The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod

Giving Opportunities

Russia: LCMS World Mission assists both The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Russia and Other States and The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria (ELCI) in various ways. The LCMS is in altar and pulpit fellowship with the ELCI and the ELCI is LCMS World Mission�s main mission partner in Russia.

Russia Business Office The business office in Russia is essential to the success of the mission. Because the office procures and account for all the tools of ministry, each missionary is able to engage the enemy (unbelief, inadequate theological education, etc.) and through the power of the Holy Spirit win spiritual victories, witness courageously, train church leaders and plant churches on the field. Your gift helps this happen.

Russia Christian Resource Materials Since 1990, thousands of Bibles have been printed, delivered and read in the Russian Federation. There still are many requests for Bibles, but there are even more people with Bibles in a similar situation to the Ethiopian eunuch saying, �How can I [understand] unless someone explains [the Bible] to me?� (Acts 8:31 NIV). Help provide Christian resources so that national evangelists and missionaries can be like Philip, who told the Ethiopian the Good News about Jesus.

Russia Digital Lutheran Library Seminary and Mission Education Center training activities continue throughout the regions of Russia, but not everyone is able to attend. Family, work and other commitments often conflict with the seminars and conferences. Since Russia spans 11 time zones, it is simply impossible for all parts of the church to be active in all such training activities. Give now to help this digital library project provide Lutheran self-study materials.

Russia Heise Support Your gift will help Missionary Matthew Heise serve as a theological educator in Russia and teach at the seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria. He also conducts theological seminars throughout Russia, identifying future students for the ministry. Matthew previously served as a volunteer missionary in Moscow teaching and coordinating English-as-a-Foreign-Language classes.

Russia Ingria Ablaze! Support Reviving since the fall of communism, The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia now has 15,000 members and 73 congregations, stretching from St. Petersburg to areas east of Krasnoyarsk in Siberia. Your gift will help the Ablaze! evangelism activities that leaders from 25 to 30 of these congregations will carry out in 40 schools, orphanages, youth clubs, cultural societies, etc. The goal is to reach about 2,000 people each month.

Russia Mission Education Center Krasnoyarsk The Mission Education Center in Krasnoyark hosts many seminars each year. At the seminars, members of Ingrian Lutheran congregations are equipped and educated to lead their churches and effectively plan and execute activities that promote positive church growth. Your gift will help at least three members of each registered congregation in Krasnoyarsk attend seminars and return to their home churches, encouraging growth and training even more leaders among their peers.

Russia Mission Education Center Moscow Your gift will help develop a mission outreach and theological training center. This center will work in consultation with the partner church seminary near St Petersburg, so that preparatory courses and the first year of training, normally done at the seminary, will be carried out in these satellite training centers. As new groups form around God�s Word, there is a great need for trained leadership. Your gift makes a difference.

Russia Mission Education Center Nizhny Novgorod The purpose of this project is to develop a mission outreach and theological training center in Nizhny Novgorod. Your gift will help equip evangelists and lay leaders, and provide continuing education for pastors, church accountants, elders, trustees and organists. With your help 24 leaders will prepare for further study and ministry in this center this year.

Russia Mission Education Center Saratov The purpose of this project is to develop a mission outreach and theological training center in Saratov. Your gift will help equip evangelists and lay leaders, and provide continuing education for pastors, church accountants, elders, trustees and organists. With your help 24 leaders will prepare for further study and ministry in Saratov this year!

Russia Mission Education Center Siberia Buryatia is an especially exciting region in Siberia. The people are hungry for the Gospel and there are very few trained leaders who are able to guide the congregations. As it is, there is one deacon who is responsible for a number of congregations. Seminars at the mission education center teach Christian leaders new and effective ways to lead, guide, teach and inspire God�s flock. Your gift helps provide these seminars!

Russia Muhly Support Jon and Julie Muhly serve the Lord as LCMS missionaries in Russia. John is working with the LCMS partner church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia (ELCIR). His main responsibilities are to enhance its ability to reach out to non-believers, to support the church�s efforts to mature as a church body, and to provide theological resources for the church. These efforts are achieved through training, teaching, and coordinating work with the leaders of the partner church. Jon and Julie previously served as LCMS long-term volunteer missionaries in Cieszyn, Poland, from 2000 to 2002.

Russia Seminary Support Koltushi The Ingrian Church is growing and is already outstripping the available supply of seminary-trained pastors. The Belarussian Lutheran Church is new and there aren�t even enough trained pastors to serve the existing congregations. Your gift will help eight Ingrian and two Belarussian pastoral candidates per year get an accredited seminary education leading to ordination and service in existing or new congregations.

If you have questions, please contact the Donor Care Line at 1-888-930-4438.

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