After much travel in the fall, I've dedicated most of the deep winter to Novosibirsk. This and another soon-to-be-posted blog entry will be dedicated to exceptions - visits to Tomsk (in early December) and Oktyabrsk (last weekend).
Tomsk is one of the easier congregations in our deanery for me to travel to, since it is "only" a 5-hour bus trip away. Usually the ride is tolerable enough, but I must admit that record low temperatures this winter (-35 was typical in December) made the poorly-heated bus quite uncomfortable; I tried wrapping my scarf around my legs and then stamping my feet for a couple of hours.
Thankfully the fellowship we had once I arrived made it worthwhile. Usually I enjoy my visits with Pastor Andrey Filiptsov, who is the young pastor who was been serving there since 2010. This time, however, I had the chance to talk not only with Andrey, but also with his students in confirmation class (a university student and a middle-aged woman) and with the newly-elected church council.
The congregation has had a complicated and difficult history, with much conflict focused on the building you see to the right - St. Mary's Lutheran - which has been claimed by two different groups. The people of our congregation have faced many frustrations and much disappointment throughout the years; to a degree it seems like they were stuck in a spiritual swamp. On this trip, however, I was quite pleasantly surprised to see that the new council (with three of the 5 members new to the council and 35 years-old or younger) is motivated to move beyond old problems and focus more seriously on the work of congregational development. My being there gave them an occasion to voice their hopes and dreams for their congregation, and to discuss how they might go about accomplishing them; the meeting provided for the kind of mutual encouragement that is so crucial in a church (not just in Tomsk, but throughout the region) that frequently feels weak and alone.
At the council meeting I was asked to schedule my next trip for a Sunday, so that I can meet the whole congregation. I plan to do so in March.
Tomsk is one of the easier congregations in our deanery for me to travel to, since it is "only" a 5-hour bus trip away. Usually the ride is tolerable enough, but I must admit that record low temperatures this winter (-35 was typical in December) made the poorly-heated bus quite uncomfortable; I tried wrapping my scarf around my legs and then stamping my feet for a couple of hours.
Thankfully the fellowship we had once I arrived made it worthwhile. Usually I enjoy my visits with Pastor Andrey Filiptsov, who is the young pastor who was been serving there since 2010. This time, however, I had the chance to talk not only with Andrey, but also with his students in confirmation class (a university student and a middle-aged woman) and with the newly-elected church council. The congregation has had a complicated and difficult history, with much conflict focused on the building you see to the right - St. Mary's Lutheran - which has been claimed by two different groups. The people of our congregation have faced many frustrations and much disappointment throughout the years; to a degree it seems like they were stuck in a spiritual swamp. On this trip, however, I was quite pleasantly surprised to see that the new council (with three of the 5 members new to the council and 35 years-old or younger) is motivated to move beyond old problems and focus more seriously on the work of congregational development. My being there gave them an occasion to voice their hopes and dreams for their congregation, and to discuss how they might go about accomplishing them; the meeting provided for the kind of mutual encouragement that is so crucial in a church (not just in Tomsk, but throughout the region) that frequently feels weak and alone.
At the council meeting I was asked to schedule my next trip for a Sunday, so that I can meet the whole congregation. I plan to do so in March.
