Small Things, Big Difference

The warmth of a Christmas café ministers to the Chairman of the bank, encourages him
as he shares about Christ with our guests.

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I was recently asked for more detail about what I do and as I was writing the response, I thought it would be a good thing to share with you as well.

As Executive Assistant for Krysha it comes to me to help take care of a lot of the behind the scene details of the ministry. My job description likens my ministry to that of Barnabas, whose ministry "more often than not was to encourage those who were around him. He did not draw attention to himself. But it is quite possible that if Barnabas was not around the ministries of such great men of faith as Apostle Paul or Gospel writer Mark would not be the same." Many of the things I do in ministry may appear like very simple tasks, but without someone doing the multitude of small, simple tasks- the ministry would not be as effective.

For example, we recently held a Christmas Cafe. Eighty people came to hear and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas- the good news that entered this world with the birth of Jesus Christ!

For many, this was the first time they celebrated Christmas or even considered for a moment the significance of it. We worked for close to a month in preparing for this Café. I worked to secure the space for the café, worked with our volunteer leaders to make sure we were getting invitations out, and made sure that all the little details were ready by the time the Cafe came around. Our leadership team works together to plan any event we have, as well as to divide up responsibilities among the all the leaders, but as it is my job to "oversee the operations and communications of the movement," I work to continually fill in the cracks and keep the ball rolling.

At the Christmas Cafe, we were to have three people from the ministry to share about Christmas and Christ, one of them was Sergei Alekseivich Brovkin. Sergei Alekseivich is Chairman of the Board of Mercedes Benz Bank in Russia and DeputyChairman of Gelnic-M Investment Company and is actively involved in one of our small group Bible studies. Needless to say amidst the economic crisis, this is a man who spent a lot of time in his office these last few months. He juggles many responsibilities and it amazes me that despite it all this, he still finds the time to come to one of our small group Bible Studies.

That particular night though after getting stuck in traffic and then getting lost trying to find the Christian Center in the cold, he arrived for the Cafe a bit late and worn out. Despite having such a hard day and time getting there, he told us that once he arrived - his mood immediately lifted as he found himself surrounded by the warm glow of Christmas lights, the enveloping sound of Christmas worship and the open embrace of fellowship. When we thanked him for taking the time to come and share he kept saying: “You have no idea how much you ministered to me that night.” There is a myriad of details that had to be taken care of in order for Sergei Alekseivich to be ministered to and then in turn minister to others as he spoke to the group. It was my joy to ensure that all of those details behind the scenes are taken care of to help make this happen.

Among the large group in attendance was Vanya. Vanya is a young man who does not know Christ, but who attends one of our small group Bible studies regularly. He is studying to be an architect and like many students in Russia already finds himself working in the market place, earning invaluable experience in his profession that will ensure him getting a better job once he graduates in a year. I was excited to not only see Vanya there, but to see he had invited a friend from the university! It was a great opportunity for this young man and his friend to hear the Gospel! Vanya's friend really enjoyed the evening and I am praying that she will begin coming to small group with Vanya to learn more about Christ.

The Krysha ministry consists of two full-time staff who work to challenge and equip volunteers in our ministry to share the Gospel with everyone in their sphere of influence. For Sergei Alekseivich, that would directly include 300 people working in Russia's top banking and investment circles and indirectly heads of major businesses and government leaders- people I would never have the opportunity to develop a relationship and share the Gospel with. For Vanya, his sphere of influence reaches into his university classrooms and social circle of friends- and even with Vanya not knowing Christ himself, he has already shown how he can share the positive influence of Christ by bringing his friend to the Christmas Cafe. So while renting venues for our ministry events, working with our volunteer leaders, baking and decorating 12 dozen Christmas cookies, and making sure all the coffee pots are full and the tea kettles hot may not sound like the most exciting aspect of ministry to many- it is an essential part and one for which God has gifted me wonderfully! Even more importantly, without those little details our events like the Christmas Café would not have the same depth and warmth that breaks the barriers for many who hear the Gospel for the first time.

I hope this gives you a small glimpse of what it is I do. Please feel free to ask me any questions.

Serving Christ,
Angela