July Newsletter is online

Just a quick note -- our newsletter is online for downloading. Go to www.rosson.cc and follow the link for newsletter.

And if you're really impatient and want to rely on my memory, you can click here and come directly to the pdf file.

Happy Independence Day!

Well, today's not a holiday in Europe. But we all have reason to celebrate the freedoms that we have in America and Western Europe. Although we don't write much about it, it is always present in our minds that many of the Eastern European countries did not permit the freedom of religion until 15 years ago. Even today there are constant reminders that such freedoms are not to be taken for granted.

The reason for our letter, however, is to thank donors for the gifts they gave to World Missions and our ministry. It is only with the prayers and support from people like you. Thank you for making this ministry possible.

Just because the academic year is over in Moscow, that doesn't mean we don't have anything to do. June has been a very busy month for us. I (Tom) had a series of speaking engagements in Neulußheim, Denkendorf, Rudersberg and the Eurasian Leadership Summit in Kniebis. And when I wasn't speaking, I often provided the translation.

Additionally, I currently serve as chairman of the European Education Committee and had the privilege of organizing the biennial European Educators Conference (which was also held in Kniebis). One of the results of the conferences was the creation of the "European Education Manifesto", a vision statement that outlines the core values of our ministerial training initiatives.

Family Life has been busy, too. During the first week of June, Colin and Kevin had a great week a camp. Claudia and Brianna went also to the same camp for a "snooper" night. (Brianna is in the starter group, so all of the beginners went for a night.) While the twins were gone, Claudia and I were able to get away for a one-day excursion to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary.

Again, we appreciate your prayers for our budget with World Missions. The fact that you are partnering with us is an answer to prayer. We are grateful that God has allowed us to stay "on the field" despite poor exchange rates and rising inflation.

One of Germany's Finest Spots

For our anniversary, Claudia and I spent a couple of days in Lindau, Germany. Located on Lake Constance next to the Austria border, Lindau is a small island town complete with lake front hotels, promenades, small alleys, restaurants, shops, and old churches. There are ferries to Austria and Switzerland regularly throughout the day. Somehow this idyllic setting had escaped my attention in the 19 years that I have been associated with Germany. It's a great place to visit -- but only in the summertime.

May News from Moscow

Commencement in Moscow
On May 19, 2007, The Eurasian Theological Seminary held its third Commencement Ceremony. This cohort was our largest graduating class since the initial graduation five years ago — nearly triple the number from 2006. This year's graduating class has representatives from Russia(Ural Mountains Region, North Caucasus and Moscow, Ukraine (Nova Kakhovka, Kirovograd), Moldova, and Armenia. It was also the first year that we graduated students from our extension program.

The speaker was an ETSM Alumni (2002). Pastor Aghajan Pogosyan, Senior Pastor of 2 successful churches he planted in Novokuiboshevsk, Russia. One of the congregations is Russian, the other is Armenian. Aghojan reported how God is blessing both congregations with visitors and converts on a weekly basis. Aghojan and his wife Venera both studied in the very first group of ETSM between 1998 and 2002 and graduated at the dedication of the newly built facility in May 2002.

Peacemaking / Conflict Resolution and “Quakeproofing” Your Church
This past week, ETSM hosted the long anticipated seminar on Biblical Approaches to Conflict Management and Peacemaking / Quakeproofing Your Church with Richard Pettit and Nick Park. As any experience leader knows, interpersonal conflict is a normal part of working with people. Richard and Nick shared with us how pastors and church leaders can best work with conflicts in our churches and ministries.

This seminar was an eye opening experience for many of our pastors and church workers. Remember, many of our pastors are 1^st generation converts who do not have the privilege of growing up with Christian models of handling conflicts in a manner that will glorify God. (And just because one grows up in America doesn’t necessarily mean that our churches will automatically do better.)

John Piper on Missions

One of the most prolific writer in missions currently is John Piper. He has written numerous articles and a couple of books on missions. Perhaps his most powerful book to date is "Let the Nations Be Glad" which came out about 10 years ago.

A couple of quotes from Piper (and thanks to "woog's" blogspot for the selection of quotes.:

1. On Worship
   “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man… Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions. It’s the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God’s glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God… But worship is also the fuel of missions. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching… Missions begins and ends in worship.” – p.17
2. On the Glory of God
   “Missions is not God’s ultimate goal, worship is… The ultimate foundation for our passion to see God glorified is his own passion to be glorified… God is not an idolater. He does not disobey the first and great commandment. With all his heart and soul and strength and mind he delights in the glory of his manifold perfections. The most passionate heart for God in all the universe is God’s heart.” – p.20-21
3. On Compassion
   “Compassion for the lost is a high and beautiful motive for missionary labor. Without it we lose the sweet humility of sharing a treasure freely received. But we have seen that compassion for people must not be detached from passion for the glory of God.” – p.41
4. On the Sovereignty of God
   “Jesus brings his sheep into the fold through the preaching of those he sends, just as the Father sent him (John 20:21). So it is just as true today as in that day, ‘My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me (John 10:27)’ It is Christ who calls in the gospel. Christ gathers his sheep in world missions. That is why there is complete assurance that they will come.” – p.42
5. On the Gospel
   “As the Christian movement spread, Luke repeatedly described its growth of the Word of God. ‘And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem’ (Acts 6:7). ‘The word of God increased and multiplied’ (Acts 12:24). ‘The word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region’ (Acts 13:49). ‘The word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily’ (Acts 19:20).
   
