Today I offer you the story of pastor Vladimir – a key member of our team, who serves as a course facilitator and a voice of wisdom to our team. He is pictured above with his family, which includes the three orphan girls that he and Natasha adopted. Beyond his own congregation, he heads an…

Sveta – From Cowed Puppy to Tigress

When Sveta first joined our team, she was a self-described “hedgehog”—curled up in a protective ball, a vulnerable,”cowed puppy,” as I called her.  Today, Sveta is a “tigress,” a confident leader and an incredible mentor who is equipping a new generation of leaders. How does a change like that happen? Sveta’s journey of transformation is…

Lena – the Therapist who found healing in Christ

Lena – a physician turned psychiatrist, organizer of citywide ministry outreaches, and now a business consultant to entrepreneurs and the head of our business chaplaincy program.But what I love about Lena is her simple love for Jesus, her teachable spirit, and her almost boundless energy to serve others to know true freedom in Christ.I trust…

Anya – Face of the New Youth Movement

Every so often, God allows us to see the deeper fruit of patient discipleship — not just in numbers, but in lives awakened, healed, and released into leadership. Anya’s story is one of those moments.  What you’re about to read is not simply a testimony. It’s a window into the kind of formation that…

The Father Complex

How the Church Can Recover the Multiplying Heart of the Father There is a hidden tension pulsing beneath the surface of the modern Church—atension few name, but every leader feels.It is not primarily about programs or strategy. It is about love and fear… and legacy.It’s what might be called the Father Complex of Church leadership—the…

What Are You Drinking In?

We all “drink in” something to navigate life. For some, it’s literal alcohol; for many others, it’s a relentless diet of social media, driven ambition, endless tasks, or even the pervasive whispers of self-condemnation. We consume these things not just for fleeting pleasure, but often as a desperate attempt to silence an inner turmoil, a…

2024 Presentation Schedule

I’m doing a bit of a tour this fall in Virginia and Georgia, but I may even take off to new locations where there is interest! Let me know if so. For more details or phone numbers, write me personally. November in Georgia Thursday, October 31st7:00 – 9:00pmCedartown First Methodist parlorCedartown, GA Saturday, November 2nd5:00…

Serving the US Church?

The world is waiting for a church that leads the way in love. Jesus prayed that we might be “one,” even as Jesus and the Father are one – a depth of unity and love that would attract the world to Christ (Jn. 17:21-23). Lyle Thomas has pursued this vision since 1997 when the Lord…

Listening is a spiritual practice

The following is written by one of the members of our team, Anya Gandy, who has been helping lead on of our core classes: Real Talk. At one of the online Real Talk classes put on by the Novo Russia team, I was facilitating the practice of the so-called Cycle of Understanding, and this was…

Ministry FAQ

How many on your team? We have 14 “covenanted” members, and about as many more volunteers. Several of them raise their own support as well, if you feel led to support them. Do you charge for your services to Russians? Mostly yes, but not enough to cover expenses as of yet. What is your target…