FaithSearch International

Proclaiming the Gospel with Evidence to All Peoples Everywhere

Schedule an Event Today!

952-401-4501

  • Home
  • Events ▾
    • Events Calendar
    • Community Building ▾
      • FaithSearch Discovery
      • FaithSearch Origins
      • FaithSearch Destiny
      • FaithSearch Answers
      • Unmasking the Masquerade
      • Explore the Evidence Community Breakfast!
    • Church Training ▾
      • Friend to Friend
      • Growing Faith
      • Operation Armor: Youth Initiative ▾
        • Explore the Evidence Youth Camp
      • Explore the Evidence Holy Land Tour
    • Speakers ▾
      • Dr. Don Bierle
      • Adrian Van Vactor
      • Dr. Oleg Voskresensky
    • Event Reports
  • Questions ▾
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Amazing Discoveries
    • Paraclete: News and Evidence
  • Dr. Don’s Blog ▾
    • Happ-O-getics
    • Christmas
    • Origins
      • Creation
      • Evolution
      • Intelligent Design
  • About ▾
    • Our Staff
    • Meet Our Speakers
    • News from the Field
    • Statement of Faith
    • What People Are Saying…
    • What Leaders Are Saying…
  • Connect ▾
    • Schedule an Event
    • Feedback
  • Donate ▾
    • Give to FaithSearch International – Support Gospel Evidence Today
      • FaithSearch Policy on Donated Funds
    • Many Ways You Can Help
  • Resources ▾
    • Checkout
    • Cart
    • Browse Catalog
    • Resource Categories
    • My Account
You are here: Home / 2014 / Archives for April 2014

Archives for April 2014

A BLAST, from the Past!

April 30, 2014 By Rick Wattman

“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….”

Rick and Neil at MSP
Rick and Neil at MSP… What a couple of old codgers!

Well, actually, it was in this galaxy; and it was in about 1975, so it was not really that long ago.

After high school, I worked for a few years before attending college. One of my old friends from school (Neil) happened to be in town one day in the summer of 1975, home from university. He happened to look me up, and happened to find me at home. When he unexpectedly knocked on my door, he found that I was a miserable mess, having recently experienced some severe interpersonal relationship distress.

The rest, as they say, is history. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Rick

April 2014: Penza, Saratov, Pugachev, Moscow

April 26, 2014 By Dr. Oleg Voskresensky, Teacher

 

En route from Saratov to Nalchik via Moscow. This Northern Caucasus city popped-up on my schedule rather unexpectedly while visiting with a Moscow based Navigators’ missionary and being introduced to a Baptist pastor-evangelist with a heart for reaching out to Muslims. I am now flying to his mission’ office to present the FaithSearch Discovery material and to hear their suggestions and recommendations on how it could be better tailored to address the Muslim populations of South-Eastern Russia and the “–Stans”.

This “theme” has become more and more present in my recent teaching experience as I travel to the areas where Islam is present and even predominant. My most recent and still very memorable episode took place only three days ago in the city of Penza where I was training an overbooked classroom of public school teachers in integrating our materials in their history and humanities curricula. Something was telling me that not everybody in the group was happy and comfortable with what they were seeing and hearing. I also noticed that two young teachers were missing in the classroom after a short break. The answer came from the conference host only after the presentation: “These two teachers are Muslims and they didn’t want to be seen attending this kind of event. But don’t you worry, they stayed behind the doors and listened to the whole presentation!” Standing in the hallway behind the doors for almost two hours?! There must have been something that caught their attention in the first part of the presentation… Praise the Lord!

I definitely need to work on my material to make in more culture sensitive and appropriate to the Muslim ear, especially after receiving an invitation to Kazan, where I already had a chance to teach last year at the Orthodox Church Youth conference. This time they want me to speak at the regional teachers’ training where most of my audience will be Muslims. I don’t think they will all be willing to listen from the hallway but will simply kick me out if I am not well prepared and my material is not contextualized to their culture. I pray that the Lord will lead me to the right people and good resources in the next few months as I develop a new version of FaithSearch Discovery especially addressing the needs and issues of my future audiences if/when He opens this door of opportunity for the FaithSearch Russian Ministry.

My other prayerful desire is that the nationalistic hysteria in the Russian official media does not become predominant in the minds and in the hearts of Russians. I praise the Lord that I have not yet seen or sensed any of it in my teachers’ and students’ audiences. They all take the political news reports with a traditional sense of humor and a healthy measure of skepticism. My FaithSearch Discovery presentation also helps them in addressing some of these issues as it provides the tools and skills for analyzing the evidence, for checking the sources and for discerning the truth from deception and propaganda.

