PREPARATIONS FOR MISSION FORUM

Intense preparations for the Mission Forum which will happen on May 20-22 are under way. This month, about fifteen hundred subscribers received two notifications about the Forum’s speakers: Sergey Golovin, Roman Kapran, Aleksey Melnichuk, and Ivan Mileyev. Click on the speakers’ names to access pages with more information about these remarkable people and their upcoming seminar sessions.

Unfortunately, some of the anticipated speakers will not be able to come due to the visa restrictions. However, other equally remarkable people are being added as speakers. Follow the updates on the Forum’s website – https://internationalmissionforum.com. 

Please share the information about the Forum in your churches, among friends and family. You can download the Forum’s banner here – click this link. The seminars’ video overviews are available at this playlist of the Association’s YouTube channel.

GREAT NEWS! NEW LEARNING OPPORTUNITY!

The International Counselling Institute Coram Deo in partnership with the Association’s Blagovest Institute and on the basis of the Bryte church is announcing new enrollment into the three-year counselling training program. Everyone is welcome to join this program, including the pastors, leaders of various ministries, as well as every member of the churches. For more information, access the Association’s website..

ANOTHER MEETING OF THE LEADERS OF THE ASSOCIATION’S DEPARTMENTS

This year’s first meeting of the Association’s department’s leaders took place on February 18 at the Association’s office. The ministry leaders were missing fellowshipping with one another and sharing what they were doing in December, January and February, about the pandemic-related challenges, plans for the future, and shared prayer requests of both their ministries, as well as of their families. In closing of the meeting, these needs were lifted up to the throne of God in prayer.

Part of the Attendees of the Department Leaders’ Meeting

NEW HOPE CHURCH CELEBRATES 20-YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

The celebration service took place on February 13. There was an extensive music program, guests’ participation, certificate presentation by the Pacific Coast Association, and a sermon by a special guest speaker, Aleksandr Gyrbu who is a professor at the Theological University in Moldova. The service was concluded by the so-called “love supper” where everyone was welcome. All of this was done as part of a well-organized celebration.

New Hope Church

MOM’S IN PRAYER SEMINAR IN TACOMA

Mom’s in Prayer Seminar took place on Saturday January 29 at the Good News Church in Tacoma, WA. It was organized by Galina Stakhovich and Svetlana Marchenko who are leading prayer ministry at the local church. The main speaker was Olga Drovorub who oversees The Mom’s in Prayer ministry at the Pacific Coast Association. Some women from Sacramento also took part in the seminar: Fatima Avramenko, Oksana Bugriyeva, and Dina Lo. Pastor Vasiliy Stupin opened the service in prayer and blessed them for their ministry. For more information, read an article located on the Association’s website – click this link (in Russian only.)

During the Seminar

PLACE OF GRACE

Place of Grace Ministry became a unique opportunity to serve immigrants in Sacramento. They have a fun children’s program, worship and prayer, table games, wood carving activities, warm reception with tea and hot dogs, as well as fireplace singing. Everyone who would like to join them are welcome at Grace Avenue Bible Church on Sundays.

For more information, read an article by S. Iotko on the Association’s website (in Russian only.)

THE FORWARD CHURCH IS LOOKING FOR A WORSHIP LEADER

The Forward Church in Irvine is looking for a worship leader who can develop and craft excellent worship experiences at Forward Church. This person is someone who loves Jesus and desires to be a worship leader at a local church where they can create a worship atmosphere that will bring about genuine life change. This person is creative, detailed-oriented and has the capacity to build worship teams and work with volunteers. For more information, check out the article of the church’s pastor B. Kipko, – click this link.

YE WHO ARE LORD'S REMINDERS, TAKE YE NO REST!

Street evangelism was the focus of a seminar that took place on February 5th at the Slavic Baptist Church in West Sacramento. The main speaker of the seminar was Vasily Khripunov, who for many years has been preaching on the streets of cities with the help of paintings of Christian content by famous artists and posters with texts from Scripture. The seminar was attended by brothers and sisters from different churches of our city. After the workshop, all participants took to the streets to put into practice what they had learned. Read more in the article by N. Smolikova (in Russian only.)

Street Evangelism in West Sacramento

SIERRA PINES CAMP NEEDS YOUR HELP!

