Jul 01 2011
Follow Pastor Billy Arnold and the Russia Team #1 as they begin their work in
Bryansk Russia. Join him on his blog at Billy’s Blog
Follow Rich Long and the Russia Team #2 as they begin their work in
Bryansk Russia, join him on his blog at Rich’s Blog
Jun 07 2011
May 07 2010
As summer is approaching, so are all the camps and activities in Bryansk, Russia. At the popular Christian operated
History Makers Camp at the Christian campground "Yolochka"
campground, Yolochka, 25 miles outside the city of Bryansk, God will be shaping many lives. History Makers Church, the church founded to reach the young people of Bryansk, was initially launched by using a summer church camp in June 2008. A ministry team from Dallas, Texas, “Glowing Heart,” came to help and host at this camp event… and a church was born. This year will be the fourth year for History Makers to to a Youth Camp, and they will be leading this for the first time on their own.
Leadership / Discipleship History Maker Camp. For two days a leadership core of about 20 young people will be living at Yolochka Campground for a leadership camp event. This will be to plan and prepare for the camp week.
History Makers Church Summer Camp
History Maker Evangelism Camp. For four days the History Maker Church will be inviting as many as 100 of their friends for a total outreach camp experience. All four days will be at Camp Yolochka. They will be doing sports, music, and a total package of events geared for young adults and older teenagers, which is the complete make up of this young church.
Yes, you can help…
Pray
Young people of Bryansk Russia
experience. This is a critical week, and many lives could be changed eternally.
Help with Sponsorship:
History Makers Church Summer Camp
better understand the History Maker Camps this summer and past summers.
May 07 2010
It was singing that I heard through the woods on the final night of camp. In July, it doesn’t get dark until after 11pm, but this was “bonfire night” at “Yolochka Camp.” Bonfire night is a very traditional event for any Russian summer camp, a tradition started long ago during communist times. The kids come pouring out of their cabins after dark, and celebrate friendships gained through their week of camp around a huge bonfire… the kind of fire that is often so large it’s like burning down a small barn. But it was the songs coming out of the dark woods that struck me most. Familiar “praises to
Bonfire at Yolochka Summer Camp
God” music that we had sung all week, and these kids with a joyful noise and at the top of their lungs were belting them on their way to join the bonfire. It was here, and only here, that I realized that these children felt truly free to sing songs like this. Most had no school friends that were believers. Many of them did not come from homes of believers. They lived in neighborhoods where there were very few believers. Even those who attended churches, they were small with very few other children attending. Where could they go sing with this freedom? It was here, at Camp Yolochka. I was glad to be part of it and witness such wonderful joy that overflowed from their hearts. There is great life changing power in the summer camp experience.
May 06 2010
I would like to take a moment to share a story with you about one of the children who has attended our children’s camp for many years. This story gives you a glimpse in to the bleak circumstances of these children’s lives year round. When they come to camp, they are able to have a short respite from the realities of their hard lives and are able to be transformed back to carefree children and see the Love of Christ in action through the love of the people at camp.
Boris has been attending the Children’s camp that LifeWay Church has hosted for years now. Currently he is 13 years old. But he also comes
from a very troubled home, raised by his grandmother because his dad is nowhere to be seen, and mom has so many substance abuse issues she is unable to raise him. Boris is also a handful physically and emotionally. He is a non-stop basket full of personal insecurities, and it comes out. There have been times when those who have worked with him have in frustration called him “bad Boris.” But Boris is really a good kid that needed a hero… a mentor… someone to look up to. Scott Jackson became that hero for Boris at camp. Last summer at the end of camp session, Boris asked Scott from the LifeWay team if he could stay after the camp and help clean up for a few days. It was his way to find an excuse to hang out with his hero, Scott. After these days were finished, we dropped him off at his apartment complex to rejoin his grandmother. The gang of drunks and drug abusers met him in the parking lot to greet his arrival back. They all knew him. He knew all of them. We quickly realized the incredible value that these few days of camp were to Boris. Yolochka camp was like a spiritual oasis in the middle of a year of darkness. A dark home, a dark neighborhood, dark relationships. At summer Camp there was life, light, mentors, and the love of Jesus Christ. That’s what camp is for Boris. This is why summer Camp is so important.
This is the reason that we are in Russia and that we put on our annual auction to raise funds to send kids just like Boris to camp. For more information on this year’s auction go to http://www.facebook.com/?sk=ff#!/pages/Federal-Way-WA/Russia-Mission-Auction/110516972313436?ref=ts
In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Billy Arnold
To register to attend the auction go to www.russiamissionauction2010.com
May 05 2010
Feb 10 2010
When the rest of the world thinks of Russia, they often think of winter and lots of snow and cold. During the winter of 2010 winter has put on a great show.
Central City Bryansk Russia winter 2010
No one complains (well… not most of them). Snow and winter here brings a sense of pride. It also brings out amazing coats, hats and boots as well. This is NOT a country that has a problem with wearing the fur from animals. As you enter the bus or walk through the markets in the winter, its like walking through a fur fashion show.
