FROM THE EDITOR

Belarus has become the world leader on the scale of one-stage devaluation of the national currency. Last autumn the fall in the rouble exchange rate in relation to the dollar was hardly less than in the spring. On 20th October the rouble fell by 52 per cent, and in May it was 56 per cent – Minsk has exceeded the world record of Ethiopia. In total, from the beginning of last year, the Belarusian rouble has been devalued 189 per cent. But, as independent experts warn, depreciation in the country will not stop at this. The Government does not hide the fact that a rise in prices will result. A price increase is already declared for housing-and-municipal services and fares for public transport, as well as a jump in the prices of fuel and medicines.

In such conditions any hope that the price of something will fall, or even be stabilized, is not likely to be fulfilled. Therefore businessmen include the probable rise in the dollar exchange rate in the price of bought goods. As a result the vicious circle continues – devaluation urges on the prices, and the increased prices assist devaluation. At the same time, the purchasing capacity of the population decreases, as people’s money becomes ever less. Now the country’s leaders need to take measures on the stabilization of prices in the home market, otherwise the devaluation of the Belarusian rouble will not stop.

Because of this economic situation many Belarusians began to go for work to Russia and this has also affected our church. Practically all the men have left for jobs in the nearest industrial Russian city and come home only for weekends.

Religion replaces ideology

The role of religion has increased in the life of our post-Soviet society as very few people have got new reference points in the ideological sphere. Religion is more likely to become an alternative to the Soviet outlook than any other political viewpoint, whether liberal or conservative. Legislation has established an inequality of confessions, but this is not something unusual in countries in which a particular faith noticeably prevails. In Belarus there is an agreement between the State and the Russian Orthodox Church. Religious problems in Belarus have no organized character, but confessions are actively used by the authorities for the achievement of their own objectives. This is a role of the State religion in Belarus society.

We appreciate very much your prayers and support and at this uncertain time we put all our hope and trust in our Lord Jesus Christ.

POST SOVIET BELARUS

It is a well known and indisputable fact that in the early church meetings were held in private homes (Acts 16:40; 20:20; Romans 16:3-5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 1-2). It seems that the apostolic church continued this practice for centuries, until long after the completion of the New Testament. A theologian observed that: “The New Testament Church began as small house groups and went on like that until the middle or the end of the third century. There is no evidence of larger meetings before the year 300.”

However, it is not just the theological aspect that I’m concerned with in this article, but also the practical one. In order to reach many people who would never come to church we have begun to hold services in homes. The practical effects and the blessings of these meetings have been and still are apparent in the life of our church, particularly in two important respects.

1. Holding services in homes has facilitated evangelism

It was in order to fulfil the Great Commission that we first began to hold these services in homes. The culture and customs of our country make this practice really simple, sensible and effective. It’s a small-scale approach that can have large-scale repercussions.

In our society an evangelistic house meeting may attract a congregation which is larger than one held in a church building. In fact we find that the people living near the houses where we hold our services are willing to come along and are attentive to the Word of God.

We have had many different categories of people coming along to such services: Catholic catechists, housewives, widows, teachers, traders, etc. No meeting goes by without the unbelievers present being touched by the Word. Most of them begin to weep before the Lord. At every meeting there is a true sense of the Lord’s presence and the Lord pours out His blessing on us. Not only that, but something I would never have imagined has been happening; various people who have been invited to these services have later asked to have services in their own homes. Thus we not only have meetings in believers’ homes but in unbelievers’ homes too.

2. Holding services in homes enables us to establish a deeper relationship between believers

Services in homes are also a great blessing for believers. Personally I have learned to give precedence to promoting fellowship among church members even over organizing external initiatives. I see this as a way of establishing an important principle in the minds of all the members. Services in homes serve to foster the simplicity, vitality, closeness and purity of Christian fellowship, which God wishes to see in His church. They have become wonderful moments of fellowship, oneness and encouragement. The benefits which we derive from these meetings have proved to be edifying and strengthening for the whole church.