My train is now slowing down before Paveletsky Terminal in Moscow. I will have two hours in my relatives’ apartment to take a shower, to repack my backpack, to check my e-mail and to post this blog entry before I leave for my flight to Nalchik. I will then only be an hour away from one of the best ski resorts in Russia but that will have to wait until some other time…

Filed Under: Trips

April 2014: Penza, Saratov, Pugachev, Moscow

April 26, 2014 By Dr. Oleg Voskresensky, Teacher

 

En route from Saratov to Nalchik via Moscow. This Northern Caucasus city popped-up on my schedule rather unexpectedly while visiting with a Moscow based Navigators’ missionary and being introduced to a Baptist pastor-evangelist with a heart for reaching out to Muslims. I am now flying to his mission’ office to present the FaithSearch Discovery material and to hear their suggestions and recommendations on how it could be better tailored to address the Muslim populations of South-Eastern Russia and the “–Stans”.

This “theme” has become more and more present in my recent teaching experience as I travel to the areas where Islam is present and even predominant. My most recent and still very memorable episode took place only three days ago in the city of Penza where I was training an overbooked classroom of public school teachers in integrating our materials in their history and humanities curricula. Something was telling me that not everybody in the group was happy and comfortable with what they were seeing and hearing. I also noticed that two young teachers were missing in the classroom after a short break. The answer came from the conference host only after the presentation: “These two teachers are Muslims and they didn’t want to be seen attending this kind of event. But don’t you worry, they stayed behind the doors and listened to the whole presentation!” Standing in the hallway behind the doors for almost two hours?! There must have been something that caught their attention in the first part of the presentation… Praise the Lord!

I definitely need to work on my material to make in more culture sensitive and appropriate to the Muslim ear, especially after receiving an invitation to Kazan, where I already had a chance to teach last year at the Orthodox Church Youth conference. This time they want me to speak at the regional teachers’ training where most of my audience will be Muslims. I don’t think they will all be willing to listen from the hallway but will simply kick me out if I am not well prepared and my material is not contextualized to their culture. I pray that the Lord will lead me to the right people and good resources in the next few months as I develop a new version of FaithSearch Discovery especially addressing the needs and issues of my future audiences if/when He opens this door of opportunity for the FaithSearch Russian Ministry.

My other prayerful desire is that the nationalistic hysteria in the Russian official media does not become predominant in the minds and in the hearts of Russians. I praise the Lord that I have not yet seen or sensed any of it in my teachers’ and students’ audiences. They all take the political news reports with a traditional sense of humor and a healthy measure of skepticism. My FaithSearch Discovery presentation also helps them in addressing some of these issues as it provides the tools and skills for analyzing the evidence, for checking the sources and for discerning the truth from deception and propaganda.

My train is now slowing down before Paveletsky Terminal in Moscow. I will have two hours in my relatives’ apartment to take a shower, to repack my backpack, to check my e-mail and to post this blog entry before I leave for my flight to Nalchik. I will then only be an hour away from one of the best ski resorts in Russia but that will have to wait until some other time…

Filed Under: Trips

April 2014: Moscow, Bryansk, Krasnoyarsk

April 20, 2014 By Dr. Oleg Voskresensky, Teacher

It is becoming a good tradition for me to celebrate Pascha in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. Last year, the city was still pretty much covered in snow and I even had a chance to ski here. Today, during the midnight procession around the church I was in short sleeves and a light breeze was not even strong enough to blow off the candles in peoples’ hands. And then, at midnight, a huge crowd shouted at the top of their lungs – “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!” What a scene! The street traffic stopped, the bells ringing, hundreds of people standing with candles in and around the city cathedral their faces shining with joy and crying out endless times: “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!”

What a great finale for my week of teaching in Krasnoyarsk! Many of these men and women attended my FaithSearch Discovery presentations during that week where we looked at the facts of Christ’s life, death and, yes, resurrection from historical perspective. We studied the manuscript evidence for the validity of the Gospel story and established the historicity of the New Testament narratives. Now, as the Paschal service progressed and these very facts were mentioned in the course of the worship I was catching so many of these people looking at me and at each other (almost winking!): Yes, we know it! Yes, it is true indeed!

Some of them later shared with me the very special experience they had celebrating Pascha this year – not as a nice church tradition, not as a merely theological concept, not as a beautiful moral parable but as a fact of history!

I am leaving Krasnoyarsk tomorrow morning for Moscow energized and encouraged by these testimonies.

Filed Under: Trips

April 2014: Moscow, Bryansk, Krasnoyarsk

April 20, 2014 By Dr. Oleg Voskresensky, Teacher

It is becoming a good tradition for me to celebrate Pascha in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. Last year, the city was still pretty much covered in snow and I even had a chance to ski here. Today, during the midnight procession around the church I was in short sleeves and a light breeze was not even strong enough to blow off the candles in peoples’ hands. And then, at midnight, a huge crowd shouted at the top of their lungs – “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!” What a scene! The street traffic stopped, the bells ringing, hundreds of people standing with candles in and around the city cathedral their faces shining with joy and crying out endless times: “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!”