Either way… the winter here is beautiful. Most locals say there has not been this much snow in 50 years. For many westerners who come to work in the camps or work on projects, they come in summer when it is warm or even hot. But Bryansk can be a cold place as well. Russians are typically proud of their winters. It becomes part of their national pride and culturally part of the way life is conducted.
Pray for Russia… and pray for Bryansk as you enjoy these beautiful photos.
Families enjoying the winter festival 2010 in Bryansk
Welcome to Russia from History Makers Church Bryansk
Jun 30 2009
The term “secular” might have several definitions, in a changing world it becomes an appropriate term to describe the world that Christians serve in. I grew up in a world (the southern USA in the 60′s and 70′s) that certainly had plenty of people that were non-believers or at least non-committed to the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ. But the community as a whole was heavily affected and directed by many of the standards and values that were set out in Scripture. There was an basic understanding of the values that we find in Scripture. But to be “secular” means that those standards are totally non-existent. To be “secular” means that the church or the Bible is not even on people’s radar when it comes to life’s decisions and directions; these people have become “non-god-affected.” In the book of
Lenin, founder of the Soviet Union, established a century ago what is a "secular" thinking culture in Russia today. History Makers Church and others reaches out to the secular minded of Bryansk
Jonah 4:11 the citizens of Nineveh are described in this way… those who don’t know their right hand from their left. This is what I am finding in the city of Bryansk… but interestingly enough, this is what I find in the city of Seattle. The challenge of our ministries both in Bryansk, Seattle, and many other parts of the world is that we are having to start and build churches and ministries that reach out to “secular” people. The History Makers Church in Bryansk is striving to reach out to these secular people. At our camp this week, it appears that many will be here with this kind of secular background. The leadership of History Makers is trying hard to design a program that helps these people who don’t know their “left hand from their right hand” as it says of the Ninevites. Please pray for History Makers camp this week and the young people they try to reach. Pray that even your church might take a hard look at itself to see if there is room to reach out to the “secular” that live in your city.
May 26 2009
Welcome to this site… Come explore ministry in Byransk, Russia! About 250 SW of Moscow lies the city of Bryansk. Founded on the shores of the Desna River in the year 986 A.D, Bryansk is also known as the “City of Partisan Glory”
Billy & Patty Arnold, Scott & Diane Jackson, leaders of Bryansk, Russia Ministry
from its role in WWII. Today, God is working in Bryansk in fantastic new ways. Explore this website and discover for yourself how God is changing the hearts and lives of the people of Bryansk. Explore this website to see how God may use you to get involved in Bryansk, Russia.
Learn about the 3 major areas of God’s work in Bryansk…
Thank you for visiting…
Russia has a changing spiritual climate in the 21st century
Bryansk, the city of "Partisan Glory"
May 22 2009
The best time for ministry in Bryansk, Russia is our summer season. There are several new camps coming this summer for you to pray for, and even consider financially supporting.
History Maker Camp 2008
This is the camp for the new generation church that began in 2007 (see the page on this web site about “Church Planting”). This is History Maker’s fourth year of doing evangelism outreach camps at Yolochka. This year, the leadership at History Makers Church is leading camp all by themselves and they have planned some fantastic activities and games for their camp, including English discussion sessions, music and guitar lessons, bible studies, and talks about what God thinks about love and marriage.
The young people in the History Maker Church will be financing most of this camp experience themselves… but if you would like to help them financially in this effort, please let us know at LifeWay Church / Russia ministry, and we will pass this on to them. Pray for this summer camp!
LifeWay Federal Way’s “blood brother” church partner, Bezhitsa Church is leading a children’s camp this summer too! LifeWay church is not leading this camp like they have in the past, but they are supporting Bezhitsa Church by sending workers to lead afternoon crafts, music hour sessions, art lessons, dramas, and other fun activities for the children.
Sergei Kyzhekin, Bezchitsa children's pastor, and some of his team and family
Bezchitsa Church has a great children’s pastor, Sergei Kyzhekin, and he will be leading the camp and his team along with his associate children’s coordinator, Oksana. Our prayer is that we will see over 100 children participate in this summer camp experience.
Last Year was Seltso’s first year of leading a camp, and they are off to a great start. This year, we will continue to support their children’s ministry team by leading classroom bible lessons and activities, and leading afternoon activities during their week of kids camp.
While the majority of kids that come to kids camp come from the larger churches like Seltso and Bezhitsa Church, many of the village churches send kids to the Seltso and Bezhitsa Kid’s camps. This summer, our Lifeway team will be sending members from our church into the villages to minister to the kids on their own turf! LifeWay team members will be leading games and VBS style events in villages like Rognyedina, Dyatkovo, and Kamarichi. We are excited to see what God will do with our time in these places that need to hear the good news of Christ.
Pastor Travis McIntosh from Beverly Park Baptist Church Seattle, preaching at New Life Church Bryansk, their partner chur