Finding Value Online and In Christ
July 20, 2020 • Russian
“There are so many people sick with COVID-19. How do we comfort someone who is sick with the deadly illness and without God's Word and truth?”
This question, which came from a woman who follows ReFrame Ministries’s Russian programs, sums up what many around the world have been feeling.
Unfortunately COVID-19 meant that our Russian ministry team had to cancel many of the in-person events they had planned over the last months. Typically, these events serve as a great way to connect listeners and seekers to a local church. They too were wondering how best to reach out in a time of crisis.
Many of the scheduled events ultimately took place online—a medium that people like Olga fully discovered for the first time during the pandemic.
"I'm not a young person and before this lockdown I had very little interest in online Christian ministries. But when we got stuck at home I discovered that I can hear sermons and participate in church services and Christian fellowship online. Now I'm so thankful to God and everyone who is involved with your ministry!"
— Olga
Despite cancelations, BTGMI’s Russian ministry team hosted 40 major events, conferences, or seminars over the past year. In total, about 14,225 people attended, most of whom were young women in Ukraine.
One such event took place in Uzhgorod, Ukraine. At the event, a student named Natalya was moved by God’s love for her.
“Thank you so much for your Christian witness and inspiration,” Natalya shared. “After our meeting I've been doing a lot of praying and reading of the Bible. In the past I struggled with low self-esteem. But during our meeting I learned that our value as persons comes from God himself, and not from what we think of ourselves.
Responses from all three of these women represent thousands of Russian speakers at different stages in their lives who God reached through the Christian Reformed Church. Thank you!