Mission in Russia

STOP PRESS: You can find out more about Hope Church, St Petersberg at the church website: http://www.hopechurchstpetersburg.com/

In August 2008, Tim and Rachel Heath followed God's call and left the UK and moved to Russia to St Petersberg to help with the Newfrontiers church plant there.

Tim and Rachel came to Russia as a direct result of God speaking to them. For Tim, this began in 1999 and resulted in him moving from London to Manchester (at the time unknown to him, this tied in with the prophetic word brought to New Frontiers about a bow being drawn back from the south into the north of England and then released into the nations).

Having got married, Tim and Rachel stayed in Stockport for seven years. The couple heard from God again, telling them that the time to go to Russia had arrived. They went to Russia as students of language and culture and joined with Dave & Hannah Henson in planting a new church in the centre of the city of St Petersberg.

Tim and Rachel have been in Russia for a year now and are very much in the thick of things. Both of them go to an orphanage every Monday to play with the children (aged between about 4 and 10 years old). They have also recently been allowed to start weekly visits on a Friday morning to a refuge centre for pre-orphanage children, aged from just a few weeks up to about 3 years old. These are both very important things that the couple have a heart for. At the same time, they are continuing to have language lessons on three mornings a week.

In September 2009, the church plant started weekly Sunday morning meetings. Both these meetings and the weekly Wednesday evening church meals keep the family very busy. During September 2009 about 60 people come to these Wednesday night meals alone.

Tim is part of the leadership team and meets weekly with Dave & Hansie. Tim has also been travelling with Dave to other churches in the region and they have been able to minister together, especially in things of the Spirit, taking a seminar on this subject - something that will soon be a regular event as they look to start up a ministry school training centre.

You can read more of Tim and Rachel's story on thier blog: http://hearingmyheart.blogspot.com/