Join our alumni on a trip to Russia!
Alumni trips are an opportunity to reconnect with life on the mission field and join fellow alumni to serve. In addition to this being a short term trip for alumni, it’s also an opportunity to share life on the mission field with your home community. You can invite a friend, your family, or maybe someone from church. This could be a life changing experience for someone you know.
This is a huge opportunity to be a part of our sharing God’s love in a country that’s been cold toward Christianity for many years.
The largest country in the world, Russia straddles Europe and Asia, spanning 11 time zones. Following the 1917 Revolution, the Communist Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was formed.
This first ever atheist state played an important role in WWII and later became a superpower during the Cold War.
The Soviet Union was committed to suppressing and destroying all religion.
Though the Soviet Union fell in 1991, its effects are still evident today. Less than 40% of the population practice any religion, and the nation is also a primary source, transit, and destination point for human trafficking.
Most recently, a law passed banning evangelism outside of churches. In addition, house churches are now illegal.
For Russians, being a Christian is more than a religion; it is a life or death decision. This trip is an opportunity to share the love of Jesus in a country where He is not welcome.
Ministry:
You will join other alumni and serve in Novorossiysk, located in on the Black Sea in Western Russia, and will partner with a local camp ministry.
Because it is illegal to evangelize in Russia, this ministry hosts English camps for kids of all ages. Kids come, play sports, have fun activities, learn English, hang out at the beach, etc. The camp ministry builds a solid reputation with the kids, their parents, and the community, so that when the camp kids are invited back for a Christian camp, the parents are more likely to send them again.
While in Russia, your team will serve in:
- English Camp: You will serve in the English camps, and while you might not be able to teach a VBS lesson or have open Bible studies, you will share the love of Jesus through relationships with the kids and the camp staff who do not know Him—something the local Christian staff have to be extremely careful about doing.
- Possible ATL: There might be an opportunity to do an ATL in the nearby city, which is one of the few cities with the title of “Hero City”, a Soviet title given to cities for heroism in WWII.
Partnering with this camp ministry is our open door to serve in Russia, which historically has been closed to Christian missionaries. We are able to use what we have available—being native English speakers—to not only teach a new skill, but to empower and encourage Russian locals in sharing the Gospel with their fellow citizens.
