Encouraging Wholehearted Worship Worldwide
Well I’m excited to return to Eastern Europe this year with my wife Ivalene. During the month of May 2017 we will teach in Ukraine, then minister in Bulgaria, lead worship in Hungary and finish in France.
We’ll depart the USA the beginning of May and return at the end of May.
It will be a very long journey and we would be most appreciative of your prayers! You can also support our ministry financially with a tax deductible donation. [Read more…]
In 2016 I served teaching at the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary in Kiev, Ukraine. I taught my course Practical Theology of Worship, led songwriting workshops and a staff retreat. Our ministry also donated an acoustic-electric guitar, several books for their library, CD’s, songbooks and other music resources. This wonderful bible college is training the next generation of young adults to be musically skilled and spiritually anointed leaders.
I’m delighted to say I’ll be venturing on my first ever ministry project to the nation of Ukraine. I’ll fly out October 25 and fly back November 4, 2016. I’m planning to be back in church at HFUMC on November 6th.
I would be most appreciative of your prayers!
I’ll be a guest lecturer at the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary, teaching in their Music Ministry and Theology Department. The courses I’m teaching will be Essential Biblical Foundations of Christian Worship during the day and Worship Music Composition and Songwriting Workshop in the evenings. Besides teaching, I’ll be there to coach, mentor, advise and encourage students and staff. [Read more…]
I was extremely blessed to serve on the mission field of Eastern Europe this summer in Hungary and Romania. Once again, I experienced the Lord bearing good fruit through the ministry organizations we partner with.
This 2015 Missions Report Part One covers the SOZO Festival in Baja Hungary. (Part Two will cover the School of Worship in Romania.)
About 200 people representing over 20 nations congregated to be discipled, equipped and mobilized at SOZO Festival 2015, July 13-20.
SOZO international staff (this year about 60) arrives at the beginning of the week, sets up the logistics for event, and serves participants through out the 4 day conference. It’s a lot of work and everyone stays very busy!
The SOZO Conference features a daily morning worship and ministry time. Ministry messages were from a human trafficking/rescue ministry in Budapest (day 1), a church planting ministry in Romania (day 2), and an intense session of intercession for the many nations and ministries represented (day 3).
After the morning meetings each day, there were six hours of discipleship seminars and workshops held through out the venue. I led the Worship Seminar with Cathy Heiser from Belmont Church. There was also a Leadership Seminar, Youth Seminar, and Children’s School of Worship. Finally, a Gospel Choir track was held at the end of each day.
There is high value in the teaching and training that happens in these workshops. This is a major reason SOZO is so transformative for the participants. In America we tend to take training opportunities for granted, but in this part of the world, the equipping and personal connection with instructors is eye-opening and life giving.
Through the years I’ve met many people through out this region who credit a SOZO seminar or leader who changed their perspective and their life.
In the evenings we held concerts open to the public on Wed, Friday and Saturday night. Guest artists came from Hungary and Romania.
Thursday night we shared the love of Jesus in a fun gospel outreach to the Roma (Gypsy) village outside of Baja. The children loved the face paintings, balloons and games. The gypsy worship band “Amaro Del” shared with a powerful anointing to proclaim the gospel.
We also shared a dramatic skit. Then the band finished up with a big celebration and dancing broke out!
Several kids came to the Lord through that event. It was … wonderful.
Every day we have meals together. A light continental breakfast, an authentic Hungarian lunch (always with soup), and a light dinner of salads and sandwiches.
Later during the evenings, we have “Cafe SOZO” where folks share acoustic music in an outdoor coffee house atmosphere.
Some are amazing, a few are humorous, all are very creative and quite different. It’s just a beautiful thing to have a safe place to share your art and be comfortable in your own skin.
So … the SOZO rhythm is an exhausting pace. But it’s also very fulfilling, and a lot of fun.
The weather that week was also extremely hot, over 100 degrees for much of the event.
The atmosphere of “the SOZO spirit” is a beautiful thing to experience.There’s nothing else quite like it. As we live in community, breaking bread together, getting to know one another and seeking the Lord together, you see a transformation take place.
Distant strangers become instant friends, ethnic enemies pray for one another, attitudes and prejudices are changed.
The spirit of acceptance and encouragement permeates “SOZO nation.”
Political tensions may be rising in the volatile Balkan region, but this small group of Christians is interceding for the nations and setting an example of Christian harmony.
Our very first activity was to be invited into city hall of Baja (population 40,000) where we learned of the economic and spiritual background of the town. Our host was city councilman and long time SOZO friend Danca Ballint. At the end we prayed for the city and closed singing “Doxology” in the council chambers.
He invited us into his office for coffee and deserts.
Then he asked if we would sing more. The staff thought we were a trained choir, but we had just met!
I led us in choruses of I Will Give You All My Worship, Here I Am To Worship, Mighty To Save, and How Great Is Our God.
They were very touched. It was a beautiful thing and an awesome beginning!
Ana Molnar, 18, from Romania has been coming to SOZO with her family every year since she was a little girl. She has become one of the top young violinists in Romania, winning competitions at the national level.
Our U.K. friends Josh & Amy Morley from England led the SOZO Youth Seminar. They have such a big heart for youth. Amy is also a very gifted singer / songwriter / artist.
