Children’s Club Making a Difference in Gelendzhik.

 ^«If I am delayed, you will know how each one must conduct himself in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth."  - 1 Timothy 3:15

The church community dates back to the pre-revolutionary year of 1915, a time of great spiritual upsurge among evangelical believers in Russia. Over the years, it has retained its Christian spirit and has proven its longevity, passing through several generations of members and changing its address. The House of Prayer is now located at 63 Novorossiyskaya Street. The church has over 120 members not including children!

Four times a week, the doors are open for parents with children, young people, elderly, and countless other Christian from various cities across the country. What is unique is the location being in a Black Sea resort town, and things pick up especially during the holiday season. It was in this "vacationer" status that I found myself in the House of God. And just in time! That Sunday evening, the church was especially crowded; almost the entire children's group from the Sunday School had gathered, along with teenagers for the "Royal Hunters" service ministry.

Pastor Ilya Ponomarev and ministry leader Vyacheslav Savintsev, spoke about the life of the Christian community and this exciting event involving teens and younger children.

- What are the greatest strengths of your church?

- I think it’s our children's ministry, and family ministry. In addition to Sunday services, we regularly gather with families, ages ranging from 20 to 50. We have about 20 such strong families with many children. We meet two or three times a month. We invite believers from other churches for family-oriented events. We address various issues that arise in relationships between spouses, children, and relatives. We help each other, sometimes with advice, or prayer, or material and physical assistance if we recognize a need in the family. We try to support each other; it's very necessary! We also regularly hold youth services, where young people learn how to build premarital relationships, evangelize, as well as care for older women and children. We show how a church ought to be.

"Your church is very cozy! The building, the interior, and the courtyard are so cleverly designed. And do you go out into the streets to spread the good news? There are so many vacationers strolling along the Promenade!"

- Absolutely. At Christmas, Easter, and New Year's, we distribute up to 1,500 Christian calendars and Gospels throughout the city. We give them to anyone who wants one. We organize "weekend" events on the Promenade and in the center of Gelendzhik and simply ask visitors and residents of the city, "What is Christmas?" and "Who is this great holiday dedicated to?" Typically, that's where we begin our outreach.

Sometimes we organize similar events on other holidays, for example, Valentine's Day or things like this. We put up posters with a question, or draw a heart, and ask passersby, "What does love mean to you?" Please write here, on the poster. They reflect and write, and at the same time, our youth communicate with them, handing them leaflets on Christian themes. Booklets with verses from Paul's Epistle 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 are especially well received (and sometimes with surprise, people read them for the first time!) "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy, love does not boast, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, keeps no record of evil, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails, though prophecies will cease, and tongues will be silenced, and knowledge will be abolished." Vyacheslav Savintsev is responsible for organizing and conducting evangelistic campaigns in the church.

How did the idea for the "Royal Hunters" service come about? The kids complete the tasks so enthusiastically, it's clear they're all genuine and dedicated. And the adults are too.

My brothers and I have been very concerned about children's ministry in recent years. It became clear that Sunday School wasn't meeting all the growing children's needs to know God. We sensed that sometimes the children were simply bored, and we noted many other gaps. We prayed for over seven years that the Lord would reveal other approaches, and show us a different path. We first saw this Christian game, "Royal Hunters," at another sister church. Then we went to the Evangelical Christian Missionary Union in Krasnodar for a three-day training. From this, we were immediately sad: we couldn't handle it... We needed a larger team to make it fun and engaging. So we continued to pray! And the Lord answered our prayer!

We managed to gather volunteers. The kids started inviting their friends from school, neighbors, and acquaintances. And it worked! God's grace manifested itself. Before, you couldn't drag children to church in the evenings, but now you can't get them out! We were so amazed at how the Lord works!

- Tell us about the history of the creation of the  "Royal Hunters" ministry.

Royal Rangers (translated as "Royal Hunters") is a Christian program founded in 1962 and has been used in over 70 countries worldwide. The program is designed for children and adolescents aged 12-14. Its goal is to mentor, teach, and develop young people into leaders who follow Jesus Christ and are ready to serve Him throughout their lives. This program has been spreading in Russia for over 20 years, since Royal Rangers International (RRI) was founded to coordinate its distribution. This Christian ministry embraces believers of various denominations. Various tasks, completed in an active, playful format, help inquisitive children understand the diversity of the world (based on online resources).

The "Royal Hunters" program is divided by age. There are the youngest, 6-8 years old, beginners. Then come the "pioneers," younger teenagers, 9-11 years old. Those aged 12-14 are the older teenagers, called "pathfinders." Young people aged 15-17 are the "rangers." They strive to advance, have clear goals and objectives, and become mentors to the younger ones. Then the older ones find their ministry in the church, for example, some join the media team, continue in children’s ministry, while others are more drawn to the music ministry. In short, everyone discovers their calling.

The goal of this program is to train children to serve in the House of God, but Sunday School often lacks such clear goals and objectives. Sometimes, they simply try to keep the children occupied during the main service. But that's not our goal. Our goal is for them to grow spiritually and then identify, find their place in the church, and discover their gifts. By the time they're baptized, they'll clearly understand why this is necessary.

- From today on, are only children of church members involved, or did some come with friends?

We also regularly invite friends. Sometimes kids drop by from time to time; they love it—and then they bring their parents, and the parents stay at the church. We've already won several families over to the Lord’s kingdom, who have started attending services at our church.

- So, teaching the basics of Christian ethics is done in a playful way?

"Yes, they learn obedience and respect to their leaders. Spiritual lessons alternate with physical activity, which is essential for a growing body. There's also homework, a must! At first, our parents told us, 'They won't do their homework.' What are you saying? They forget everything at the Higher School, too; they don't need it...' But once the kids earned badges, earned rewards, and competed to be the best, they became incredibly motivated to participate."

The main thing is that the children develop teamwork skills, a sense of camaraderie, a desire to be on the same page, to help one another, and to serve through interaction. The children gradually learn how to behave with adults and children, how to respect subordination, and how to communicate with elders. The program teaches rules of conduct with parents and each other, and imparts spiritual lessons.

- How often do you meet?

For the second year in a row, the leadership team has been meeting weekly to develop a strategy for the coming year. We're planning when and what outings we'll hold, including those involving just members of the congregation, as well as inter-church outings. This is a great motivator for meaningful ministry.

 “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1-2