Local Moscow Region Church Making a Difference During Coronavirus

In Chinese, the word “crisis” consists of two characters “danger” and “opportunity.”

How does your church deal with the dangers posed by the coronavirus pandemic, and how do you take advantage of the opportunities the current situation offers?

In dealing with the coronavirus, we are doing everything safely, fulfilling the requirements of sanitary and social regulations. At the same time, we understand that “the Sabbath is for the man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27), so security is for a person, not a person for security. Since April 4th, we have introduced a mandatory mask regime and social distance for ourselves.

The times in which we, our country, and the whole world lives is the time of the church. The Church can clearly show that what she believes, and that what she proclaims is not merely words, but loving action!

About 40 volunteers are serving in our church to help people in self-isolation and quarantine. They buy food, medicine, take out garbage, etc... There are also non-standard requests, for example, to bring water or to help with their pets. We are part of a larger group organized by the district administration, yet our team is one of the largest and most effective.

Each one of our volunteers give the Gospel, especially in these days following Easter. The volunteers give thier gifts personally from themselves. By May 9 (Victory Day), we collected 100 gifts for veterans and children of the war. Food gifts along with the Gospel were packed in bags with our church logo and information. For older people who are on self-isolation, these gifts were very appreciated.

Another blessing of volunteer service are the personal relationships established with those who are being helped. In frank conversations, people reveal their problems: spiritual, family, emotional, etc... Here is where counseling can begin, as we bring help with advice. People need and seek for sincere relationships, and this is where trust gradually appears.

How are your relations with local doctors and authorities?

Relations with the authorities are developing well:

The members of our church have become a good example for local entrepreneurs. They organize assistance to ambulance employees, allocate funds themselves, and other businessmen connect to them. Free lunch is organized daily for 30 ambulance staff people. It all started with the delivery of free coffee, and now we are preparing full lunches.

Today, the ambulance service is experiencing serious difficulties, it cannot cope with the sharply increased number of calls, and people are constantly criticizing them, but those people need support and encouragement in their hard work. 

Entrepreneurs from our church have organized several coffee houses in the city and now special services. Doctors who are sent on calls can go get free coffee or any other drink in any coffee shop. This morale-boosting, inspirational help has become a contagious example for other people who are now also trying to somehow help.

What difficulties do you encounter in organizing ministry?

Difficulties sometimes arise morally, because some people take advantage of volunteers as a free delivery service. Immediately it is difficult to distinguish between actually being needed and being used. They ask to buy a lot of different groceries, not included in the list of essential goods. Then it turns out there are a lot of relatives in the house, including young ones. Honestly it is very tempting to give up after that.

How will today's situation affect the future ministry of your church?

We will not be ashamed to look people in the eye if they ask us where we were when times were hard … Our church "stood in the gap" and in practice showed love, care and service to others. On the one hand, we hope for some good rapport and warmer relations from our community toward us as Christians. On the other hand, we understand that “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls...But the word of the Lord remains forever” (1 Peter 1:24-25). Today you can be lauded, being carried on people's shoulders, and tomorrow everything will be forgotten. The main thing for us is God being glorified!