What a great finale for my week of teaching in Krasnoyarsk! Many of these men and women attended my FaithSearch Discovery presentations during that week where we looked at the facts of Christ’s life, death and, yes, resurrection from historical perspective. We studied the manuscript evidence for the validity of the Gospel story and established the historicity of the New Testament narratives. Now, as the Paschal service progressed and these very facts were mentioned in the course of the worship I was catching so many of these people looking at me and at each other (almost winking!): Yes, we know it! Yes, it is true indeed!

Some of them later shared with me the very special experience they had celebrating Pascha this year – not as a nice church tradition, not as a merely theological concept, not as a beautiful moral parable but as a fact of history!

I am leaving Krasnoyarsk tomorrow morning for Moscow energized and encouraged by these testimonies.

Filed Under: Trips

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

Recent Posts

  • 2022 December: Moscow, Kolomna, Yaroslavl, Rybinsk, Bryansk, St. Petersburg
  • 2022 December: St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kolomna, Yaroslavl, Rybinsk, Bryansk
  • IMMANUEL
  • Happenings: November 2022
  • Meet Our Staff: Deanna Paulson
  • Meet Our Staff: Oleg Voskresensky

What People Are Saying…

Surprised by Faith book

Far from being a "leap in the dark," faith is the reasonable and rational response to an honest examination of facts, postulates Dr. Don Bierle in his simultaneously scholarly and easy to read book Surprised by Faith.  In six concise chapters he lays out the evidence for biblical Christianity in a straight forward and logical ... Read more >>

-Bruce Montgomery, D. Min. Pastor, Grace Church Desert Hot Springs, CA February 22, 2017

Read More Testimonials
  • Home
  • Events ▾
    • Events Calendar
    • Community Building ▾
      • FaithSearch Discovery
      • FaithSearch Origins
      • FaithSearch Destiny
      • FaithSearch Answers
      • Unmasking the Masquerade
      • Explore the Evidence Community Breakfast!
    • Church Training ▾
      • Friend to Friend
      • Growing Faith
      • Operation Armor: Youth Initiative ▾
        • Explore the Evidence Youth Camp
      • Explore the Evidence Holy Land Tour
    • Speakers ▾
      • Dr. Don Bierle
      • Adrian Van Vactor
      • Dr. Oleg Voskresensky
    • Event Reports
  • Questions ▾
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Amazing Discoveries
    • Paraclete: News and Evidence
  • Dr. Don’s Blog ▾
    • Happ-O-getics
    • Christmas
    • Origins
      • Creation
      • Evolution
      • Intelligent Design
  • About ▾
    • Our Staff
    • Meet Our Speakers
    • News from the Field
    • Statement of Faith
    • What People Are Saying…
    • What Leaders Are Saying…
  • Connect ▾
    • Schedule an Event
    • Feedback
  • Donate ▾
    • Give to FaithSearch International – Support Gospel Evidence Today
      • FaithSearch Policy on Donated Funds
    • Many Ways You Can Help
  • Resources ▾
    • Checkout
    • Cart
    • Browse Catalog
    • Resource Categories
    • My Account

What People Are Saying…

FaithSearch Discovery

I've heard many times from people that all religion is simply what you've been taught; and [that] you can't really know if what you've been taught is any more valid than what anyone else has been taught.  You have clearly presented evidence (historical) which supports the Scriptural truth.

--TF Participant Badger, MN

Read More Testimonials
Donate to FaithSearch

FaithSearch International celebrates over forty years of proclaiming the Gospel with evidence to all peoples everywhere. Thank you for considering being a prayer and financial … Read More >>

About FaithSearch – Our Promise

The mission of FaithSearch International is to "Extend the Gospel with Evidence to all peoples Everywhere." FaithSearch delivers the "Ah-ha!" moment in your church and community with an exciting, … Read More >>

Search our Site

Member of ECFA


FaithSearch is a member in good standing of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability® (ECFA).
All donations to FaithSearch are tax deductible to the full extent of IRS regulations.

Archives

  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • August 2020
  • June 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • September 2015
  • June 2015
  • April 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • September 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • December 2010

FaithSearch International

6750 France Ave. S., STE 270
Edina, MN 55435

952.401.4501

Office hours are Tu-Th, 9:00 AM-4:00 PM

Schedule NOW

Bring a Speaker to your Church

Main Events

FaithSearch: Discovery

FaithSearch: Origins

FaithSearch: Destiny

FaithSearch: Supernatural Exposed

About Us

Get to know FaithSearch

Terms and Conditions

Privacy Policy
Policy on Donated Funds
Return Policy
Terms and Conditions

Handcrafted with by The J3 Effect. Powered by the Genesis Framework.

Copyright © 2023