Stories from the Field

Lena, SMI’s national Mission Partner and Bible Club Coordinator shares a story below about a young boy who attended Bible Clubs this summer.

“Sasha is 7 years old and lives in Tiraspol, the capital city of Transnistria. This summer, Sasha came to Bible Club for the first time. The club was hosted by the church his grandmother attends. She doubted whether her grandson would be able to sit still, or if he would be interested in the lessons, which were in an unfamiliar place with children he didn’t know. To the surprise of everyone, Sasha was very attentive, happily memorized Bible verses, and even answered questions quickly; he tried to be the first to answer.

A few weeks before the start of Bible Clubs, I read information that you should not study parables with young children since they have not yet developed abstract thinking. To be honest I was upset and started to worry. But on the first day of the program, after teaching one of the parables, Sasha returned home from the Bible Club and bombarded his grandmother with what he learned: ‘Grandma, did you know there is not a single good person on earth? It turns out that I’m not even good! Grandma, I don’t want the weeds of sin to grow in my heart.’

There’s no doubt about the sincerity of these young ones like Sasha. They hear God's Word and it changes their lives. The good seed has been sown. We believe it has fallen onto fertile soil and trust that the One who began the work in this little heart will complete it.”

About Bible Clubs

Summit Missions International began the Bible Club ministry in 1994. This program has grown through the years. Now, many churches throughout Transnistria and Moldova host clubs for thousands of children throughout the summer. We continue to provide full sponsorship of the Bible Club program which includes teacher training, materials, craft supplies, and all lunches and snacks.

There are challenges in openly sharing the Gospel in this part of the world. The evangelical church in this region has fought to survive amid skepticism and persecution. The government views churches not aligned with the Orthodox faith as a sect and requires them to get special permission to hold activities and outreaches in their communities. Only 4.7% of the Moldovan population and less than 1% in Transnistria are evangelical believers. As a result, most individuals have not read the Bible or heard the hope of the Gospel.

Bible Clubs are one of the few ways churches can actively reach children and their families with the Good News of Jesus in this region. The Bible Clubs are proven to deliver a positive reflection of the churches to their communities. This creates a gateway for churches to have future opportunities for on-going ministry and increases respect for them in their cities and villages. Our goal is to see the Bible Club program flourish in communities throughout Transnistria and Moldova.