Our July Advanced Discipleship Camp has welcomed our national staff, key leadership team members, and adult orphans involved in our 'Fresh Start' transition program, in addition to 'emerging leaders,' for a time of Bible study, worship, and prayer. They range in age from 13 to 28 years old, hailing from Ukraine, Belarus and Latvia.
Our Bible study runs on two tracks: a chapter-by-chapter study in the Gospel of Luke, and a topical study entitled 'The Normal Christian Life (Jesus) or the Average Christian Life (Status Quo).
Every day, we have two teaching sessions in the morning, small group time discussing the things we've learned, and exploring new questions, and a scripture memory passage and homework are accomplished every day.
Our Advanced Discipleship Camp has at its heart that, as we pour into the leaders and emerging leaders, they not only grow, but in their turn pour into others. Unique to this approach is that, it is not just a Discipleship Bible Study, but offers them three distinct opportunities to corporately put into practice what they are learning as they can serve on the Leadership Teams that conduct the newcomers' and orphan Bible camps, they can serve on the Russian Evangelism team that reaches out in secular youth camps, and they can serve year round on one of the orphanage ministry teams that travels monthly and ministers at state-run orphanages in Ukraine, Belarus and Latvia, September through May.
2 Timothy 2:2 - "The things you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." Paul wrote his own convert and disciple Timothy that he should take what Paul had 'poured' into him, and teach others who would do the same. That is the foundation of our approach, as we seek to raise up nationals to do the Lord's work in their own countries.
Jesus said, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19,20
It is also very exciting to have the adult orphans who are involved in our transition program, participate in the whole summer of ministry, as they both grow in their relationship with Lord, and serve as a part of the team ministering to others. This summer we have welcomed Laura and Ieva Galgainiece from Rezekne, Latvia; Vitalik Pashin from Riga, Latvia; Antun Borisenko from Kharkov, Ukraine; and potential future 'Fresh Start' participants Masha Kartunink and Yulia Sitko, Simferopol, Ukraine.
Below are some pictures from our first few days.
Prayer time in small group, and here is (L-R) Tanya, Masha, Lida from Chernoshova orphanage
Laura Galgainiece, Rezekne, Latvia, taking notes during session
Executive Director Greg Gulley leads a teaching session at the Advanced Camp
Masha, 18, an orphan from Chernoshova orphanage, gladly and readily answers
Antun Borisenko, takes notes during the teaching session
In small group, Vitalik, Pasha, and Leona listen as Antun shares
Vika Sitko focuses on the scripture passage, and answers homework questions
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