Relational Bridges International Vision We are called by God to follow Jesus, build friendships, bridge cultures, and change lives. Mission Wherever God opens doors of opportunity, we will intentionally build relationships and true friendships with children and adults who do not yet know the Lord Jesus Christ so that in sharing the Gospel, our lives become bridges over which He can walk into their lives to redeem them. Goals To train, mobilize and deploy teams of volunteers into summer youth campsin Russia to do friendship-evangelism. To train, mobilize and deploy teams of volunteers into orphanages in Russia in the winter to do friendship-evangelism. To conduct medical mission outreach (dental, pediatric, etc.) in the regions where we have established bases of ministry and staff in-region for orphanages in Russia to care for physical needs of these children and in that context, share and demonstrate the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To bring in or purchase in-country needed humanitarian aid for children in summer camps and orphanages. To purchase an available camp in the region northwest of St. Petersburg (Zelenogorsk/Roshino/Palyani area) and utilize it as a resource center for the area camping associations, a place for orphans and transitioning orphans in the summer and winter, and a place for Church retreats and conferences. To develop Russian leadership for the regions where we have personal invitations to bring in teams of volunteers e.g., St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Black Sea region, Moscow, and Siberia and other countries in Russia.

FAQs   1.      Specifically, what is expected of a team member?  What is their job description? Answer:  A team member is one who will sharing their relationship with Jesus Christ with Russian kids one-on-one and in small groups), building friendships that become the bridge Jesus can walk over to reach who do not yet know Him. You will use the gifts God has given you to build relationships using sports, music, art, drama, and "hang-out" time. A team member must be a committed Christian who has walked with Jesus for some time.  A real prayer life and daily time in the Word of God are a must. You can't introduce someone to a Person you don't in some way really know. 2.      What might a week long schedule look like? Answer:   Up at 7:30 AM....8-8:30 prayer and team devotions.....8:30-9:15 Breakfast...meet with a dorm of kids in the AM doing a mixture of the following: Playing games/sports with the kids, singing, telling Bible stories, doing skits, doing crafts, sharing pictures from home and the like.  This would be repeated once or twice in the afternoon as well.  2-4 PM is a quiet-time for the campers and so the team takes the time to either plan/reflect or to rest/take time with the Lord. Snack is at 4 PM. There will be some regularly scheduled events of the camp that the team will participate in as well during a week.  After the 6:30 or 7 PM supper there will be impromptu basketball games, times for unstructured meetings with kids, maybe an evening Bible study with counselors as the opportunity arises.  Normally,  "Lights Out" is 10:30 PM for the camp children, though you may be able to have contact with counselors later than that. 3.      Will each team stay at only one camp?  If not, how often will they move to another camp? Answer:  The team will stay in one camp for the two-week trip.  This provides for the opportunity for relationships to be started that will give you a “hearing” among those who do not know Jesus yet. 4.      Is any sightseeing time scheduled in to the trip?  If so, how much and where? Answer:  There is usually one day, a Saturday or Sunday, when a trip to St. Petersburg is appropriate.  One of these days is usually a "Parents Day" at the camps.  It, therefore, works for the team to go  into St. Petersburg for that day. 5.      How long is the trip? Answer: The normal trip is for two weeks.  Longer trips can be arranged from three weeks to all summer.  One week trips are not done, usually, as they don't have much impact. 6.      When they get off the plane in St. Petersburg, Russia, what next? Answer:  They are met by a RBI staff with a bus that takes them to the camps. 7.      Who oversees the Russia side of these trips? Answer:  Our RBI Russian staff administers the ground transportation and the recruitment of interpreters, the booking of teams into various camps, and the necessary logistics while there. We provide the transportation for the team to return to the airport for their return home.  The individual teams are expected to administrate their own work while there while in the camp.  Pastor Mark Browne and/or his leaders will be in Russia throughout summer long to deploy teams and resources and provide help for the teams while they are there.  Each team  will receive, on the average, a visit every other day while they are there. 8.      If they somehow get detached from the group, what is the procedure? Answer:  NOBODY GOES OFF BY THEMSELVES IF THEY GO OFF CAMPUS.  A GROUP OF NO LESS THAN THREE PEOPLE MAY LEAVE THE CAMP CAMPUS, AND ONE OF THESE MUST BE A MALE MEMBER OF THE TEAM AND/OR ONE OF THE MALE INTERPRETERS.  WHEN THE GROUP TRAVELS, THEY ALL STAY TOGETHER.  ANY BREACH OF THIS CARDINAL RULE IS GROUNDS FOR THE TEAM MEMBER BEING SENT HOME AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE VIS-À-VIS WHATEVER AIR & GROUND TRANSPORT IS AVAILABLE.  THIS IS SERIOUS...AS YOU CAN TELL. The camps are self-contained campus units, and each team member must notify the leader where they are going, or their proximity for a specified time frame. 9. Where does the team meet their interpreters? Answer: When they arrive in the camp or sometimes at the airport. 10.    How many pounds of luggage may they bring? Answer: Two bags weighing no more than 50 lb. each, and one carry-on for a total weight of 110 pounds.  It is assumed that one of these "bags" will contain materials to be used in the camp.  