AUTHENTICITY IN RUSSIA

Kevin Clement traveled with a group of 121CC men to Russia recently to conduct a men's conference for churches in Penza.  He was greatly impacted by the trip and shares his story below.

It is with great joy that, when asked, I agreed to look back and reflect upon our recent mission trip to Penza Russia. Our mission there was to share the love of Christ Jesus with the men of Russia. One of the ways in which we did that was to teach the men, through Scripture, how to be authentic men of God. Ross [Sawyers], Scott [Werntz], and Rodney [Howell] were teachers at the two-day “Authentic Men of God Conference.” They showed the men how essential it is to be authentic and genuine in our walk with Christ if we are ever going to be the husbands, fathers, or church leaders God has called us to be. One of the things that I found amazing was to see how incredibly teachable the spirit of each and every man who attended the conference was. They were very receptive to what was laid before them. I’m not sure what the expectation was as far as participation at the conference, but there were about 90 men who attended the event. By western standards that may not sound like a big deal, but for a Christian conference in Penza Russia, it was huge!

Another thing that was very moving for me was to witness, first-hand, the fruit that is being born in Russia as a result of the work being done by Spoken For and 121 Community Church. I’m speaking case specific here as there are many Christian organizations working in Russia and also making an impact. Many of the young men who attended the conference grew up in orphanages and were introduced to Christ Jesus through the work of Spoken For and its partners. It horrifies me to think of what might have happened to some of these young men or how different their lives would be had they not gotten the opportunity to hear and receive the Gospel. There are many good works done on any given mission trip, but the bottom line is that the people we are reaching out to have to see the love of Christ in and through us in order to make an impact for Christ. We truly are only vessels of God’s infinite love!

Another thing that stood out for me was the stark contrast between the small percentage of Christians living in Penza and the rest of the population. It was as noticeable as night and day – darkness and light. Aside from my Christian brothers in Penza, the people were seemingly without joy or hope of any sort. I found that hard to understand coming from a country in which we are so blessed and in which we have so many freedoms. It would be my hope that God made an impact through Ross, Scott, Rodney, Ruslan, Andrew, and myself on the people of Russia. On a personal level, it was such an honor to be part of the six-man team that included these men. To even be mentioned in the same breath as these guys is a huge honor for me and it is a tribute to what God has done in my life.

In closing, I want to thank everyone at Spoken For and 121 Community Church for making this trip possible for the team.

Lastly, I must acknowledge the “Early Risers”, my Life Group at 121 Community Church. I was chosen by them to go on this trip. I love you guys deeply and your love for me has made me a better man. The ten days I spent in Penza were a life changing experience; I will never be the same! Since I’ve been back I view my entire life differently. As believers and followers of Christ Jesus, we are collectively called into the ministry – that is to say, we are called into service. Church for me is no longer just the right place to be on Sunday mornings. It’s a place to worship, whole-heartedly, our loving and almighty God and to find opportunity to serve His kingdom and His people.

For more information about the work in Penza, Russia, email Scott Werntz at russia@121cc.com or visit the Spoken For website.

<<Back to newsletter