Freedom brought good progress. Doors for the gospel remain open! However, freedom also brought dangers like greed for material goods, selfish pleasure seeking, and a belief that traditional morals have no value. Substance abuse, suicide, and trafficking of women for prostitution, all damage the social foundations. Spiritual transformation must accompany economic growth. Lithuania was the last European nation to be Christianized. Pray that God will bring massive social change through His people!

Matthew 9:36-38 – “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

1. Catholicism retains a crucial role in Lithuanian society, but has not fully emerged from old ways of thinking to embrace its potential for godly influence in society. Pray that the Catholic Church uses its significant influence to draw people to Christ. Only one-sixth of Catholics attend church weekly.

2. Traditional groups (Lutheran, Reformed and Orthodox) are struggling just to maintain their numbers, as are most denominations. The Orthodox are almost exclusively ethnic Russians; other traditional groups are mostly Lithuanian. Lutherans desire to see their Pietistic heritage renewed. Pray for new life in these historic groups.

3. Baptists, Pentecostals and Adventists, the more established of the evangelicals in Lithuania, have struggles of their own. Retained traditions, which saw them through the Soviet era, must be balanced with the spiritual and organizational needs of a new era. Pray for new spiritual impetus for these faithful groups.

4. Newer Pentecostal and charismatic churches grew quickly in the last decade through dynamic spirituality combined with active outreach and ministry. Growth looks set to continue; but against this backdrop, quality discipleship of new believers is key. Pray also for these churches to become genuinely indigenous, not just carbon copies of popular Western expressions of the Church.