One very effective method they used was to share from a story book called Adoptive Father – Picture Book of Love.
After the gypsy outreach, a busload of the gypsy kids joined the group, and many gave their hearts to Jesus.
At our last morning worship session, I led worship with Erin from Visible School USA and Ruslan, a gypsy leader from Ukraine. She led a new Jesus Culture song called “Glorious”. Then I pulled out the old Delirious song “What A Friend I’ve Found”. In the middle of that we took turns having different nations take a turn singing the chorus “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus … Friend for ever” in their own languages. Everyone cheering on each nation. A beautiful SOZO moment for sure.
Then we got Jewish (which also sounds a lot like Balkan music!) with “When the Spirit of the Lord Moves Upon My Heart, I will dance like David danced”. A huge line dance filled the room, it was awesome!
This is a good work, and based on the feedback I heard from participants new and old, the Lord is continuing to use SOZO ministry to impact the people of the Balkan nations for the glory of God. Despite “smaller” numbers than I’ve seen in the past, I think God is very much in this thing.
There is something unique about the way God manifests His loving presence in this mosaic of differing cultures, skin tones, ethnic groups and especially – languages. It literally changes lives.
If you can ever go, and God willing, there will be an an opportunity in 2016, I would encourage you to pray about coming as staff if this vision resonates with you. If you can’t go, pray about being a sender!
Thank you to everyone who prayed and supported my trip this year. It’s a blessing to be able to go, and it’s a blessing for those who can “send”. You are a blessing!
The Lord be with you!
~ Rob
Next Up: School of Worship in Romania [2015 Missions Report Part 2]
Every summer since 2001 I’ve been on a short term missions trip to Eastern Europe. Wow, that’s fifteen consecutive years! Time flies when you’re having fun. And there’s nothing more rewarding than serving the Lord.
I’ll once again serve two ministry projects, the SOZO Festival, returning to Baja, Hungary; and after that, the School of Worship in Timisoara, Romania.
I attended my first SOZO Festival in 2001 in Baja Hungary where I taught songwriting. The following years I returned as Director of Worship. I also teach seminars on worship leading and theology.
SOZO means “salvation, healing and deliverance”. The purpose of the SOZO Festival has been discipleship, evangelism and ethnic reconciliation. SOZO is about training and equipping people from multiple nations.
We use music and the arts to draw people together from the post communist and war-torn area of the Balkan region in southeastern Europe. These are among the poorest countries in the world.
SOZO trains individuals in many areas including: Leadership, Youth Ministry, Worship Arts, Children’s ‘School of Worship’, Dance, and an international Gospel Choir!
SOZO is a 4 day camping event offering morning times of Multi-Cultural Worship, followed by a full slate of seminars, then Evening Concerts on the main square of Baja, … ending the day with fellowship at Café SOZO, a casual acoustic music venue / coffee house.
We will have a gospel outreach to the Roma (or gypsy) people of the area featuring the Christian gypsy band Amaro Del, with face painting for kids, dramatic skits, and a clear presentation of the gospel.
In the evenings after the seminars, we host a free-to-the-public Christian music concert series. This is a rare open-air presentation of the gospel through music in a predominately atheist region. It’s a rich opportunity for evangelism.
Another highlight of SOZO Festival is the worship experience.
There’s just nothing else like it.
Every day we gather with a different group of musicians and singers from the many nations represented, and we simply pour our hearts out to God.
Sometimes it’s beautiful, sometimes it’s messy, but God always reveals His great love in a fresh way when we make His presence and His Son the center of attention.
Singing and worshiping along with people from “every tribe, every nation, every tongue” is like a glimpse of heaven. Simply awe inspiring.
In this video from SOZO 2013, you can see and hear some of the people and their stories, and get a sense of what SOZO Festival is all about.
2015 will mark the 10th anniversary of the Scoala de Inchinare (School of Worship) in Timisoara, Romania. I’ve been blessed to be an instructor there every year since the project began. It’s been inspiring to see the growth and development of this move of God.
This video shares testimonials from the students at Scoala de Inchinare. You’ll be encouraged to see the transformation in the lives of these young men and women.
This year the school will be 2 weeks long and is quite intense. I and other guest instructors live in community with the students while we’re there.
I teach Theology of Worship in the mornings and Songwriting class in the late afternoon /early evening. The days are long and full of activity.
You can get an in-depth view of the Scoala de Inchinare experience with a lot of pics in this 2012 post, A Day In The Life at Romania’s School of Worship.
I also wrote an extensive series of blog posts (with “behind the scenes” e-mails) so folks could have a better understanding of the work we are doing for the kingdom of God. You can read that series here – Balkans Missions Trip Report.
I feel very blessed to be part of what God is doing in Romania.
I really hope we can raise more money for the school in 2015 so more students can attend.
Donations from a wide range of “people who care” pays for my travel and related expenses. We also donate music instruments and scholarships for students.
Contributions are tax deductible as allowed by law. The travel costs of the trip is about $4500.00. You can donate a guitar for $400. You can give a scholarship to a student for $250.00. You can underwrite printing for student notes & outlines for $25.00. Any amount is appreciated! Rob Still Ministries, Inc. is an IRS 501c3 Charitable Organization.
Also, would you join my email list? You can stay updated on our 2015 Missions Trip to Hungary & Romania, July 12-31, 2015
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