Vnukovo Church Consecrated

You could hear the joy and triumph in the voice of Pastor Valentina Biryukova, when she answered the question, which is a part of the consecration liturgy. The light and beatiful sanctuary was filled with members and friends, representatives from the American partner churches and participants in the district youth camp. 
– This is a ten years old dream and vision that comes true. We have been worshiping in the small rooms of the building for a long time, and seen the sanctuary annex grow step by step. And we sould never have seen this happen, had it not been for the enormous work and generosity of the broters and sisters in the Missouri partner churches, said Rev. Biryukova, pastor of the Vnukovo Church in the southwest outskirts of Moscow and superintendent of the South Moscow District.
Rev. Carol Meyer from the Church of the Shepherd in St. Peters spoke on behalf the partner churches in Missouri.

– In 2002, she told, La Croix UMC in Cape Girardeau committed to give a tenth of the money they were raising for a building project in order to help the Vnukovo Church. In 2004, her church joined the project with the same kind of decision. Since then 70 people in teams of various size have worked on the building. Coordinator and supervisor of it all has been Mike Stallion.  
The teams have not only been involved in practical work. Already in the 90s, teams from Missouri visited Moscow for training events both for pastors and lay people. And in recent years the teams have been involved in ministry in Vnukovo and at the South Moscow District. This year, the team members were co-leaders for a youth camp. The spiritual depth and inspiration of this camp were obvious in the songs the Missouri team and other camp participants sang at the consecration.
- The Feeding of Five Thousand men is the lectionary gospel reading of today. I don’t think it is by accident, said Bishop Hans Växby in his sermon, I believe it is a special message for the church. Jesus wanted to be alone, but his compassion for people made him change his plan. We thank God for this wonderful church building; God’s people need a place for its worship and sanctification; but its purpose is even wider.  

- To underline this, Jesus gave his followers (back then and today) a special lesson. When his disciples advised him to send away the people, so they could find some food before the night, he said, “You give them something to eat!” I think we can imagine and identify with the surprise and fear of the disciple at that moment. Who are we to feed the crowd?
- We may not have what the world has, but we have what the world is looking for! In order to feed the people around us, we don’t need a building like St. Basil’s Cathedral, and we don’t need to be located at the Red Square. What we need is the kind of compassion Jesus had, and to connect with him. The key to a functional church is to follow the example of the little boy with the five loaves and two fish: Give all we have to Jesus, and share it with others. So miracle happen!