IRKUTSK – During this year, which was called the Year of Evangelism in the Russian Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith Pentecostals, a mobile group of evangelists has begun to actively operate in the Irkutsk region. It is led by Shukhrat Yakubov, pastor of the Salvation in Christ Church in the Bikey residential area of Bratsk and leader of the evangelism ministry of the centralized religious organization Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith (Pentecostals) of the Irkutsk Region. Over the course of six months, the team made nine missionary trips to cities and towns in the region, distributing about 900 copies of the Gospel and the New Testament.
The initiative to create a permanent regional group of evangelists arose in August of this year. According to ministry leader Shukhrat Yakubov, the basis for this was a personal prompting from the Lord, which subsequently received the blessing and support of the church association's leadership.
“It was simply a prompting from the Lord to gather people together and create a group at the regional level,” Shukhrat Yakubov shares.
The main criteria for joining the team are a sincere desire to serve and a willingness to find time for it. The group includes both experienced ministers and new Christians, which creates opportunities for mutual mentoring.
There are sixteen people in the group. Some pray on site, while others go out on missions.
One of the participants is entrepreneur Maxim Gurkov. Combining work and ministry, he finds time for evangelism using his car. Maxim shares that he does this for the joy he experiences when he sees people accepting the Word, coming to the house of prayer, repenting, and reconciling with God.
Among the active participants is Denis Artyukhov, a young minister from the Grace in Christ Church, who combines ministry with studying at an online Bible school. For him, it is an opportunity to grow by witnessing to his faith.
Another participant, Akim Zhilinsky, repented just a year and a half ago. He shares how, thanks to his ministry in the group, he overcame his shyness and now joyfully shares the Good News with his fellow villagers in his hometown: “I simply began to feed on people's love. When you meet them, some cry... such sincere emotions lights up a fire inside.”
The team also has mature mentors, such as 65 years old Natig Agayev, a participant in an international evangelism and mission project in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey. Passing on his experience to young people, he continues to serve the Lord with zeal.
“Sometimes we are amazed at his endurance and perseverance. For young people, Natig is a true example of diligence and endurance in ministry, despite his age,” notes the ministry leader.
The team operates according to a well-established plan: first, they coordinate with local pastors, then they pray for the area, and then the group goes out into the streets to talk to people, distribute spiritual literature, and invite them to church. Financial and organizational support is currently provided mainly by the communities that the group visits.
The geography of the ministry is extensive: Bratsk, Irkutsk, Ust-Ilimsk, the villages of Porozhsky, Tarma, and other cities and settlements. The evangelists have particular hope for the work of God's Word in Kirensk, noting the openness of the local residents and the activity of the small number of parishioners in the local community, which inspires faith in the growth of the church.
Despite their enthusiasm, the team faces challenges: all participants are busy with other ministries, and the group is still forming. However, after six months, the spiritual fruits and personal growth of each evangelist are already visible.
“When there is a clear direction and a focus on evangelism, you see that people in this atmosphere are formed differently, in a special way, and become bolder in communicating with people about God—they see the Lord's involvement in the lives of people outside the church,” summarizes Shukhrat Yakubov, expressing hope for the further development of the ministry in the year of evangelism.
Tatyana Kopteleva
The Russian Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith