Minsk City Executive Committee will receive "the right" to demand building transfer.
The government sent the money and in 10 days church have to give up the building. Instead of this, we announce a protest as [a] fast and abstinence from food and water and we will be praying and staying at the church every day.
Here is the open appeals for pastors to get support - so YOU can talk to people in Your church and go to the Belarusian Embassy, and go there with these mottos in your hands (attached) starting from October 9 or any day until October 13.
We have a request for you as a friend. Can you please forward this information to pastors in different countries that you know so that they would do what is written in this letter. It is vitally important to us.
God's greatest blessings to you! Looking forward to your answer.
This coming Sunday is the time when pastors could ask their church members to do.
This is the addresses for Belarusian embassies around the world: http://www.belembassy.org/index_eng.htm
The current situation can be described by one phrase: War at our gates. We are getting spiritually and morally ready for all possible outcomes. At the same time the thought about unity of the Body of Christ does not leave us.
How you can help us:
1. By praying.
2. By informing all Christians of your country, mass media and your government if possible.
3. By writing support letters to the following snail mail address below. This can be done personally or on your church's letterhead or on the letterhead of your denomination: Belarus, 220016 Karl Marx street 38, Administration of the President of Belarus or by sending email from the page www.president.gov.by <http://www.president.gov.by> . Please don't just send an email, but write a letter as well. Also you can write to the Embassy of Belarus in your country. If write a letter, please send us a copy.
4. By going to the Embassy of Belarus in your country to gain support for New Life church with mass media coverage (please get in touch with us to coordinate your activities). Our goal is not to create disorder, but to make this situation of public awareness and through solidarity of many Christians to force the government of Belarus to agree with our petitions, which are simple:
1. To cancel the Minsk City Executive Committee's illegal decision to deprive New Life of its land and building
2. To make the status of our building suitable for religious usage.
We are attaching a presentation to this letter, in which the history of New Life church is shown, mottos for the going to the Belarus Embassy and also a sample letter to the Administration of the President of Belarus.
You can also follow the events concerning New Life church @ www.newlife.by <http://www.newlife.by>
How to Send Help
Individual donors can contribute through the Helping Hands Ministry and churches may contribute through Harvest Partners Level Two (project) giving. Mission Marker Partners is also available for giving specifically for helping churches with buildings and other key needs.
Please make all checks payable to Church of God of Prophecy and be sure to specify where you would like your offering to go by designating it as HP Level 2
Send to:
Church of God of Prophecy
P.O. Box 2910
Cleveland, TN 37320-2910
Note that all gifts are tax deductible and 100 percent of your gift is applied to the need you specify.
David Bryan
Director, Global Outreach Ministries
Church of God of Prophecy
3720 Keith Street, NW
P.O. Box 2910
Cleveland, TN 37320-2910
Tel. 423.559.5204
www.globaloutreach.cogop.org <http://www.globaloutreach.cogop.org>
This Mission News Update shares current mission information you can use in your Sunday school class, care group, youth group, or children's ministry to mobilize your entire church. The Global Outreach web site will have all of these stories and more for your use during the month of October.
Plea From Belarus
Pastor Henadzi (Gena), national overseer, serves in Belarus, a 21st century mission frontier. The people of this former Soviet block country continue to experience subtle and overt repression of human rights and religious freedom despite government protestations to the contrary. Proclaiming the gospel in such an environment is fraught with difficulty and obstacles. As I compose this Mission News Update on October 13th, I am in Harkov, Ukraine, at a leadership conference where Brother Gena has shared the story of his dear friend and fellow pastor Slava Goncharenko. This brother pastors the Full Gospel Church, the largest congregation in Belarus. This church has been involved in a two-year battle with the government which has manipulated the country's court system to force the church to sell its building for a pittance. Brother Gena explained that if the government is able to succeed in this action, no church in Belarus is safe from its interference. Many pastors across Belarus have joined together to support Pastor Goncharenko and his congregation and they have issued a worldwide appeal to God's people around the world to assist this church:
We as pastors of Christian churches, appeal to you on the behalf of Christians of Belarus. We wish you all God's greatest blessings in your families, in life and ministry. Belarusian authorities don't allow New Life church to hold services in any place, even in its lawfully acquired building.