   This is why I am jealous to say that the proclamation of the gospel is ‘the work of missions.’ It is the weapon that God designed to use in penetrating the kingdom of darkness and gathering the children of light from all the nations (Acts 26:16-18). His whole redemptive plan for the universe hangs on the success of his Word. If the proclamation of the Word aborts, the purposes of God fail.” – p.64-65
6. On Prayer
   “This is why God has ordained prayer to have such a crucial place in the mission of the church. The purpose of prayer is to make clear to all the participants in missions that the victory belongs to the Lord… Prayer is God’s appointed means of bringing grace to the world and glory to himself.
   
   Prayer puts God in the place of the all-sufficient Benefactor and puts us in the place of needy beneficiaries. Therefore, when the mission of the church moves forward by prayer, the supremacy of God is manifest and the needs of Christian missionaries are met. In prayer, he is glorified and we are satisfied… The purpose of prayer is the Father’s fame and the saints’ fullness.” – p.232
7. On Suffering
   “Therefore, God ordains that the mission of his church move forward not only by the fuel of worship and in the power of prayer but also at the price of suffering. ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up the cross and follow me’ (Mark 8:34). ‘A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.’ (John 15:20). ‘If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of this household’ (Matt. 10:25). ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things’ (Mark 8:31). ‘As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you’ (John 20:21). ‘Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves’ (Matt. 10:16). ‘I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name’ (Acts 9:16)” – p.23

February Thanks from the Rossons

Beginning the Spring Semester in Moscow

In last month’s thank you letter, I mentioned that our school in Moscow has a new provost – Ilya Okhotnikov. There are other changes at school with the support staff, too  We also increased our enrollment by one. Currently we have 25 students in the on-campus program. We have an additional 100 students in our “extensions” program, including those who commute for block courses in Moscow.

 

Leadership and Church Growth Courses

The next two weeks promise to be exciting at ETSM. Dail Fields, Professor of Leadership Studies at Regent University will teach an intensive for students, pastors, and regional overseers. Nick Park from Solid Rock Church of God in Ireland will teach the following week a course in church planting, growth and evangelism. Please pray for two transformative weeks in Moscow.

 

Once an EBSler, always an EBSler

Many of our supporters will remember that Claudia and I previously served at the European Bible Seminary in Rudersberg, Germany. The school has since moved to Kniebis, Germany and is now known as the European Theological Seminary (ETSK). (In fact, we live in the old EBS building in Rudersberg.) Tom has been invited to speak March 21 in their chapel service and colloquium. This will be the first school function that we have attended since our departure from EBS in 1998. Please pray for this time of ministry to the students at ETSK.

 

Budget Update: “It’s Only Money”

We keep our budget in your prayers. The Lord has blessed us with great financial partners; many of you have been with us faithfully for several years. But a have had some attrition and we could use a few more churches and individual donors. Our reserves with World Missions have reached a low point – the lowest in two years. As a result, Tom will travel in April to do some fundraising in the States. Please pray that the Lord will bless us with new partners (church and individuals) so that we can broaden the base of support.

 

We have a new provost in Moscow

I have the pleasure of making the following announcement. The Board of Directors of the Eurasian Theological Seminary in Moscow has elected Ilya Okhotnikov as its new Provost. Okhotnikov succeeds Sergei Dmitrusenko, who had held the post since 1999. Prior to his appointment, Okhotnikov had served as the Director of Development and Public Relations. As provost, Okhotnikov will work closely with the president of ETSM in the day-to-day operations of the seminary.

Okhotnikov states as he enters his new position, "God's grace is sufficient, dear brothers and sisters. I value the trust given to me and want ETSM to serve more effectively to students, church leaders and pastors in Eurasian continent. My prayer is that of King Solomon in 2 Chronicles, 'Give me now wisdom and knowledge' to serve in a team of co-laborers for the Harvest is ready, but the workers are few."

Ilya, a former officer in the Russian army, is a graduate of the Church of God Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Asbury Theological Seminary (D.Min.) and is a specialist in the area of Family Ministry and Counseling. Ilya and his wife Angela originally hail from Ihzevsk, Russia (which happens to be the home of the AK-47). They have two daughters, Pauline and Danielle.
In His service,

Thomas Rosson, Ph.D., President
Eurasian Theological Seminary in Moscow

Moscow Changes

Changes in Moscow

Tom just returned from Moscow last week after a series of meetings. There are some changes taking place at the school that we can now announce. ETSM now has a new provost – Dr. Ilya Okhotnikov. Ilya will work closely with Tom in the day-to-day administrative operations of the seminary.

A second item of news has to do with our missionaries to Moscow, Chris and Natasha Hodge. Natasha has been bothered with a cough for several weeks and decided to have it checked out. The test results showed that an aortic aneurysm (which has been a condition with her for some time) had expanded and needs attention. Chris and Natasha are currently planning to return to the States for her medical needs.

Changing the World….

One of the great things about any Bible school is getting to know the students and their life’s story. Repeatedly we are awestruck when we learn the circumstances from which our students have come. It’s really easy to recognize the grace and power of Christ. At the end of the past semester, I received a letter from one of our students.

Vladimir Emelyanov spent his fall internship in the city of Klin, Russia. There he shared the gospel and worked in a rehab center in A rehab center for drug addicts and alcoholics is a special place for God’s grace to be in action. Vladimir believes that he will return to his homeland of Siberia in order to serve there. His desire is to be involved in a rehab ministry with his long-term goal of opening more rehab centers based out of a local church.

January Birthdays

We are doing well as a family. Except for some Winter illnesses, we are healthy. At our church, we have seen more people come to our church. We are in a rare period of time in which we have seen many seekers visit our church. So this is yet another point of prayer.