MISSION: VLADIVOSTOK, RUSSIA, 2011
A Partnership with IMB Far-East Russia Regional Director Rob Thommarson
Why consider a mission trip?
Individuals: Tremendous personal spiritual growth as we put heart,
hands, and feet to the gospel in an area of Russia that has virtually no
evangelical presence. Experience the power of the Lord in fresh ways. You
will see lives radically changed; one of them will be your own.
Pastors: Encourage the spiritual energy that flows through such
efforts to help the members of your church unite in an effort outside the
walls of the sanctuary. Whether your church engages as a sending church or
a going church, you will see fresh enthusiasm for serving that will spill over
into all the rest of your church's ministries.
Why this mission?Because this mission is to fallow ground. Paul said, "It has always
been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that
I would not be building on someone else's foundation." (Rom. 15:20) My friend
Rob has been in Russia as an IMB missionary the last five years, to an area
(Ekaterinburg) that he developed a partnership with when he was a pastor in
Northern California. IMB has now moved him to a new area, with new
responsibilities. Far Eastern Russia is an area with only a small handful of
SBC missionaries to cover a huge area. It is not just that there are only a
few SBC missionaries—in fact, there is virtually no evangelical presence . .
. and people there are desperately spiritually hungry.
What is the task of this mission? To take the gospel to the far side of the earth. There are unlimited
ways to do this, depending upon what your own skill-and-gift sets are. I will
be going to this area in the late spring of this year to assess needs, and to
develop a construction project. There will also be many opportunities to
develop parallel projects within the overall mission. There will be a fully
developed proposal for a 2011 project by fall of 2010.
A personal message: I've done this five times in the last eight years – it has gone very well
and been life-changing each time. Please pray about how God might use
you in another country and culture. If you are so moved, you can contact me
at:
shepherd@h-hconst.com or cell 707 322-2985.
Pastor/D.O.M. Greg Holmes
FBC Upper Lake & Mendo-Lake Baptist Association
