December 2020 Prayer Requests

Dear prayer partners!

As we have entered the time of Advent and the end of the year, first of all I would like to thank all of you for your faithful prayers for us at the Methodist church in Estonia! This year 2020 has been like no other in recent history and in the middle of all the challenges your continued prayer support has meant so much to us! Thank you for lifting up the different congregations and ministries, praying for different people, events, and needs. We ask that you continue your prayers for us. COVID-19 cases keep rising in Estonia and some restrictions are implemented, but please pray that the churches could remain open, especially during Christmas and that the Lord would keep us safe. Thank you for your prayers.

Also, on behalf of the whole Methodist church family in Estonia, I would like to wish you a blessed time of Advent and Christmas! No doubt this Christmas will be different. Perhaps less usual church events, less travel, or getting together with friends and family. But this complicated time can still be a joyful one, as we thank God the Father for His love expressed in sending His Son to this sinful world to bring us His love, forgiveness, and eternal life. Lord said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel – which means, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).” God is with us today as well, no matter the circumstances we are in. May the message of Christmas bring us all comfort, peace, and joy!

Wishing you a very blessed Christmas,
Robert Tšerenkov

Please pray for our sessions in December. Currently, there is an uptick in the number of cases of coronavirus in Estonia. A little less than half of students chose to follow classes online in late November. When school is not in session, faculty and staff are working remotely.

Pray for faculty and staff at the seminary as well as for all teachers in Estonia. There has been a lot of extra strain placed on educators this year due to uncertainty and disruptions due to the virus.

Pray for yearend financial giving to the seminary that we may meet the set goals that would allow for faculty to have a raise and we would be able to move forward with much-needed library improvements.

Praise God, we have been able to gather for Sunday services.

May we pray for the coming Christmas time. We have a plan to do one event for children of Paide together with Sunday school kids from Tallinn Methodist Church and a concert for their parents. May it be blessed and may we be able to organize it in the midst of the current situation.

The kids in my school need a continuous prayer to find joy and particularly the joy of life!

I am very grateful that everyone in our family is safe and well.

I thank God for a recent consultation we had in the Estonia UMC about the meaning of mission and what the strategy of mission involvement for the Estonia UMC may or should mean.

I pray for the upcoming big sing-along Christmas carol event at Agape church on the second Advent. Of course we wish that restrictions and fears would not undermine this fantastic gathering, but also we wish that everyone will be safe.

As this week is so special to Americans, we wish you all Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear friends! Advent and Christmas are at hand, but everything is very different. We pray that the Lord will still lift up Thanksgiving from your hearts. We love you dearly and remember warmly all the special Thanksgivings with you all!

We are thankful that most of the schools have been able to provide contact-lessons in classrooms, but since yesterday, some new instructions were given.

In November we were able to meet in church, had a wonderful youth-evening and praise God in our home is again and fellowship group for young adults.

Life in My Children-home has been more stable and things are getting better with several young people. Two of them participated in Media-seminar held by the Methodist youth team.

Prayers:

• For the Estonian Government, there is a major liberal attack on all conservative values also in Estonia.
• For Christmas in Tulsi, in all Estonia, etc.
• Protection from viruses.
• People who have been active Christians, but currently not involved in any church.

Pray for safety in churches and all other public places. Wisdom for people, and the possibility to visit elderly family members at Christmas time.

Pray the same thing for our country – that people will not lose sight of celebrating Christ`s birth.

Pray for all people, who have lost their jobs, that they could survive and find a new one. Pray for the economy all over the world and also in Estonia.

Youth work
We are grateful that we are able to gather during Covid time with young people in Estonia and grow together.

We are grateful for public funding for the youth project. Through this project, we were able to raise media awareness among youth.

Let’s pray together for the Christmas holidays ahead. I pray that the message of Christ will sound deep and clear this year.

We are planning New Year`s Eve youth program in local churches, let’s pray for teams, youth, and may the doors will be open!

Keep our youth leaders and youth team in your prayers!
In the name of Jesus, we ask for  – Come, Lord Jesus, Come

UMC Räpina
We are having negotiations with new builders. May God lead this process and bless us abundantly.

Pray for strength during the weeks before Christmas as the Corona situation brings a lot more stress into our work. This is not just for us, but for all the people we work with. We are all tired and really in need of God’s grace.

Lívia asks for prayer for her work/ministry relationships in the school where she teaches. It has become a stressful and challenging situation.

Despite the situation in the world, we sadly can’t celebrate Christmas as usual, but we’re praying that still have Christmas peace and joy in our hearts.

It has been a tough year for the workers of the children’s center. We’re praying for them to stay strong and healthy during these times.

Despite the governmental rules and regulations, we hope for people not to lose access to communion with each other and the church.

We ask for His wisdom in empowering people in the congregation through home groups.

Thank you for supporting us with prayer.

On December 5th, the Alpha course is planned – a trip out of town, pray that the departure will take place and that salvation will come in the lives of the teenagers taking this course.

Also, Alpha course meetings will be held every Saturday throughout December. Pray for salvation, pray for the healing of the soul, and pray for the possibility of holding meetings.

The situation in the country changes every week. This year we have decided not to have an annual open Christmas service for children. We are planning to shoot a video about Christmas and broadcast it online, pray for the organization of the performance, for the video broadcast on December 26th, and for the distribution of gifts to those who will register for the broadcast. We need your prayer support these days more especially.

Pray also for the teenage ministry in our church, meetings are held every Saturday. Pray for the touch of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of teens and for health protection for teachers.