Our youth ministry in Russia focuses on building connections and spreading joy.
The night was cold outside, but inside, the room was warm with laughter. We had set up the tables early—boards laid out. We had our youth Christian club called “Jam”
The youth came in ones and twos, some hesitant, some loud. They were young, full of energy, sharp-eyed. A few we knew. Others were new—neighborhood youth, curious, maybe skeptical. It didn’t matter. They sat down. They played.
The games were simple—classics, the kind that make you lean in, argue, and laugh. The room smelled of tea and cake.
Then the quiz. Easter questions—some easy, some hard. They debated answers, some guessing, some sure. “What’s the point of Easter?” one asked, not mocking, just curious. The answers came—some right, some wrong, some wild guesses that made them all laugh.
Later, when the games were done, we talked. Not long. Just words from the Bible—clear, solid, like stones placed in a stream. They listened. Some nodded. Others just sat, thinking.
Before they left, we took their names and formed a social platform group.
“We’ll meet again,” we said. They agreed.
That’s how it starts. Not with preaching. Not with force. With a room, a game, and a shared moment.
Christ built bridges. So do we.
—Alexei Polyakov, missionary in Russia