Over 120,000 students roam the streets of a once owned Soviet Union Moldovan city Chisinau. The traditional Eastern Orthodox religion, funded by the government, holds an enormous influence and control over the culture with 70 percent of the population claiming its beliefs. Over the same percentage living below poverty level and the shame culture infecting their beliefs, the next generation is finding themselves hopeless and defeated. The strongholds over this city make it difficult for evangelical Christians to minister with only having 3% influence of the entire country.
CSC or Community Christian Students is an organization dubbed with a mission to counterattack the statistics with a strategy to empower and equip the next generation. They focus on presenting the Bible to students, both high school and college age, with the assistance of other students. Affiliated since 2003 with IFES, International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, CSC’s similar vision is to see students built into communities of disciples, transformed by the gospel, impacting the universities, the church and society for the glory of Christ.
To meet their vision of growth and influence, they invest in strengthening leadership by developing leaders of integrity, impacting the church, the universities and all of society. They nurture, train and equip them to release their creative energy and initiative. With a target of students reaching students with the good news of Jesus Christ, they can encourage each other to grow into life-long disciples of Christ while serving and strengthening the local churches. They hold various conferences, camps, prayer meetings, bible studies and fellowship activities to integrate faith and spiritual disciplines all while uniting the students together.
There are many ways CSC hopes to partner with Adventures in the future. There is a desperate need for reaching more students. At the moment only 8 of 23 universities are reached through CSC. The main goal with help from Adventures would be to encourage and build up the existing leaders, members and programs all while increasing their reach. More specifically by teaching english to students, speaking at conferences, assisting in running summer camps, inspiring fellowship programs, holding bible studies, encouraging campus prayer walks and evangelism. The hope would be to establish discipling and mentoring programs that will continue life change even after missions teams leave.
CSC has been gracious to let our team, Akal Esh, stay in their home base offices in both Chisinau and Balti. Every member of CSC, specifically the leaders, Doina and Slavik in Chisinau and Aidin and Zina in Balti have greeted us with friendliness and hospitality from day one. The joy they have in Christ is evident through the way they love and genuinely serve us and other students. Several students and graduates we met came to Christ through CSC and are now passionately working with CSC to bring the gospel to other students.
Continue to pray for their ministry, the next generation to take their rightful place confident in their Godly identity, help to come, endurance and creativity among their current staff, and hearts that will be reach through them.
View their ministry site here: CSCMoldova.com
