The 8th Annual Christian Canoe Retreat on the Volga River

«What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?» (Psalm 8, 4)

This fourth verse of Psalm 8 was our slogan and the topic of our canoe retreat from June 15 to June 24. There were 19 of us from Ulyanovsk, Saratov, and Kazan as well as from Germany. We fit into eight boats. Some of us had already participated in all the previous journeys, and some took part for the very first time. With certainty one can say that every year the ride is very special: the crews of each boat, the weather and the mooring – it brings difficulties, but joy as well.

We had never before headed out with the canoes as early as the middle of June. Until the day of the departure everyone was worried that it would be too cold in these 10 days, and that we would freeze; but on the 15th of June a heat wave began and continued in the days following. For the first time in all the years we were on clean water that did not even show a trace of green haze. And most importantly, this time we had no problems with the boats on the water. Only once did we have to repair an old 3-man canoe on the water. We thank all those who helped us to purchase five new boats. This year we paddled on a few days from 10 am to 8 pm with only short interruptions. We didn’t do this because of bad weather or because of boat repairs; No, just for pleasure. Nevertheless, we had plenty of time for blessed Bible studies. We reflected on mankind and the tasks of mankind. Besides, there was enough time for games, fishing, swimming and walks on the island. For the first time a couple took part. They had never been among Christians. They were very enthusiastic. The Sunday after the trip, they visited our worship service. Now they would like to become members of the church community. We thank God for this wonderful time on the Volga. Thanks to all who helped this year to renew our fleet.

Dean Vladimir Provorov

Camping in the Chiguljover Mountains

From June 27 to July 2, 2016 the 13^th annual camping retreat was organized by the congregations in Uljanovsk and Saratov. Altogether 30 participants took part. Every morning we started with a prayer time and at the end of the day we had a Bible study, discussing topics from the book of Daniel. On Wednesday we visited the village Schirjajevo, viewed the mine and its tunnels and enjoyed the picturesque landscape of the Volga and its surroundings. Afterwards we walked through the village and up to the mountains to the well. This way wasn’t easy for everyone. Some people were challenged to mobilize their last powers, knowing that the climb down was still to be mastered. But at least the swim in the cold mountain water was refreshing and gave new strength, and everyone returned happily to the camp.

Into the Mountains with Prayer

Ulyanovsk/ Saratov, Russia 

  On June 27 to July 2 the congregations of Saratov and Ulyanovsk organized a “prayer camp” for the 13th time. 30 people took part.

   The Bible study program was organized in the following way – prayer themes in the morning led by Pastors Andrey Dzhamgarov and Vladimir Provorod and evening Bible studies organized by Pastor Alexander Scheiermann on the first chapters of the book of Daniel. 

  On one of the days the participants of the camp visited the village of Shiryaevo, where they enjoyed the beautiful views of the Volga and surroundings. Afterwards they went through the settlement of Solnechnya Polyana (Sunny Meadow) to the Kamennaya Chasha (Stone Chalice) spring. 

  The path to the spring wasn't easy for everyone; some had to use their last bit of energy to make it, thinking all the time about how they would not only have to get there, but to get back. But swimming in the cold, mountain spring woke everyone up and renewed their energy enough that everyone was able to make it back to camp.  

  Two days later the plan was to hike up the mountain that stood over the campsite, but after the difficult hike a few days earlier, there weren't many people who wanted to go through with it. In the end a third of the participants set off, and while they were on the mountain they remembered the Biblical story of the Transfiguration. There was talk about wanting to build dwellings there and to stay on the mountain, wherever everyone is unified in prayer. 

  On the last day before returning home, looking back, everyone saw that during the whole week God had unified the participants of the camp into one congregation and had blessed them with fellowship with Him and with one another as they spent a wonderful time on the banks of the Volga. 

  Vladimir Provorov

Anyone Can Be Santa!

Ulyanovsk
I recently told two people, independently, of a recent trip I made -  to an orphanage to wish the kids there a Happy New Year and to give them presents. They asked me questions - "Who sent you there? Who gave the order?" and "Who gave you the presents for the kids?" I looked at them and thought - "since when do we need orders to do good deeds?" And "anyone can be a sponsor as long as he or she has the desire to do so!"
On the morning of January 7th St. Mary's congregational van, filled with gifts, set off for the Ivanov orphanage. It's not the first year that the kids write letters with their wish lists and the congregation prepares presents for them. By doing this you feel a bit like Grandfather Frost (the Russian version of Santa Claus), who has received a letter from a child. 
This year Masha Mantay and Yulia Ogay recruited their athlete friends as well as students and parents of Ulanyanovsk Lyceum 38 to help prepare the presents. When a young person learns to care for someone else, it changes the giver as he or she learns to do good and to act in love. 
And with what great joyous impatience the children await their presents! As soon as we took the colorful packages from the car we heard someone yelling "Alyona has arrived!" The pastor's wife always comes together with presents, and not only with material ones - she usually gives the kids interesting stories, games and simply joy from their meeting.
This time Pastor Vladimir Provorov told the kids about Christmas. He told them the story of a family which lived in poverty but which was rich in spirit. The kids listened very attentively. And then everyone received a package with their name on it with gifts and with good wishes for the upcoming year. The kids happily shared their sweet treats with the guests...
There is, more likey than not, an orphanage in your city, too. Visit it! The children need your support and communicating with them will also enrich your spirits.
Natalia Kabardina

