Russian Federation – 3
Oct 17th, 2007 by pfadmin
In case you didn’t get to pick up a Mission Paper from the service this past weekend, sections from it will be posted here.
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Over the month of October, please dedicate some of your prayer times to focus on this month’s mission emphasis (Russia). (Information excerpted from Operation World, calendar targets).
Targets for Prayer (cont.):
The religious freedom of the 1991-1997 period was a time of euphoria, excitement and interest created by disillusionment with the old system and its leaders. The ideological vacuum was rapidly filled by eager foreign Evangelicals, Western and Eastern sects, the indigenous Vissarion movement and a rise in occultism, parapsychology and even Satanism. Roman Catholics multiplied because of their credible opposition to Communism. Evangelical congregations increased from 2,700 in 1990 to possibly 6,000 in 2000 but the Evangelical percentage increase was far less (0.6% to 0.7%). The expected harvest was not brought in to the churches. Pray for the redressing of these weaknesses:
a) Inappropriate evangelism. Huge evangelistic outreaches by foreign evangelists drew many people, glowing reports of ‘conversions’ gave high profile to the gospel, but long-term results were less encouraging. The long-persecuted churches were culturally isolated, lacked disciplers and could not cope with the new-style aggressive evangelism. Pray for flexibility, adaptability and culturally suitable local church outreach.
b) The need for practical holiness and integrity in daily life. Communism created a society where deceit, fear, low moral and work standards, and unwillingness to make decisions became normal. This spirit affects many Christians too.
c) Serious divisions. These were rooted in the efforts of Communists to divide Christians. The bitterness between the formerly registered and unregistered churches (Baptists and Pentecostals) continues today. The extreme hostility of some Evangelicals against anything Pentecostal or charismatic hinders cooperation and fellowship.