It was in 2000 that our former Global Outreach Pastor Ray Glinski first traveled to the Armenia to explore opportunities for Grace Church to join the mission work taking place in what used to be the USSR. It was on this trip that they were introduced to Asatur Nahapetyan. Asatur is the Executive Director of the Armenian Baptist Union as well as its Seminary. Asatur has since been our primary contact in Armenia, and has connected us with local church planters in the region.
In addition to church planting, Grace Church of DuPage has sponsored a dozen annual Pastors Conferences hosting over 100 pastors, and providing teachers for seminary instruction. Grace Church of DuPage staff regularly travels to Armenia to be a part of these vital ministries. The seminary, operating since 2000, has graduated about 75 men.
Updates & Prayer Requests
If you have not yet heard through your news source of choice, tensions are escalating between Armenia and their neighboring country, Azerbaijan. Fighting broke out this past Sunday, following the deadly clashes that took place in July. There is a long history to this hostility, one you can read about in any number of articles that are being published as news sources report on the recent clashes. My reason for writing to you today is to ask you to pray for our Global Outreach partners in this region.
As the new year approaches, we rejoice with our Global Partners in the work the Lord has done through their ministries and through His Church. We hope your heart is encouraged by looking back on some of these stories from 2019.
Pastor Ray returned from his trip to Armenia this week. It was a wonderful time together! He had the opportunity to preach twice on Sunday June 16th on the passage from Hebrews 4:11-16 at Central Baptist and Maranata Baptist.
A few weeks ago, we had our quarterly prayer meeting in the Fireside room. If you were unable to join us, please consider praying on your own time or inviting others to join you in lifting up these requests before the Lord.