Trip to Saratov

  God's presence is always clearly felt in the church in Saratov – whether it be in the building of a new church, the ministries of the congregation or fellowship. For that reason the congregation in Ulyanovsk was happy to once again organize a visit to their fellow Lutherans on the Volga. Pastor Vladimir Provorov led a group of 11 to visit the congregation, to help them during their work day, and to celebrate Harvest Festival with them one week after they marked that day in Ulyanovsk. Pastor Alexander Shaermann asked Pastor Provorov to preach, and he took up the theme of thankfulness. Being thankful is not just being polite, it is our reaction to the grace given to us in Jesus Christ...and we are enriched in the process.  
  There were a number of special moments about the trip, including the singing of brothers and sisters in Christ from Nambia at the closing worship service as well as the stops on the way back from Saratov in the towns of Marx and Zorkino. In both of these places churches are being built; in the first, a new building to replace the one destroyed during Soviet times and in the second place – the restoration of the historical building. In Zorkinko they've already installed the bell tower; the clock and bells installed there and already being heard, summoning all who pass to prayer.  

Zorkino

Fall 2014 Seminars through a New Educational Initiative

  2014 was filled with opportunities for the development of the new educational program of the ELCR (supported by the ELCA and the Hermannsburg Mission) - “Equipping for Service.”  The core idea of the “Equipping...” project is “to maximize accessibility to quality educational opportunities in the Evangelical Lutheran Church through a program that is collaboratively planned, flexible, and decentralized.” While in the first part of the year this mostly involved Bradn Buerkle (responsible for the program) teaching at various seminars, in the second part of the year the program was also responsible for organizing independent events.

   The first of these came together in a place very familiar to Pastor Buerkle - in Krasnoyarsk, a congregation where Bradn formerly served as Acting Dean – the theme was “Two Issues in Christian Ethics.” This active congregation values educational opportunities, and  it was possible to try an experiment there by talking about concrete (and sometimes sensitive) issues in Christian ethics. In a society that leans towards either a legalistic or a nihilistic approach to ethical questions, Lutherans sometimes would prefer to avoid the question altogether. But given the conflict between Russia and its neighbors and the influx of refugees from easter Ukraine that have come even to Siberia, it is important to help congregational members apply their faith to engage these questions. The two evenings brought together a total of 24 participants, which is pretty successful for weeknight seminars in a context where people are dependent on public transport.

   The second event was south of Krasnoyarsk in the region of Khakasia. The region has 10 congregations spread over a 150 mile radius; most of them get only monthly visits from their pastor, Dmitry Schweitz, who was instrumental in helping organize this retreat, called "I am a Servant." The main idea of this seminar was to support the team of people leading congregations on a week to week basis. The idea was to reach this goal both through fellowship and through thinking about the following questions together - “What does it mean  to serve? When do I feel like a  servant? How can one serve effectively?” In the process related questions also arose - the way service is understood in society and in the Bible, Jesus as a model of  service, love at the center of Christian service, the Lutheran understanding of internal and external call, and the communal call as the church in this place. A number of concrete ideas were raised that the leaders intend to bring to  realization – e.g., fund-raisers to help those in acute need, printing fliers about Lutheranism for distribution, and a cooperative attempt to form a new youth group in one of the congregations.  

  In October the church was  pleased to welcome Pastor Chris Repp back to  Russia. Pastor Repp taught Church History, Systematics and Ethics at the Novosaratovka Theological Seminary for four years, though for most a decade now he has been serving congregations in the United States. Chris was invited to participate in an academic conference co-organized by ELCUSFE, and in addition to being there, he also helped Bradn lead two 3-day seminars, one in Omsk  (Siberia) and one in Ulyanovsk (in European Russia on the Volga). The title, “Law, Gospel and the Lutheran Confessions Today,” was aimed mostly at pastors and students, but while there were participants from these groups, it turns out that the topic had wider appeal than was originally expected. In Omsk there were 9 full participants (along with 7 others who were in and out) and in Ulyanovsk a week later we had a very large number – always more than 20, and most of the time around 30. Although the theme of the seminar was the same, in each case the material was adapted to the different audiences.  In Omsk the main thrust of Bradn's teaching was to help participants see that we do have official confessional documents, though we are far from familiar with their contents and that we need to familiarize ourselves with them in order to decide for ourselves what role(s) they are to play in the life of our church. Chris focused on the issue of Law and Gospel as address in the Augsburg Confession and the Apology, demonstrating why this was important and how it applies to the interpretation of Biblical texts. (In this he has been influenced by the theological approach of the  Crossings Community). In Omsk Seminary President Anton Tikhomirov was also available to teach and he first spoke about the confessions as a textual expression of Luther's Reformation break-through and then traced the development of Western (especially Protestant) theology from that time forward.  In Ulyanovsk the approach was kept simpler, giving the most attention to the uses of the law and to Biblical interpretation. In both places local leaders (a special thanks to Tatyana Muramtseva in Omsk and Vladimir Provorov in Ulyanovsk) did an excellent job of solving logistical issues.

Omsk

Ulyanovsk