Borjomi (Georgia)
The Evangelical Lutheran congregation in Borjomi was founded by Bishop H. Hummel in April 2003. At their first meeting there were 65 people present, many of whom had German family names – Bayer, Bormann, Schwentke, Meier, Dinner, Kraus and others. That meeting took place in the home of Nana Kapanadze, where today they continue to meet once a month for worship services with Holy Communion presided at by Pastor Viktor Miroshnichenko from Tbilisi. On other Sundays the congregation has Bible study. At present there are 42 members of the congregation, 14 of which have been confirmed, with 11 young people and 17 children. This year the congregation has gained 2 new members. For Sunday school there are 3 teachers who teach the Bible, music and crafts. The church council meets once a month to plan events such as worship, the World Day of Prayer, or an ecumenical women's group meeting. The only disappointing thing that congregational members report is that sometimes their Orthodox neighbors question their right to exist and call them “sectarians.”
Holidays are particularly important for the congregation; for Christmas gifts are brought to shut-ins and on Easter they invited children from underprivileged families situation as well as orphans and the homeless to their feast. On Easter they also went to clean up the cemetery of German prisoners of war.
A large part of the congregation's work is diaconal work; young people are very active in this area - they help the elderly by chopping wood and bring medicine and groceries to the immobile elderly. In 2015 the congregation again bought wood for 8 members of the church who needed it for heating in the winter. Every month the congregation helps those congregational members who need it by giving out groceries and medicine.
The most important for this congregation is that the love of God and care for one and respect for one another rules. They want to thank the Lord and all the people who insured that the congregation in Borjomi exists.
The Evangelical Lutheran congregation in Borjomi was founded by Bishop H. Hummel in April 2003. At their first meeting there were 65 people present, many of whom had German family names – Bayer, Bormann, Schwentke, Meier, Dinner, Kraus and others. That meeting took place in the home of Nana Kapanadze, where today they continue to meet once a month for worship services with Holy Communion presided at by Pastor Viktor Miroshnichenko from Tbilisi. On other Sundays the congregation has Bible study. At present there are 42 members of the congregation, 14 of which have been confirmed, with 11 young people and 17 children. This year the congregation has gained 2 new members. For Sunday school there are 3 teachers who teach the Bible, music and crafts. The church council meets once a month to plan events such as worship, the World Day of Prayer, or an ecumenical women's group meeting. The only disappointing thing that congregational members report is that sometimes their Orthodox neighbors question their right to exist and call them “sectarians.”
Holidays are particularly important for the congregation; for Christmas gifts are brought to shut-ins and on Easter they invited children from underprivileged families situation as well as orphans and the homeless to their feast. On Easter they also went to clean up the cemetery of German prisoners of war.
A large part of the congregation's work is diaconal work; young people are very active in this area - they help the elderly by chopping wood and bring medicine and groceries to the immobile elderly. In 2015 the congregation again bought wood for 8 members of the church who needed it for heating in the winter. Every month the congregation helps those congregational members who need it by giving out groceries and medicine.
The most important for this congregation is that the love of God and care for one and respect for one another rules. They want to thank the Lord and all the people who insured that the congregation in Borjomi exists.
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