A Growing Church

I want to take this mini series to walk people through the growing work that is happening here in the centre of St Petersburg.

When my family arrived (3 people) on the 1st August we joined Dave & Hannah (plus three kids) who'd got here five days before. By about mid August Nadia, a Russian girl originally from Moscow, had moved up to join us from Tver, where Dave & Hannah had spent the previous year.
By the time we were meeting for food on Wednesday nights at about the start of September, Johanna, an America student who'd just arrived, had also joined. She had gone to a New Frontiers church in the US and the church had hosted David Devenish, who does a lot of work into Russia. When it was made known to him that she would be coming, the relevant details were given to her for when she arrived. She is on a language program here with many other America students.

The six adults and four children then continued to meet together of Wednesday nights, eating a meal before trying to do a normal home group, with Russian songs and a word section.
Towards the end of the year, where there had been the odd visitor to the group which pushed numbers up a little, a Russian guy named Oleg had also been coming. He is soon to be married and when he is they intend to move into the centre and join us, which will be a huge help.

Just before Christmas, we met an American student named Chelsea, who we invited back to lunch. We were having Johanna back that day as well and it so happened that they were on the same course, though at different stages. So when we started in the new year, Chelsea came along and was joined by another student that Johanna brought, a girl named Jenny. Now also Oleg has been bringing another Russian guy along.

With the numbers a little pushed, it was clear that two nights were needed. So now on a Wednesday we meet to eat together, and on a Saturday night we look to do church. We are up to 10 adults, with others looking in, and this all without any advertising as we feel we are still finding our feet.

A week today David & Scilla Devenish arrive in St Petersburg where they'll live for three months, joining in with us here and helping us along. Their input is surely set to grow things even faster so it might be that the next time I update this thread there are many, many more names to write about.

But God is on the move here! Amen!!