Last week in Perm was marked by a significant event. On July 4th to 6th, the New Testament Church hosted the annual Youth Conference «LIVE». The conference was attended by about 250 young people from different parts of the Perm region and other Russian cities: Krasnokamsk, Dobryanka, Kungur, Kudymkar, Gubakha, Kachkanar, Uralskiy, Yekaterinburg, Izhevsk.
At the conference there also were young people from Khanty-Mansiysk, they had to travel more than 1,000 kilometers (over 600 miles), to hear the Word of the Lord and spend special time in His presence.
The speakers of the Conference were: Vladimir Batalov (Youth Pastor of Philadelphia, Izhevsk), Denis Malutin (Senior Pastor of Nehemiah Church, Omsk), Alexander Khudyakov (Youth Pastor at New Testament Church in Perm, Director of Youth Ministry of the Pentecostal Union), Edward Grabovenko (Head Bishop of the Russian Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith). Also, young people from the New Testament Church were active during the conference, and, along with pastors, sharing their own testimonies and revelations from God's Word.
On Thursday night, the worship team from Izhevsk opened the Conference. Then David Grabovenko (New Testament Church, Perm) had an opportunity to encourage his peers by the Old Testament story of King David. He stressed that the challenges we face today are preparing us to what God wants to trust us in the future. And here, the time of fellowship with the Lord and our faithfulness to Him matter the most.
Friday was no less eventful day. At the first meeting, Vladimir Batalov preached about the Holy Spirit. He has repeatedly drawn our attention that we, as a people of God, must be sensitive to the Spirit of God and seek His guidance in our lives. Then the baton was passed to Pastor Dennis Malyutin, who, in his turn, inspired the youth to be on fire for the Lord in such a way that at the right time, we would be able to respond to His call. And so being filled with courage and zeal, in the evening the youth was ready to go to the streets of the city of Perm to apply the word that they just had heard in practice. Cardboard evangelism, or a new round in the preaching of the Gospel urges passersby to think about God and the life that they live today.
On Saturday Pastor Edward Grabovenko appealed to young people to set high goals and want to see even greater glory of God. Evening praise and worship drew the final line of the youth conference «LIVE» 2013. Three worship team helped to make this evening a memorable one and snatch it out of the scope of everyday life!
At the end of the conference, participants were asked a few questions, and the first who we interviewed, was Andrei Matveev from Moscow:
- Andrew, what have you looked at for in a new way?
- On different ways of evangelism, especially on a cardboard sermon.
- How do you, as a member of a musical group, going to move on in your work?
- By God's blessing.
Anastasia Norova of the city of Kudymkar was the other person who wanted to share her impressions.
- What is the most memorable thing about this conference?
- I loved the sermon of Pastor Dennis Malyutin about the fire, that we should be a burning bush, because it is from this bush the Lord speaks. And, of course, cardboard evangelism practice helped to see this.
- At what have you begun to look differently?
- At people around me who do not know God, and wander in the dark. I have an even greater desire to serve them.
- What ministry in your church do you participate?
- Unfortunately, I have not yet set for myself, where I can be useful. But I believe that God will show me my mission field.
I would like to re-emphasize that these three days have been a blessing for each participant. We are looking forward to even greater fire and His strength next year at a youth conference «LIVE» 2014!
Eugenia Morina,
Youth Movement «Live», New Testament Church, Perm
Photos: http://vk.com/albums-25058000
Video: http://vk.com/videos-25058000
