by Dr. Jim Burgdorf
A Russian-language praise cassette.
The vision for a Russian-language praise tape was birthed in Jim Burgdorf's heart during ministry trips to Latvia and the Ukraine. Although the nations of the former Soviet Union have many highly skilled musicians and a great passion for the Lord, they do not share a true benefit believer's in the United States enjoy. They do not have the privilege of being surrounded by Christian bookstores containing shelves filled with wonderfully produced praise and worship cassettes and CD's.
Unfortunately, well produced, anointed Russian praise and worship cassettes are not easily found across Eurasia. Therefore, the passion for praise that the Russian believer's so readily demonstrate in each church service is not as easily transferred to their homes, their jobs or even the cars so few are blessed to own. And even if CD's and cassettes were readily available, the economic and financial struggles of the region are for many, prohibitive.
Realizing this great void in the lives of the Russian believer's, "Rejoice" was birthed in Jim's heart: a cassette of simple Russian praise and worship scripture choruses. Along with that vision came a mandate to freely distribute and invest as many copies as Jim Burgdorf Ministries can produce. The cassette insert is itself a Russian tract, explaining God's plan of salvation along with the purpose and benefit of worship and praise in the life of a believer. Also included is a prayer both for salvation and for the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
The undertaking took a year and a half to complete -- through a long process of both writing and recording and recording songs in a language Jim did not speak.
In an ongoing project, tens of thousands of cassettes have already been produced, in both Moscow and Kiev, and freely distributed into households from Eastern Europe across Russia to Eastern Siberia.
Recognizing that the time is short and that our window of opportunity is rapidly closing (not simply in political terms, but in God's great timetable,) that which we do, we must do quickly.