In the predominantly Muslim republic of the North Caucasus, Jesus followers are rare. The strong cultural identities of the local people groups are very much connected to Islam.
However, about two years ago, one of our teams started to organize Young Life clubs to reach teenagers and young adults with the gospel. Even from the start, the clubs have been popular with the local community and well attended. For cultural reasons, these clubs are not overtly evangelistic; instead, they serve as a platform for young people to gather for sports, cultural events, English lessons, socializing and other activities.
Through different conversations, our team members make an effort to point toward the gospel and share their testimonies, which in turn leads to more questions. In November 2023, the team started their first Discovery Bible Study small group with eight young people from the Young Life club.
Team Sports Pave a Path for New Believers
Our Young Life clubs are reaching kids like Rustam*, a 17-year-old urban teenager from a Muslim family. Rustam liked to play volleyball with our team members at a neighborhood club. Eventually, he invited our team to his birthday party. Because it was on a Sunday, the team explained to him that they would be coming after the church service in the afternoon. This basic Christian practice was enough to spark his interest, and he volunteered to attend the church service with them.
After that, Rustam decided to join the Discovery Bible Study small group. He also attended a winter camp in the mountains with other young people who had indicated their interest in the gospel. This camp provided dedicated time and space for our team to speak more in-depth about the meaning of the gospel and repentance. Not long after camp, Rustam repented of his sins and decided to follow Jesus!
The Gospel Spreads Between the Locals
Since then, Rustam has continued to walk with Jesus, and he recently told our team about how he shared the gospel with one of his friends.
“I went out to play volleyball with our friends, and God blessed me with a conversation with one of my friends, Madina*,” Rustam told them. “Because of my sins, our contact wasn’t as friendly as it had been before, and I hadn’t tried to reconcile with her yet.
“After everyone had left, Madina and I had a very good conversation. Praise God! I was glad to hear that she didn’t hold any grudges against me. At a certain moment, Madina shared with me, ‘I could accept the Christian faith (in the orthodox church), but it wouldn’t mean anything.’”
“This was an opening to start an exceptional conversation, where I could explain that Madina can accept Christianity outside the (orthodox) church, what it means to repent of one’s sins and what it means to be baptized, what we believe and how we live. I also was able to share with her some verses from the Bible. I could see that she understood my words, and it was visible that God was at work in her. She now has a little understanding about God and Christianity. I just hope that she will fully discover that God is Love and Truth in her life.”
Testimonies like Rustam’s show that God is at work even in the most unreached parts of the North Caucasus. The gospel witness of local people will be vital to see the church in this region multiplying among other communities!
Please pray for people in the North Caucasus region!
