This hasn't come without protests, however. Thousands protested what they claim were unfair parliamentary elections a few months ago. Now, protesters are already protesting what they are calling unfair presidential elections, which Putin is all but certain to win.

President of Russian Ministries Sergey Rakhuba says this is a very important week for the Russian people. "I believe this week will bring quite a bit of change that will affect the Russian people, global politics, and will even affect mission work and the evangelical movement around the world."

Putin criticized the opposition plans for rallies over what it fears will be a fraudulent election, saying Wednesday it is "unacceptable" to prejudge the vote. Rakhuba expects Putin's presidency will affect freedom. "This time, with all of this protest," says Rakhuba, "[Putin] will use all kinds of dictatorial tactics to hold on to power. And it means there will probably mean more pressure."

More than 30,000 people gathered in peaceful protests demanding honest elections over the weekend. However, few believe they will be fair and honest.

Rakhuba says there's only one answer to seeing that change in Russia — a heart change. That's why Russian Ministries has their School without Walls program. "We are reaching out to younger people — those who are in law school, in professional training. They work in a corrupt society. And they bring that ethical, biblical light into the corrupt society, changing it from within."

Russian Ministries is also doing that with medical students, training them to use their profession to share the Gospel.

Rakhuba says religious freedom in Russia is under serious threat, which is why their School without Walls program is important. You can have an eternal impact on Russia's future. "It costs $48 a month to train one leader over a year. And we would greatly appreciate it if people would consider supporting Russian Ministries in this effort."

If you'd like to invest in a Next Generation leader, click here.

"The church needs to move beyond life in its four walls and penetrate society with the light and hope of Christ," declares Rakhuba, president of Russian Ministries. "And I wholeheartedly believe that this young generation, trained and equipped for leadership roles in the church and society, can do it well if we trust and support them. God is using Russian Ministries in a special way to help mobilize and equip Christians and churches to do exactly that."

Founded by Peter Deyneka, Jr. and his wife, Anita, in 1991, Russian Ministries was at the forefront of ministry in the years of seismic changes after the Soviet Union collapsed.

Peter Deyneka, Jr. discovered a young national leader, Rakhuba,  in the church in Russia and was quickly impressed by his pastoral, evangelistic and administrative abilities.

When Peter Deyneka, Jr. died from lymphoma in 2000, after a brief interim Anita Deyneka stepped into the role of president in 2002, until the naming of Rakhuba as her successor.

Anita Deyneka describes Sergey as "one of the finest Christian visionaries and administrators I have met anywhere in Russia. He has been with us since we began and was instrumental in helping us organize our ministry in the former Soviet Union. I am grateful for this excellent network of national workers and ministry partnerships in Russia, Ukraine, and the other countries of the former Soviet Union. Much of this is because of Sergey's efforts."

President of Cornerstone University Dr. Joseph Stowell says, "I can't think of a better person to lead the significant work of Russian Ministries than my friend, Sergey Rakhuba. I've had the pleasure of knowing and serving with Sergey for many years and have deep confidence that under his leadership the best days of Russian Ministries are still ahead. While he will stand on the shoulders of Peter and Anita Deyneka, he will make his own mark for Christ and will join the legacy of those who have so effectively advanced the cause of God's kingdom in Russia."

Russian Ministries has stayed steadily committed to holistic evangelism, church-planting, and strengthening and discipleship. God has graciously guided and provided as Russian Ministries has expanded during these years and fixed its ministry focus on developing and training Next Generation leaders in the former Soviet Union.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Russian Ministries President Sergey Rakhuba, e-mail: jean@russian-ministries.org. Sergey is traveling to Cape Town, South Africa in mid-October to participate in the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization.

Wednesday's coup has left many in the country in fear, says Sergey Rakhuba, vice president of Russian Ministries. "Families are staying inside. They don't allow their children to go outside because they simply can get killed. There's lots of looting in the city."

Rakhuba says the situation is paralyzing the entire nation, including Russian Ministries' School without Walls and other programs. "We have quite a few people on the ground there with this new initiative to train new young Christian leaders. Everything is on hold right now, but we are talking to our people [about] how we can reach out to those who have been affected."

Unfortunately, Rakhuba says there are some uncertainties. "We don't even know if there are any [of our] people that we are connected with who are unaccounted for yet, because it just happened."

Rakhuba is hoping the coup also means a repeal of restrictive religion laws. "We really hope that this uprising will lead to more freedom for people there, more freedom for evangelical church ministry [and] for Christianity overall."

