And sometimes those individual connections begin to grow into something more lasting.
Our Fall Gatherings are simple one-day local meetings where Christian camp leaders come together after the summer season to share both blessings and difficulties, pray, exchange ideas, and strengthen relationships that can continue throughout the year.
Last year, four gatherings took place across Russia: in the Urals, Moscow, Irkutsk in Siberia, and Vyborg in northwestern Russia. This year, it has been especially encouraging to see the idea begin to spread further.
After the Staff Training Workshop we held in Central Asia in May, leaders in three cities are now considering organizing Fall Gatherings of their own: Tashkent in Uzbekistan, Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan, and Ashgabat in Turkmenistan.
During this week’s Zoom call, experienced organizers shared what had worked, what they had learned, and why these local relationships have mattered beyond the gatherings themselves.
For me, this is a beautiful picture of how God continues something that started months earlier. A training ends and everyone goes home, but relationships remain. Ideas keep growing. And sometimes a new local community begins to take shape.
Something similar is happening in Volgograd. Two experienced camp teams have decided to work together. They know leaders from camps of different churches in their city and want to bring them together for fellowship, encouragement, and stronger local relationships. They are also considering the gathering as a first step toward organizing a Staff Training Workshop next spring.
Our role is not to organize everything ourselves or reproduce the same program in every city. We share materials and ideas, connect people, and help think through difficult questions. The goal is to strengthen local leaders and make the path a little easier.