On August 17, 2005 Minsk City Executive Committee made an illegal decision to deprive New Life the right to use its land with further forceful purchase of its building of 1641 square meters (17,663 square feet) for $17,000, i.e., for $10 per square meter (10 square feet). For this kind of money one can only buy a room in one room apartment with shared kitchen in the city of Minsk.
The authorities are trying to make this illegal act look lawfully by hiding behind court decisions, meanwhile the courts do what they are being told by the authorities.
New Life has appealed and challenged these rulings in all courts, its Christians wrote to the President of Belarus – all to no result.
While praying to the Lord and trusting in His grace and power, the believers have defined their position toward the current situation. It's simple: New Life church will not give up its building voluntarily, which means that by gathering its all human resources New Life's Christians will stand for their rights alongside with other Belarusian Christians from other churches and stay inside the building day and night, if such need arises. At the present time there is a possibility for increasing tension concerning our situation.
On the 29th of September the authorities transferred to the church bank account money and in 10 days [8th of October] according to the court decision the Minsk City Executive Committee will receive "the right" to demand building transfer.
The government sent the money and in 10 days church have to give up the building. Instead of this, we announce a protest as [a] fast and abstinence from food and water and we will be praying and staying at the church every day.
Here is the open appeals for pastors to get support - so YOU can talk to people in Your church and go to the Belarusian Embassy, and go there with these mottos in your hands (attached) starting from October 9 or any day until October 13.
We have a request for you as a friend. Can you please forward this information to pastors in different countries that you know so that they would do what is written in this letter. It is vitally important to us.
God's greatest blessings to you! Looking forward to your answer.
This coming Sunday is the time when pastors could ask their church members to do.
This is the addresses for Belarusian embassies around the world: http://www.belembassy.org/index_eng.htm
The current situation can be described by one phrase: War at our gates. We are getting spiritually and morally ready for all possible outcomes. At the same time the thought about unity of the Body of Christ does not leave us.
How you can help us:
1. By praying.
2. By informing all Christians of your country, mass media and your government if possible.
3. By writing support letters to the following snail mail address below. This can be done personally or on your church's letterhead or on the letterhead of your denomination: Belarus, 220016 Karl Marx street 38, Administration of the President of Belarus or by sending email from the page www.president.gov.by <http://www.president.gov.by> . Please don't just send an email, but write a letter as well. Also you can write to the Embassy of Belarus in your country. If write a letter, please send us a copy.
4. By going to the Embassy of Belarus in your country to gain support for New Life church with mass media coverage (please get in touch with us to coordinate your activities). Our goal is not to create disorder, but to make this situation of public awareness and through solidarity of many Christians to force the government of Belarus to agree with our petitions, which are simple:
1. To cancel the Minsk City Executive Committee's illegal decision to deprive New Life of its land and building
2. To make the status of our building suitable for religious usage.
We are attaching a presentation to this letter, in which the history of New Life church is shown, mottos for the going to the Belarus Embassy and also a sample letter to the Administration of the President of Belarus.
You can also follow the events concerning New Life church @ www.newlife.by <http://www.newlife.by>
How to Send Help
Individual donors can contribute through the Helping Hands Ministry and churches may contribute through Harvest Partners Level Two (project) giving. Mission Marker Partners is also available for giving specifically for helping churches with buildings and other key needs.
Please make all checks payable to Church of God of Prophecy and be sure to specify where you would like your offering to go by designating it as HP Level 2
Send to:
Church of God of Prophecy
P.O. Box 2910
Cleveland, TN 37320-2910
Note that all gifts are tax deductible and 100 percent of your gift is applied to the need you specify.
David Bryan
Director, Global Outreach Ministries
Church of God of Prophecy
3720 Keith Street, NW
P.O. Box 2910
Cleveland, TN 37320-2910
Tel. 423.559.5204
www.globaloutreach.cogop.org <http://www.globaloutreach.cogop.org>
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