That could happen as Otunabayeva wants the new government to draft a new constitution and hold new elections in the next six months.

In the meantime, reports indicate Bakiyev is trying to rally supporters in the southern portion of the country, which could mean additional bloodshed. Already nearly 100 people have reportedly been killed and hundreds more wounded.

Rakhuba is asking people to pray for wisdom, courage for Kyrgyz believers to share their faith, and the money for resources to help the young church grow. Click here to support their work.

Sergey Rakhuba,
Vice President of Russian Ministries, says they have ministry in the region. He says a car was stopped by traffic patrol officers in Kizlyar: "As soon as they tried to stop them, they exploded themselves."

It's the second double suicide bombing in Russia this week. "People are simply terrified, not just in the area but all throughout Russia because it looks like Islamic radicals are trying to destabilize the peace in Russia."

However, Russian Ministries feels called to help change not only the feelings of terror, but the hearts of the terrorists. That starts with training next generation church leaders, "to help them to grow in Christ, to grow in leadership skills, to help them to work specifically in a cross-religious, cross-cultural kind of environment right there where Christianity meets Islam," says Rakhuba.

They do that through their Schools without Walls informal training program.

Rakhuba says small evangelical churches are spearheading the training, which is giving young believers the tools they need to reach kids. Rakhuba says, "[They're] protecting these young people from the brainwashing radicalism. They send the young people to Summer Camps so they can be become agents of peace and love. Families are so tired of the war and terror. They see true Christian love and a message from God."

Russian Ministries and other Christian groups aren't the only evangelism going on. "Cross cultural Islam is doing a lot there to cultivate that area for Islam," says Rakhuba, "and that makes work there a lot more difficult."

Summer camps aren't only having an impact on children. "As the parents come in contact with Christians there, some of them will spend time in the church to learn more." And many have come to Christ because of that work.

This summer, Russian Ministries is hoping to send 2,000 young people to Christian camps in this difficult region of Russia. You can help change a culture of fear and change a life for eternity with your $50 gift. $50 will sponsor a child to attend camp this summer.

You can see Russian Ministries work in nearby Beslan a few years ago by clicking here.

Forum 18 News reports that the amendments are highly unlikely to succeed. Key federal officials also appear unenthusiastic.

"I'll move to a village and become a beekeeper if they go through!" Moscow-based religious lawyer Anatoli Pchelintsev remarked to Forum 18 on 16 November. Seeing the proposals as "out of all proportion," he doubted they would reach even preliminary discussion stage in the Duma, or parliament, although he was unaware of their current status. "No one knows what's happening; there's some kind of under-the-carpet fight going on."

But a Baptist Union representative warns that the ministry's efforts to restrict mission are ongoing and increasingly in keeping with the general political climate.

The proposed amendments would require every religious community to register with the state, including its members. It would also require people to secure a permit to conduct any missionary activity.  And, it would restrict religious groups from working in public institutions like schools or orphanages.

Vice President of Russian Ministries Sergey Rakhuba says many religious and secular leaders are united. "Russian or national leaders call it a Draconian kind of amendment or change. It's totally out of all proportion. It's even worse than I remember it was under the former Soviet Union. "

Rakhuba says if you were walking down the street and a friend stopped and asked you about your faith, you could be in violation of this proposed amendment if you didn't have a permit to speak about "religion." "[The] Russian Ministry of Justice wants to control all religious activity — to register all believers — to monitor every single activity on behalf of all religious organizations."

Even though it is unconstitutional, many human rights groups believe that some in the Russian government will try to push this through. "It's done right before Christmas, when the western organizations–those who help with religious freedom, especially in the former Soviet Union–are preoccupied with the celebration of this wonderful holiday."

Christianity isn't necessarily under attack in Russia, says Rakhuba. "Extremism is on the rise. They want to control extremism by controlling religion. And under that extremism fear, this will basically control not only Islamists, but all churches and mission organizations."

Rakhuba is asking Christians to contact the Russian Embassy and your national representative to tell them of your opposition to the amendment. Ask them to oppose the proposed amendment to the 1997 Religion Law in Russia. Tell them you believe this would be a human rights violation and it needs be scrapped.

Meanwhile, continue to pray for Russian Ministries "Project Hope, the Great Gift Exchange" which is underway. They hope to deliver 15,000 gift boxes to needy children around the former Soviet Union–a program that would be prohibited under the proposed amendment.

Vice President of Russian Ministries Sergey Rakhuba says Belarus is a difficult area in which to work. "They try to limit evangelical activity only to their churches. Basically, the church body cannot do anything outside the church walls."

