Seminar in Ulyanovsk

The seminars we've been conducting are part of Bradn's work for the Lutheran Church here in the area of theological and parish education. The theme both in Omsk and Ulyanovsk was the Lutheran Law/Gospel approach to reading the Bible and preaching. This is the particular focus of the Crossings Community, on whose board I have served for the past five years or so. I drew heavily on Crossings material for my presentations, and if you're familiar with Crossings you might recognize the Crossings matrix in some of my pictures.

We began our work on Friday evening with close to thirty people in attendance. We were expecting maybe 12-15. More than half were members of the local congregation. 

P5 - The place where faith takes hold.

Clarifying a point with Andrei, soon to be pastor in Saratov.

Vladimir and Alyona's daughter Anisia was also in attendance.

Stained Glass Window in the Church

That's me up there preaching

Tea after the service.

The seminar continued after church.

Rustem from Ufa (East of Kazan)

Tatiana from Tolyatti (between Ulyanovsk and Samara), one of the final year students with Vladimir during our first year in Russia.

Lyubov from Ulyanovsk giving positive feedback on the seminar. She appreciated how the Crossings matrix necessitates Christ.

Seminar participants and facilitators, minus some from Samara who left early because of impending weather.

After the seminar, members of the congregation led some of us out-of-towners around town. The church is in a part of town known as the "V. I. Lenin Hometown Conservancy Area." Ulyanovsk was formerly called Simbirsk, but it was renamed in 1924 after Lenin's death after his original last name, Ulyanov. This is where he was born and raised, and there plaques everywhere that say either "Lenin lived here" or "Lenin was here" - kind of like "George Washington slept here" in the United States.

"V. I. Lenin Hometown Conservancy Area." This is right across the street from the church.

85 Lenin Street, formerly Moscow Street

Lenin lived here from 1878-87.

Just down the street from the Lutheran church.

Statute outside the photography museum. There are 12 different museums in the conservancy area.

Back to the church.