Social Ministry

Today about 3 million people live in Kemerovo region. Statistics indicate: 7 divorces out of ten marriages and over 16000 drug addicts and nearly 3000 of them are teenagers under eighteen and most of them are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Experts say that the number of such people is actually greater. There has been a thirty per cent increase in the number of drug addicts in 2007. The state programs can't manage social problems of the society. Doctors, psychologists and teachers say with one accord that the root of the problems is spiritual degradation of the society.

The aim of the social ministry that is carried out by Evangelical Christians-Baptists of Kemerovo region is to improve moral principles of our society, to help to recover and to strengthen families, to set free those in alcohol and drug bondage and to reduce the number of suicide and abortion by preaching of the Gospel.

The social ministry in Kemerovo region has been running since February 2001. The church of the city of Novokuznetsk sent a man to Krasnoyarsk on rehabilitation. After rehabilitation he returned to church and made a covenant with God receiving baptism and later he began to do ministry among drug users and alcoholics. Having seen the fruits the church supported that ministry. The first rehabilitation center was started for drug users and alcoholics in the town of Osinniki in 2001. Later the rehab center was started in the town of Miski. A center was started in the town of Mariinsk in 2002, in Kemerovo in 2004, in Beresovskiy and in Novokuznetsk in 2005. The second rehab center for women was started in Kemerovo in 2006. The second center was started in Novokuznetsk in 2007.

Over 2000 people have gone through rehabilitation at the social centers since 2001 through 2007. Over 1000 people were sent to the different social aid centers of Altai area, Krasnoyarsk area, Tomsk region, Novosibirsk region. 40% of people who went through rehabilitation live full lives. They've become valuable members of our society. Many of them have got marriage or returned to their families. Today we see that God blesses the social ministry in spite of the certain difficulties.

The purpose of the social ministry is to reach the people who got into difficult life circumstances with the Gospel. The course of rehabilitation lasts two months. Apartments or houses are rent for centers. There are strict daily routine at centers and they focus on reading and studying the Bible. The social ministry lives on voluntary donations of people who are not indifferent to the social problems. The course of the rehabilitation is absolutely free. On average 100$ a month is spent on one rehabilitated person. The centers can accommodate 8 - 12 people including a leader.

There is an adaptation ministry in the framework of the social ministry in Kemerovo region. It helps people to get used to the normal life after going through rehabilitation. Usually the church which sends a person to rehabilitation helps him/her to be adapted to life. There are also specific construction teams where people work after leaving centers. They can learn a trade and learn to work. The social ministry also does work on preventive measures among youth, students, schoolboys and children. After going through rehabilitation people begin to give lectures about harm in using drugs, smoking, alcohol addiction and immoral way of life and preventive measures against HIV/AIDS. They also work with HIV+ people and counsel women who want to have an abortion. The social ministers hold evangelizations for this kind of people and help homeless people with getting passport and residence permit. Today there are 6 social aid centers (5 for men and 1for women) in Kemerovo region. All people who got into difficult life circumstances are received for rehabilitation at their desire. They are drug addicts, alcoholics, those who released from prisons, homeless people, gambling addicted and people with HIV/AIDS.