Rakhuba says that's the purpose of their School Without Walls program. They train nationals to do the work so they don't have to rely on foreigners. "We work to equip the national church. We are training the next generation believers. We don't want the authorities to associate the evangelical church with any western activity." That can cause government leaders to scrutinize local churches.

Rakhuba says Russian Ministries is strategically positioned to meet this training demand. "We have Belarusians already trained. They are 100-percent in charge of the program, and they train others in other regions. It doesn't attract any authorities who would try to stop it."

The training Russian Ministries provides is empowering young church leaders to be creative in outreach. "Even despite all the difficult situations, the young people find a way to continue to reach the communities. And they do it on behalf of their churches," Rakhuba says.

Rakhuba says summer camps are a part of the culture, and young Christian leaders are taking advantage of that. "They would call it a sports camp, a creative camp, or an English camp. But at the same time, everybody knows these young people are believers and on behalf of their churches they continue reaching out." Many young people are coming to Christ.

With the growing need to disciple and train these new believers, funding is the biggest need right now. It goes toward purchasing resources for the training and providing scholarships for the camp ministry.

You can help Russian Ministries' work by clicking here.

This underscores the growing unrest in the region.

Vice President for Russian Ministries Sergey Rakhuba just returned from Vladikavkaz in the Northern Caucasus. He helped dedicate their newly completed church, which also will serve as a ministry center to the entire region.

The Russian Ministries ministry center in Vladikavkaz is an outpost for Christian ministry today, reaching out to Ingushetia, Chechnya, South Ossetia and other areas with the Gospel of Christ.

Rakhuba says heavy army equipment such as tanks, staff carriers and other armored vehicles were a regular part of the landscape. "These vehicles are a common sight after the war in South Ossetia, the terrorist attack in Beslan, and the rising unrest in Ingushetia," Rakhuba reports.

However, Rukhuba says despite the insecurity, Russian Ministries is still reaching out in the region because nationals are doing the work. "They understand all the cross-cultural differences between Christianity and Islam, between Ingushetian and Northern Ossetians, or Russians. They do a really great job."

Since nationals know the culture, Rakhuba says all they need is "discipleship, mentoring, [and] resources. They need to get training. They are so eager to go and bring the Gospel to all the difficult areas."

In the midst of turbulence, Rakhuba says that Russian Ministries' young Next Generation Christian leaders from the ministry center in Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia are sharing the hope and peace of the Gospel. "Throughout the year, School Without Walls students from Vladikavkaz have been involved in humanitarian projects in Ingushetia, including distributing Backpacks of Blessing. These projects are part of the students' practical ministry training," he continued.

Rakhuba says as a result of these humanitarian aid projects, small-group Bible studies are being organized in homes in Ingushetia. These small groups will eventually form the basis of church plants in this Muslim dominated region.

These leaders are also reaching out to kids, says Rakhuba. "They offer summer camps for Muslim kids, for orphans of war, or for poor families. They bring humanitarian aid. They bring outreach programs for Christmas and for Easter."

Rakhuba says as he watched the news about the assassination attempt, "I immediately thought of all of our dedicated workers there, knowing that this event would have significant implications for weeks and possibly months to come."

Will it have an impact on their summer camping ministry? "The plans are still underway," says Rakhuba. "Young people are all ready to go. I don't think this will stop them. The only thing we're praying is that their lives will not be threatened. There's a huge risk, but they will go if they have enough resources."

Funding is needed to help support the camping ministry, Schools Without Walls training, Christian resource materials, humanitarian aid and travel expenses.

$100 will allow multiple children to attend summer camp this summer. Click here to give safely and securely to Russian Ministries' work in the region.

Vice President of Russian Ministries Sergey Rakhuba says, "After so many years of freedom and so many changes that [are] taking place lately, we are inviting evangelical missions leaders together to discuss all those important issues of partnership and to analyze the situation and start planning for the future."

Rakhuba describes the changes taking place in the region. "Russia is changing. Ukraine is more open. Belarus is on the edge of dictatorship again. Central Asian former Soviet Union countries are turning into more persecuted places [compared] to other countries in the world. So, this is the right time."

He says this conference will be a time of developing synergies that will help ministry move forward, rather than being stymied by political change.

Today many nations in the region are considering changes to their religion laws. Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Russia and others have already considered religion laws that will restrict religious freedom and curtail western workers.

