CEE Story From The Mission Field
Resulting Ripples
November 15, 2004
The word of God is being spread in Volgograd, Russia, from one Russian to another thanks to a “ripple” approach being used by Missionary Adam Coker.
Adam is meeting every week with five Russian believers to study the book of Romans. The purpose is to give these men a tool that they can use to gather non-believers and “Bible-study” them into the Kingdom of God.
Paul told Timothy that he should teach faithful men who will be able to teach others also. This is exactly the hope that Adam has in his discipleship group.
"After each lesson," Adam explains, “the men are charged with the responsibility of re-teaching the same lesson to someone else before our next meeting. Then,” he adds “at the end of the 16 lessons, these men will each be challenged to gather a group of non-believers and teach them all 16 lessons in a sequence of 16 Bible-study meetings.”
When Adam first began this group he wasn’t sure if the ripple affect would really work. He was especially concerned about three of his students who were young (in their 20’s). Although he was convinced that the approach was biblical, he worried a little about the results.
"I must confess that I was a little skeptical at first as to whether they would follow through on the weekly 'pass-it-on' assignment,” he said. “Would these men, especially the younger group, take their 'homework' seriously?” he asked himself.
Though unsure of the results, Adam forged ahead and the outcome has been better than he ever imagined. Alex, one of the five students, was absent during the first meeting and Adam assumed that during meeting number 2 he would need to be 'filled in' on the lesson. But no! After the first meeting, Vitali, another student, had re-taught the lesson to Alex. Alex, in turn, had taught the lesson to two of his lost relatives.
"Ok, so Alex and Vitali had both done their homework, even though Alex wasn’t even there for the first lesson!” exclaimed Adam, “but what about the others?”
The results were good. Victor had already taught lesson #1 to his neighbor, while his neighbor’s two sisters listened in. On top of that, Victor visited a rehabilitation center and taught the lesson again to six men who are going through a rehab program. Dima, yet another student, had passed along lesson #1 to an entire youth group!
So the ripple effect has begun. And Adam’s prayer is that many new churches would be planted in places where there are none as a result of these Bible studies. Please join in praying for these men and that the Lord would multiply disciples through their study of the scriptures.
To find out more about what is happening in Volgograd or to subscribe to the team’s newsletter “Slava!”, contact Adam at adamandolya@pobox.com.