Russia is a very tough place to serve in, having gone from essentially pre-Christian in 1990 to post-Christian in one generation. But it's profound "orphan spirit" remains, characterized not only by high numbers of literal orphans, but also by sky-high abortion rates, divorce, and alcoholism. It is a society traumatized by it's past.

In this context our goal is nothing less than a spiritual reformation through bold mature Christian leadership in every sphere of society. To this end, intense investment in key emerging local leaders is my calling. Moreover, we don’t just want to find individual leaders; we seek profound levels of teamwork from these leaders so that a synergy of gifts and complementary ministry can happen.

Lyle uses his background in Christian counseling and coaching to foster an environment of spiritual fathering. Diana serves, primarily outside of Russia, as teen program coordinator through SHARE and as a spiritual director for teens who live cross-culturally .

Our biggest prayer in the ministry context would have to be for our family to model the kind of Christ-honoring, other-honoring love we teach as the basis for all ministry. Why? Our training, mentoring, and almost all our ministry takes place in the very apartment we live in, which makes for a great opportunity to influence in a very “fish bowl” context!