Easter 2010

Easter Sunday service at Cornerstone Church in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia was exciting, energizing, thought provoking, serious, solemn, cheerful, profound, meaningful and the adjectives roll on....... What is remarkably significant is that in this church, every day is Easter. Every day the resurrection power of Jesus is carried purposefully out into the community and the words of the Bible are put to practical action. They do it through the testimonies of their own lives. Having found liberation from their past and new life in Christ they don’t simply move on with their own life now restored, but they turn back and reach out to those who are still locked in the bondage of their sin.

Every day they are out on the streets and back alleys bringing the message of life and hope to those whose lives have been destroyed by drugs and alcohol, and helping homeless people find themselves and the dignity that they have lost.

People newly released from prison have a place to go to gain fresh perspective of life while they reorient themselves to living on the outside.




On the left is a group of people from the Social Center for the homeless. They were invited into the sanctuary before anyone else could be seated.

Each time someone chooses to come in off the streets they are brought into a group home environment where they are tenderly cleaned up, given fresh clothes, their own bed and are worked into becoming a part of a family again. The family consists of those who have been where they are and understand what they are going through. After a period of adjustment they are assisted at finding a job. Over the course of a year they grow in a new found relationship with Christ as well as a new found hope and sense of dignity in their personhood.

Below are the people who came forward during the Sunday service in order to pray to receive Christ into their life. Most of them will go to a rehabilitation center on Monday.




















The young woman in red has recently been released from prison. She wants to get free from the curse of drug addiction. The lady on the left is her mother. Mom’s name is Faith. About a year and a half ago Faith came into the Social Center as a homeless alcoholic. She is now a radiant woman of God who mentors young women going through the rehab program. We are all praying together for her daughter to find the same liberation that her mom found.








Some of the faces of passionate worship: