A New Home for the Congregation in Tolyatti

On the morning of October 16, 2016, congregants of St. George Lutheran Church in Samara happily boarded a large bus to Tolyatti. They were going there for the first worship service of the local congregation in their new building.

Just a week earlier the hall of the church was still under construction; by the dedication ceremony it was ready for use and can fit up to 50 people. If one thinks about how much patience, energy and work was put into this, you realize that it is just amazing. In contrast to the previous space used by the congregation – the “Club for the Disabled of Tolyatti” - this new building has a sanctuary, a well-equipped kitchen, a multiple-use space, two bathrooms and an apartment. There is also another room that is still under construction.

Pastor Friedhelm Brockmann from Berlin together with Dean Olga Temirbulatova and Pastor Tatyana Zhivodyorova led worship on this Harvest Festival Day; the choir from the Samara congregation accompanied them.

Pastor Brockmann together with deaconess Lora Engelkes began the renewal of the congregation in Tolyatti in 2002. Unfortunately Lora was unable to share this joyful event with the congregation insofar as she departed this earth in 2008.

At the beginning of his sermon Pastor Brockmann remembered all the difficulties of the beginning of his ministry and about how the ministry continued under Pastor Zhivodyorova. He tried to make plane to everyone present that it was in no way a “given” that this building would appear, and it is a reason for the congregation to be proud. There is a lot of room in the building for, among other things, work with people with special needs, some of whom were in attendance. Pastor Zhivodyorova was very moved by the service, and she fought back her tears, as did many others present. These were tears of joy and pride and also, perhaps, a bit of recognition that the day which they had dreamed and prayed about had finally arrived. All the efforts weren't in vain! And it was particularly for these fruits of the harvest that we thanked God on that day.

Lena Gebert, Emanuela Yanson