A title like that can stir up all kinds of controversy! Prior to 2020, you would have wondered if this newsletter was about to reveal some huge scandal! Now that we are starting to see much of the pandemic in our rear-view mirrors, the word “unmasked” means something entirely different. It is an opportunity to do youth ministry “in person” and “face-to-face” …unencumbered by pieces of cloth that hid so much of our identities and personalities from each other. As youth ministry begins to be “unmasked” around the world, our Reach Out Country Leader, Pasha (pictured above with his family), expressed his thoughts about 2021 this way:
“The year has started very actively - the pandemic has receded making our schedule incredibly busy - it feels like everything that had to be put on hold last year fell all at once on us in early 2021.”
The following pictures, stories, and statistics certainly reveal the reality of his statement!
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Leaders caring for themselves, so they can better care for others! |
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This spring, leaders from one town in Russia came together to focus on their relationship with God and their relationships with family members. They prayed together, supported each other, and walked away from the event feeling strengthened and encouraged. Together, they are currently working with 7 evangelical clubs, 60 leaders, and 350 teenagers and college aged students.
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The testimony of one youth worker whose team was
trained in JFYM in February:
“…God exceeded our expectations…the guys were touched, caught the fire and stopped just sitting and waiting for something to be done for them. The team has strong, capable and talented people. Perhaps it was JFYM who began to show them that they can open up and be useful, that God can and wants to use them. For some of the guys, JFYM is now the only thing they are happy to devote themselves to. The weekly team meetings are a special blessing. More corporate prayer, fellowship, laughter, more spiritual experiences and more decisions made in favor of the kingdom of God.”
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Vladimir Panomarev, youth leader of the Word of Life Church, Veliky Novgorod |
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A third training in Moscow! |
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Churches in Moscow are now implementing JFYM! Such an answer to prayer! In total, in just the first two months of 2021, our leadership in Russia trained 28 new youth leaders in JFYM, certified two new Eagle Leaders, and two new churches have started implementing Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry!
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A few pics from youth ministry in Russia . . . masks off . . .
and meeting in-person again!
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I suppose this newsletter does, in fact, reveal a scandal…something that is stirring up controversy…something that involves shocking behavior. Hebrews 10 says, “…since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus—he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)—and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.”
Sinners…given access to God…not through our own efforts, but through the blood of Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God. Mercy, grace, forgiveness, offered to us by God, through Jesus!
Hillsong United’s worship song calls it “The Scandal of Grace!”
Thank you for praying for us and financially partnering with us as we share the “scandal” of God’s grace to the 2.3 billion young people in our world between the ages of 9 and 29 who do not know Jesus!
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If you are interested in partnering with us financially to bring Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry to under-resourced villages, towns, and cities in the US and around the world, just click the donate button below and you’ll be connected to our website for more information on how to give. |
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