Russian churches hope to reach 50,000 for Christ

MNN's Greg Yoder handing out
 Christmas gifts in Russia. (file photo)

Russia (MNN) ― Christians are partnering together to reach kids with the Gospel. The interesting thing is: these believers may not ever meet each other. Why? They're separated by thousands of miles. Today, Christians in the West will be helping Christians in the former Soviet Union reach kids with hope -- Project Hope Christmas boxes.

Board Member with Russian Ministries Wayne Shepherd, "A lot of these kids are orphans, and many of them are street children. These children are identified by local churches in the former Soviet Union. They want to reach out and minister to these kids."

When asked how many kids Russian Ministries hopes to help, Shepherd says, "It's almost unlimited. There are thousands of kids who are in need right now, and I think we're hoping to do 50,000 or more if we can. It depends on what the churches can do and what we can equip them to do."

While you may not be able to go to the region and help, you can empower the church with $25. "We're providing the funds so that the churches can purchase what they feel -- they're so close to these kids. They minister to these kids. They know what they need. They can purchase what goes into these boxes. And, of course, a children's Bible is the one thing that's going into every box."

The gift of a Bible doesn't end at the child. "Children love having their own copy of the Bible or children's New Testament. They also take it home,and mom and dad are exposed as well. This is a tangible way to help."

While Christmas is 10 days away, you actually have even more time for Project Hope because Russian Christmas is celebrated on December 7. "It does give us an extra couple of weeks to get our act together and make these boxes possible for these kids. So, any gift given now through Christmas and beyond will help a great deal for Project Hope."

Russian Ministries is also doing something new this year, with Shepherd's help. "Part of my contribution this year was to put together a radio special with Sergey Rakhuba, President of Russian Ministries, and get the word out about Project Hope. Many radio stations are actually donating their time to provide this radio special so their listeners can learn about Project Hope, and I hope many more will in the next several days."

If you'd like additional information or would like to help, click here. 

Christmas right around the corner; 50,000 gift boxes readied

Russia (MNN) ― While autumn doesn't officially begin until next week, at least one ministry is already preparing to reach thousands of young people during Christmas. The effort is called Project Hope and is an outreach of Russian Ministries which serves in the former Soviet Union.

Speaking from Moscow, Paul Tokarchouk with Russian Ministries says national churches in Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova are preparing as we speak. "More than 300 different evangelical churches are putting together all their meetings and all their activities so that more than 50,000 kids would hear the Gospel during the Christmas season."

While Christmas is more than three months away, funding is needed to help the national churches purchase the gift boxes that will have toys, clothing, personal care items, and God's Word, says Tokarchouk. "[We're] not only providing the gift, but the story about Jesus Christ who can bring the hope for the young hearts."

The program is targeting orphans, street kids, and the desperately poor. Tokarchouk says, "Christmas time is a relevant and significant time where they can share Jesus' story so they could have the hope for their future."

As you provide funding for this project, you're doing more than just providing a gift for a child. As adults bring these children to the activities, they too hear the Gospel message. According to Tokarchouk, as they see the good deeds and hear an inspiring message, many begin attending the local church where they have many more opportunities to hear about Christ.

Tokarchouk says Project Hope is a time for training. "This is one of the opportunities for the young generation, as they're going through training during the Fall and putting [what they're learning] into practice."

If your church or Sunday school class is looking for a Christmas ministry project, this is a good one to consider. Just $25 provides a Project Hope gift for Russian churches to distribute at Christmas time. Set a goal. Keep track each Sunday. Pray for the ministry. Then perhaps join Russian Ministries on a Project Hope distribution trip.

For information, click here.