Christian leaders to meet in Ukraine to discuss missions today

At a time when tensions continue throughout the former Soviet Union, Russian Ministries will host an International Evangelical Missions Forum to discuss the future of missions in the region, reports Michael Ireland, chief correspondent, ASSIST News Service.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has called an early general election for Dec. 7, the second in as many years, after lawmakers missed a deadline to form a new coalition government. In a decree posted on his Web site yesterday, he set Dec. 7 as the election date.

Yushchenko's party, which is seeking closer ties with the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, quit the ruling coalition on Sept. 3 after former ally Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko joined with the pro-Russian opposition to strip the president of some powers. Under the constitution, Timoshenko had one month to form a new majority.

Sponsored by Russian Ministries/Association for Spiritual Renewal, churches, ministries, and other organizations involved in ministry to former Soviet countries will be gathering to discuss the topic: “Missions Today” in the former Soviet Union.

Leaders and representatives from many different national and international organizations, missiologists and theologians will analyze the experience, results, new opportunities and strategies for ministry in the countries of the CIS.

The Forum will take place at Russian Ministries new training center headquarters located in Irpen (Kiev region), Ukraine on October 24-25, 2008.

It will begin with a dedication ceremony for this facility which is already serving as a national center for Russian Ministries’ national affiliate, the Association for Spiritual Renewal.

Specific goals of the Forum include:

- Analyze missions during the past 20 years of religious freedom in the CIS;

- Understand the reasons for the crises facing national evangelical churches;

- Outline prospects for partnerships between churches and Christian organizations;

- Study successful models of church growth and effective missions.

The Forum will be designed to encourage networking and the sharing of experiences between national churches and foreign missions, as well as promote future fellowship and expand partnerships between leaders of churches, missions, educational institutions and international organizations.

In addition to plenary sessions, four workshops will be organized to discuss:

- Planting new churches: experience and new models;

- Social evangelism as a new form of missions ministry;

- Education as a form of ministry training: diverse approaches with a single goal;

- Theology of missions: in search of new paradigms.

The Missionaries News Service (MBS) will have a team of reporters at this strategic event interviewing many of the key leaders working in this challenging area of the world.

TAGS: Ukraine former Soviet Union Russian Ministries International Evangelical Missions Forum Viktor Yushchenko Missionaries News Service

[10/11/2008]

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