Rakhuba expects results. "We [would] like to gather corporately, to come up with a strategic plan for the future, for evangelical independent groups, for evangelical churches/denominations, [asking] 'How should we continue working together to get better results?'"

The Forum will be designed to encourage networking and the sharing of experiences between national churches and foreign missions, as well as promote future fellowship and expand partnerships between leaders of churches, missions, educational institutions and international organizations.

In additional to plenary sessions, the following four workshops will be organized to discuss:
• Planting new churches: experience and new models
• Social evangelism as a new form of missions ministry
• Education as a form of ministry training: diverse approaches with a single goal
• Theology of missions: in search of new paradigms
Funding and other economic issues will also be addressed during these two days.

Rakhuba says this is more than just a way to help ministries. "This is a very important time when evangelical leaders can come together and can continue helping the evangelical church and working together shoulder-to-shoulder, helping them to adopt new progressive ways for outreach ministries so they can continue changing their countries, their communities and their families for Jesus."

The forum will take place in the Russian Ministries' Association for Spiritual Renewal's National Ministry Headquarters in Irpen (Kiev Region), Ukraine. For additional information contact: 

U.S. and the West                    
Jean Zatulovsky
Program Director
jean@russian-ministries.org
(630) 462-1739

In the CIS

Mikhail Cherenkov
Vice President of Education and Russian Ministries Public Relations

Association for Spiritual Renewal

chmn@asr.ru

38 (044) 2237222

Vice President of Russian Ministries Sergey Rakhuba says this is just another step away from democracy in Russia. He says Russia is threatening Ukraine and Georgia for their pro-democracy moves. "They threatened them right away that they will give gas to Ukraine and eventually to European countries."

Rakhuba says Russia is concerned about its influence in the region. "Russia does not want Ukraine to lose its dependency from (Russia's) natural resources, like gas and oil. But Ukraine is taking a more pro-democracy [stance] and leaning toward the European Union and the Western community. So Russia of course is feeling very much threatened."

Rakhuba says he's concerned about other announcements coming from the Kremlin. "They are already openly talking about liquidating about 500 NGO's this year, and many of those NGO's are Christian. These are organizations that represent foreign charities, human rights watchers or somebody else. Not all of them are Christians, but many are."

He believes many expatriate Christian workers will either be forced to leave Russia, or their visas will be allowed to expire.

Mission Network News caught up with Rakhuba as he was returning from meetings with national church leaders from Ukraine, Russia and others. Rakhuba hopes evangelical churches will keep growing, but "the only way to work in the Russian society is to train, support and to equip the national evangelical church, especially the next-generation church leaders that will continue working in this environment leading the evangelical church and continue to be effective in their ministry."

That's why supporters are needed for their Schools Without Walls program. "That's the training program designed to equip the national evangelical leaders–next-generation Christian leaders. That's the key to success in Russia. So despite any political development there, the church will be successful in spreading the Gospel."

Funding is needed to help support the Schools Without Walls program. Click here to help.

Vice President for Russian Ministries Sergey Rakhuba says many children in Russia have incredible needs. "According to official national statistics in Russia, there are about 750,000 orphans who live in those so-called orphanages. At the same time, unofficially, people say that there are two to three million street kids who wander on the streets of large cities."

While Russian Ministries is training next generation church leaders, they're also reaching out to those who are the most needy. Previously, they reached out to children through a shoe box gift box program. However, that program now has been blocked by the government.

But that's not stopping Russian Ministries. Rakhuba says they've started a program called the Greatest Gift Exchange – Project of Hope. "This Christmas we want to provide resources, and national churches will pack their own boxes. We will add a children's Bible, and 30,000 children will receive those gifts with Christian love."

Rakhuba says Russian Ministries-trained next generation church leaders will also use these gifts to start a relationship with street kids. He's praying that those relationship will develop to a point where they begin asking questions about Christ.

The great thing is, you're invited to be a part of it. "We will be able to deliver Christmas gifts over Russian Christmas to those who live in the streets in Moscow, also arctic Siberia," says Rakhuba. "Those children have never dreamed that someone would come that far to bring them a wonderful gift, to bring them a Bible, and to tell them a story about Jesus."

Rakhuba's prayer in simple. "I hope that this Gift Exchange project would be a great project of eternal hope, that through this gift we can open the door to eternity to many, many children in Russia."

Mission Network News' Greg Yoder and Russian Ministries' Sergey Rakhuba will be traveling together to Siberia this year, and you're invited to join them. Openings are limited. Cost and other information is available at http://www.Russian-Ministries.org.