Tatyana called herself a Christian but really didn’t have a relationship with God. She thought of church as a place to go when you had a problem.
Text messaging is an effective way to reach younger people in Russia.
So after she moved from the Ural Mountains of eastern Russia to Moscow to begin her studies at a university, she stopped going to church. She wasn’t experiencing any real problems and thought she had no need of God.
Several months ago, Tatyana was one of several thousand cellphone users who received a text message from Rev. Sergei Sosedkin, Russian outreach leader for Back to God Ministries International (BTGMI).
The texts—a Bible verse with an invitation to read more, a brief message of spiritual inspiration, or encouragement to practice faith in specific ways—are sent to people who have shown interest in the Russian ministry.
Tatyana’s text encouraged her to attend a local church the next day.
“I thought I must have received that message for a purpose,” Tatyana recently wrote to Sosedkin. “So I found a church near the university and have been attending faithfully ever since.
“I liked the worship and the people. But more importantly, it has renewed my relationship with Christ.”
About the Author
Nancy Vander Meer is a staff writer with Back to God Ministries International in Grand Rapids, Mich.