We rely on the all-powerful intercession of Jesus Christ and on your prayers, in order that with His help and the help of the Holy Spirit our words and deeds may always be to the praise and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

THE BLESSINGS OF SERVICES IN HOMES

Jesus challenged his disciples to pay special attention to the work field. There was more to be seen than the most obvious things. Jesus said to them: “Lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest” (John 4:35). Where and what should we Christians be looking for? It is true that the work is much more than the Christian eye can see. Nevertheless, it is no less true that we can have a wrong attitude of not wanting to see what is just before us. Jesus says: “One sows and another reaps. I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour; others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour”. We are to acknowledge that the work is more than what we can see, and far more than all of us can do. Because it is so, Jesus’ challenge is not to look to ourselves, but unto him; not to our fields but to His fields, not to our work but to His work. We are commanded by Jesus Christ to “lift up your eyes, and see…”

Good problemsIn more recent times, we have seen much of God’s grace in calling and changing lives for His glory. It has been said that we are experiencing some good problems at our small place. One good problem is that we have more people coming than the rooms can hold. The number of children and young people has increased and we have now four Sunday school classes. Two are held in the church building and the other two at the pastor’s house. In this last year the number of teenagers and young people has more than doubled. There is also good encouragement among the church membership generally, for which we give thanks to God.

It is with great rejoicing that we lift up our eyes and acknowledge what the Lord is doing.

What follows is the testimony of two of our young people who attended the EMF School of Biblical Studies – Rita Nunes and Filipe Rodrigues.

Rita Nunes (student 2009-2010)

When I was asked to write about my experience at EMF I immediately thought of how much I miss it. Studying at EMF wasn’t just good academically, but all the people from the church and friends I made are always going to hold a special place in my heart. Every morning the students had to be up early for the prayer meeting that takes place after breakfast. Well, being a typical Portuguese, I would often skip the first and go straight to the prayer meeting. This would many times produce a good laugh amongst students and housekeepers; whenever I decided to attend breakfast they would act very surprised. Oh, how much I love the British humour!

The rest of our day would normally be filled with classes, housework and essays. We had to prepare an essay every week. This was not an easy task I can tell you. I would spend hours in my room reading and collecting quotations to fit into my essays. I remember some of the students being so caught up with all the work that on a free day they would spend it sleeping.

Nowadays my life is quite different, but God has blessed me every day. I’m back at my local church and have been quite busy. Our youth group is growing and from having just a couple of teenagers attending the meetings, now we never have less than twenty. Even in Sunday school we had to split the classes due to the sudden increase in numbers. It is such a pleasure to see the Lord’s work growing and giving fruit. I pray He continues to give me time and strength to serve him with all my heart and soul.

Filipe Rodrigues (student in 2011)

When I left the EMF School of Biblical Studies I felt truly blessed, because I knew God had given me such a precious opportunity to study His Word more deeply. By then I had some thoughts of what to do next: I was coming back to Portugal, looking for a job, or even continuing further studies in dentistry. One thing I was confident of, whatever the circumstances, I would rest and wait on God.

It was good to return and see everyone again; in fact, it was very easy to return to life in church and I was very encouraged to see the growth God had given to the congregation. After the youth camps I looked for a job, and I was exploring all my options very carefully, searching for a hint of God’s will for my life. So it happened that one night the President of the Portuguese Bible Institute came to me and my family, and offered me an opportunity to continue further theological studies, giving me some equivalences for previous other courses which I had undertaken. I was profoundly happy and very grateful for the opportunity God was giving me once again, considering that I would also have the chance to study the original languages of the Bible, something I have desired to do for a long time.

I started this course a bit late, but I did manage to quickly catch up with the rest of the students. It is proving to be a major supplement to the studies I’ve done so far. I can only say that God has been gracious to me, and as I’ve said over and over, I just wish to be found a good and faithful servant.