August 2007: Moldova – New Hope International

History: The Republic of Moldova is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. Historically it was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1812. At the dissolution of the latter, it united with other Romanian lands in Romania in 1918. After being occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940, and changing hands in 1941 and 1944 during World War II, it was known as the Moldavian SSR from then until 1991. Moldova declared its independence from the Soviet Union on 27 August 1991. Although Moldova has been independent from the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Dniester River despite signing international obligations to withdraw.

Moldova is a parliamentary democracy with a President as its head of state and a Prime Minister as its head of government. In 2005 Moldova voted a communist party into power. Russia has enforced a wine embargo on Moldova for the past two years and has caused further hardship by limiting supply of natural gas for heating. Moldvoa stuggles to survive with its limited agricultural resources, and farmers often are forced to turn their rotting crops back into the soil as they have limited access for market. The Moldovian people have a hard lifestyle with a lower standard of living. Average income is about $200 per month.

Christians face opposition and hardship as they struggle to make do, often with little or no teaching materials or resources.

Project:

The 2007 INCM international project was a partnership training by INCM with New Hope International, a Colorado Springs based ministry devoted to training and equipping churches in Easter Europe. New Hope began bringing the message of Christ to Moldova five years ago. This 2007 partnership training project brought together almost one hundred teachers, leaders, and workers for an intensive training in children’s ministry foundations, hands-on skills for effective evangelism and discipleship of children, and a drama-training track for children’s ministry leaders.

The New Hope leadership has been able to offer only one specific children’s ministry training event in Eastern Europe in the past and has been praying for more. The church leaders there have seen the need to teach children and have started Sunday school/children’s programs but they have not had any formal training. Many people who are now teaching have not had the experience of learning in a Sunday school during their childhood, so they are not sure what to do and how to do it. Many teachers who have gone through the Romanian education system tend to teach everything using rote memory. For this reason, presenting creative and exciting ways to teach God’s truths to children is needed.

Mary Jane Huber of Cornerstone Ministry, Marion Grant of BCM International (Canada), INCM volunteer Dr. Art Davis, and Kurt Jarvis, INCM board member and volunteer International Ministry Director, were the training team. Oleg and Marina Reutki, Directors of New Hope Moldova, organized and facilitated this training event.

September 2007: Romania – ABWE (Association of Baptists for World Evangelism)

Project:

This 2007 international Romania project was a partnership training by INCM and the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE). The ABWE began to share in bringing the message of Christ to Romania in the mid-1980s. So responsive were the Romanian people that plans were laid immediately to enlarge the thrust. Following the revolution, missionaries arrived in the country in 1993. This 2007 partnership training project brought together almost fifty Romanian teachers, leaders, and workers for an intensive training in children’s ministry foundations and hands-on skills for effective evangelism and discipleship of children.

Organized by Mary Lou and Mike Rummey, ABWE Canadian missionaries to Romania, this project was well planned, and the goals and objectives were both met and exceeded.

The Romanian ABWE mission efforts have included a number of training sessions around the country. People often tell the ABWE missionaries they have been praying for training. Presenting other ways to teach God’s truths to children has been a need.

This INCM project was phase two of the Children’s Pastors’ Conference supported Moldova-Romania training initiatives for 2007. The Romania INCM team consisted of Kurt Jarvis, INCM board member and volunteer Coordinator for International Ministry as team leader; Marion Grant of BCM International (Canada); and INCM volunteer Art Davis.

The training was held at a Christian retreat center about two hours outside of Bucharest, the capital of Romania. This facility proved to be quite adequate for both housing those who attended as well as providing excellent training facilities for the daily sessions.

Over three days, six workshop sessions were held: Basics of Children’s Ministry; Storytelling; Puppets and Writing Puppet Skits; Teaching Ideas, parts 1 & 2; and Understanding Children’s Personalities

THANK YOU for praying for these teams and projects. Each year the one-time offerings taken at each CPC are used to support international projects. Those desiring to contribute toward INCM International Ministry may send contributions to: INCM, PO Box 190, Castle Rock, CO 80104. Correspondence should clearly indicate that the funds are designated for International Ministry. All contributions are tax deductible

** Special thanks to Wanda Plank of Wichita, Kansas, who provided over one hundred Gospel Story bags for this training project.

For information on joining an INCM international training team contact:
Kurt Jarvis, INCM International Ministry Coordinator at kurt.jarvis@incm.org