Clothing is usually washed by hand, so light travel is recommended...that leaves more room for ministry materials, gifts, game stuff, etc. 11.    How many suitcases may they bring?  Is an additional purse or backpack as carry-on    acceptable? Answer:  TWO (up to 50 lb. each) and a carry-on.  One carry-on bag and a personal item, like a small back-pack or purse that you would put under the seat is OK 12.    Fundraising:  When someone donates funds toward a team member's expenses, should checks be written out to Relational Bridges International  so that they are tax deductible? Answer:  If a team is from a church, there should be a  "fund" set up by the church for the" Summer Russian Mission Trip" to which people can give.  Checks are written to the church and notated for the Russia trip, with a note attached indicating the person for whom it is designated.  Then, at the appropriate times, ONE check is sent to Christ Church Anglican with RBI Summer Outreach written on the memo of the check on behalf of the whole team.  If it is for an individual that will be joining a team from another area, funds can be sent directly to Relational Bridges International; P.O. Box 613, Midlothian, VA 23113 13. Do the Russian campers stay at the camp for more than one week? Answer: Each group of Russian campers will be in a camp for 3 weeks...some orphans are there all summer. There are usually enough kids that with two or three skits, and a handful of Bible stories, along with games, relay races, and music, and most of all, sharing your life with the children. You can vary a program well enough not to be "boring". 14. Is the team leader expected to bring all of the craft supplies, sports equipment, game supplies, etc.? Answer: The team should discuss what they are going to do, and all pitch in to assemble all craft & sports materials that will be needed. There is a $200.00/person in the cost of the trip that goes to team supplies. These are then packed by the whole team in the available suitcases/duffels prior to departure...it’s a "team thing." Be prepared to leave the craft, sports, and game materials in Russia. The camps desperately need things like this. 15. Do you have a team leaders' training day(s)? Answer: Pastor Mark Browne is available to do regional leaders training upon request at the email link provided on the website. 16. Who trains the team? How and when does it happen? Answer: Fr. Mark Browne, Founder and Director of Relational Bridges International, is available to come to an area and train a group of leaders to equip their respective teams. Using the manual, and using him as a resource, the team leader assigned by the local church trains the team. They learn the music together, the skits, language initiation, learning to do the sharing of the Gospel Bracelet, games, etc. The Leader coordinates the team, assigning various parts of the whole to different members, i.e., music, games, skits, crafts & materials, travel to & from airport, financial requests, application finalization,, purchase of equipment, fund-raising events (dinners, donation tag sales, etc.) 17. What does the training consist of? Answer: The skits, songs and language stuff is basic. The materials about cross-cultural ministry are to be part of the training (reading it & group discussion lead by the Leader). Learning to share the Bible stories the team ha selected is also part of the training. Learning to effectively/relationally tell the Gospel Bracelet story to kids as they put it together as a craft is another good thing. They can practice on the Sunday school kids at their local churches!!! A prayer vigil for the team & whole church is a good thing to make part of the training. Regular prayer & fasting times for the team is training. Some training on Spiritual Warfare is important. Peter Kreeft's book, "Yes or No" is required reading and discussion material for the team. 18. If the team leader is expected to train the team, is s/he able to do this if s/he has never been to Russia? In other words, is prior team membership a requirement for leadership, and if not, how in the training do you make up for this lack of experience? Answer: A leader must be someone who has shown leadership practically in the church they are a part of...these are people that other leaders recognize as leader-types. It is leadership qualities that are needed...not necessarily time spent in Russia. If they can lead in the USA, and have a team committed to follow for the common good and blessing of the kids in the camp, they can do it in Russia. They'll do fine. 19. Does the team run all of the camp activities or is there Russian camp staff that runs parts? Answer: The Russian staff runs the camps. The teams dove-tail on the planned activities, and add to the cadre of "offerings" that the director can present to his/her counselors. The team becomes a vehicle of "cultural" exchange...bringing "Kingdom culture" to the people is the camp. When a team has scheduled a time with a dorm of kids (10- 20 kids), they are TOTALLY responsible for what happens in the scheduled time frame. 20. Do you take copies of the scriptures in Russian to give away? Is this need supplied in some other way, and if so how? Answer: RBI can purchase and provide both children’s Bibles and Russian-English Bibles for the older children and adults in the camp. We can have other Gospel literature ready for you as well if requested. Our staff can acquire them in Russia prior to the team’s arrival. Funds are wired over for this before the team leaves the USA. 21. Who follows up on the team member’s personal references? Answer: The Leader/ Pastor/ or Pastor's designates (one of which SHOULD BE THE LEADER) should follow up, as the team represents the congregation/organization in Russia. NOTE: Each Leader MUST have a Assistant Leader who helps with the training, is aware of logistics, and can take the helm if something happens to the leader...or if the team splits up in certain situations to do different things on campus at the same time.