Tom

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Tom Claudia Rosson
Missionaries to Germany Eastern Europe
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Countries In The Region

• Germany
• Austria
• Poland
• Bulgaria
• Ukraine
• Russia
• Belarus
• Latvia
• Romania
• Czech Republic
• Armenia
• Hungary
• Switzerland

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Challenges of Growth

• In 1990
• 7 Countries
• 1000 churches
• 270,000 adherents
• 2 Bible schools
• 0 Internship Programs

• In 2005
• 15 Countries
• 2650 churches
• 625,000 adherents
• 7 Bible schools
• 7 Internship Programs

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A Mile Wide, But One Inch Deep?

• Flood of religious systems (not just various
  churches) into the spiritual vacuum
• Parable of the Sower (Mt. 131-13)
• Evangelism isnt the challenge. Discipleship and
  leadership is.

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Challenges to the Gospel

• West
• Secularism
• Empiricism
• Humanism
• Spiritualism
• New Age / Esoteric
• Witchcraft
• Postmodernism
• Relativism
• The tyranny of tolerance

• East
• Change of mentality to a free market society
• Work ethic
• Cost efficiency
• Dependency on the state
• Poverty that lends itself to a renewal of
  communism
• Old communistic powers or new power shifts

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Armenia

• The first country to accept Christianity, 301 AD
• Genocide by Turkey, and then persecution through
  Communism.
• Population 2.9 Million
• 2nd most densely populated country in the CIS
• 25 Church of God Congregations

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Etchmiadzin, Armenia
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Armenia and Ararat
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Seminar in Armenia on Preaching
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Ukraine

• Western tip of the former USSR.
• Strong tradition of the underground church during
  communism.
• New generation of churches and Pentecostal
  believers
• 70 Church of God congregations

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Ukraine
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Ukrainian Pastors Seminar
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Russia

• First efforts in Moscow in 1990
• Currently 100 churches
• Various Regions
• Moscow
• St. Petersburg
• Kaliningrad
• Caucasus
• Siberia

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Teaching in Moscow
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Training Current Pastors And the next generation
of leaders
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Belarus

• Population 10.2 Million
• Slightly smaller than Kansas
• Environmental damage due to Chernobyl disaster
  (in nearby Ukraine)
• Restricted religious liberties
• 5 Churches in/near Minsk

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Germany

• Although our congregations are found throughout
  the country, most of our churches are located
  within a 75 mile radius of Rudersberg (35 km
  east of Stuttgart)

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• Active Ministry with Treffpunkt C
• Bible College Courses through the local church

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The Incredibly Shrinking Dollar

• 2003
• 1 0.97
• 2005
• 1 1.37

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2005 USD
2003 USD
Euros
Item
822
582
600
Rent
301
213
220
Utilities
4.71
3.34
3.44
Diesel /gal
143
101
105
Diesel /mo
342
242
250
Groceries
400
284
293
Auto Tax
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The Great Commission

• And The Great Fulfillment
• Matthew 2818-20
• Acts 21-40

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Tom and Claudia Rosson

• Missionaries to Europe
• Project 061-0004