By Kristina Gainova
On March 5, 2020, Bishop Ivan Laptev and Senior Pastor Anatoli Leshchik visited the congregation in Bolshoye Kuzyomkino, Kingiseppsky District, Leningrad Oblast, where they met with Ms. Svetlana Demchenko, head of administration, Kuzyomkino Rural Settlement. They discussed the possibilities of renovating the historical St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church and working together to provide social services to community. Following that, the clergymen conducted a prayer service in St. Andrew’s Church, after which they visited Izolda Karpachyova, an active church member who does a lot of work for the church, looking after the building, receiving guests, informing church members of activities both in Kuzyomkino and in other villages which belong to the parish. She gathers children for Sunday school and summer programs. She personally meets guests both at home and in the church building.
After that, Bishop Ivan Laptev and Rev. Anatoli Leshchik traveled to the congregation in Konnovo on the Kurgalsky Peninsula, which has a small congregational house, and visited in Tiskolovo on the shore of the Gulf of Finland.
After they returned to Kingisepp, they visited a Christian center and discussed the future of diaconal ministry. The day ended with a meeting at the congregation in Kingisepp where they discussed the main activities and adopted a mission strategy of the congregation for this year.