Please watch the short video by the camp director, Pavel Tsririnko who shares about Sierra Pines Camp and is requesting help in preparing the campground for the summer season. If you would like to participate in this ministry, please contact Pavel at: (916) 290-2897.

IT IS GOOD TO PRAISE THE LORD!

The Music department has big plans for this year. The representatives of this ministry consisting of various churches met on February 12 to choose new committee members to replace the departed ones, as well as to plan activities, and discuss relevant issues. One of those issues is: “Choir singing at many of the churches became a thing of the past and has been replaced by the worship bands. Is that good or bad?” The department leader S. Yanovskiy provides more information on the Association’s website (in Russian only.)

CELEBRATION OF WOMEN’S FRIENDSHIP

On Friday, February 11, over one hundred women met in Fresno church to celebrate Galentine’s Day – day of celebrating friendship among women. The church was packed to capacity so that they had to set up two additional tables to hold all of the visitors. The House of the Gospel Church is hosting similar events for women for the last 10 years. It’s interesting that it’s the Galentine’s day specifically that packs the most women. The goal of these women’s events is to unite women of various age groups, and to invite women from outside of the church and in the end, share the love of Christ with everyone. For more about this event read here.

CONFERENCE FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS

«Calling, Purpose, Dedication” is the theme of the upcoming conference for the directors and teachers of Sunday Schools which will take place on March 12. The speaker will be Yevgeniy Dushakov who is an evangelist, and an author of the book, “Evangelism in Short Pants or Open Your Closet”, publisher, and co-author of a useful book, “The Myths of Life”.

The conference will take place at the Russian Baptist Church of Bryte: 1000 Sacramento Ave, West Sacramento, CA 95605. Time: 9 a.m. -  3:00 p.m. The Cost is $10.00.

The hosts are asking for people to confirm attendance at: (916) 798-5838 or email: zhanna22@yahoo.com.

MIKHAIL LOKTEV WENT TO BE WITH THE LORD

The long-standing leader of the Word to Russia Ministry went to be with the Lord. He was the oldest church member of the Bryte Church from 1960 until 2022. Through his life and ministry, he was able to unite the representatives of the second and third waves of immigration.

However, the impact that he made at Bryte Church was not due to the number of years at the church, but by the way that he lived and served in various capacities, especially in sharing the Gospel to all the regions of Russia, Ukraine, and Central Asia.

Read more about him in an article by M. Avramenko, who is the head pastor of the church. For more information about him through his own words, check out an interview with E. Gusev which can be found on the Association’s website.

SHARE JESUS WITHOUT FEAR

Under the “Resources” section on our website, you will find a new e-book: Share Jesus without Fear by William Fay and Ralph Hodge. This is a three-week training course which is designed for group, as well as personal study.  

Here is what the evangelist, and author of the book, William Fay says:

“The Book, Share Jesus without Fear, will show you how to avoid failures in your witness for Jesus. It will change your life. You will learn that success is more than just leading someone to believing in Jesus Christ. Success is living the Christian life every day. Success is sharing the Gospel or good news with lost people and trusting God for the results.”

Read the book here:  In Russian | In English.

WHICH GOD DO YOU BELIEVE IN?

It’s a fascinating question, isn’t it? A well-known evangelist, author, preacher, and author, John Snyder, will challenge your thinking in an attempt to answer this question. In his 12-week training course “Behold Your God” recently translated into Russian, he is asking questions that people rarely think about: “Do I believe in the biblical God, or the god of my own imagination?” For many Christians, the answer to this question becomes a turning point in their spiritual life.

«NEW TIMES»

This was the title of the new volume of poems, testimonies, and narratives written for the most part by the members of the Association’s churches. To find out more information about this volume, visit the website’s section with the same title – New Times.

The editors of this volume are welcoming additional authors for the future volume. The content for the next volume should be sent in no later than June 30, 2022. (russaclibrary@gmail.com).

PRAY FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE

The head of the All-Ukrainian Union of the ECB Churches, Valeriy Antonyuk is exhorting all Christians to pray for peace in Ukraine:

“Dear brothers and sisters, Ukraine is experiencing extremely difficult times of its history. This is a time of trials, difficulties, and turmoil. All of Christendom is praying for our country. We are exhorting all of the churches, as well as every Christian individually to lift up their prayers to heaven and pray intensely to God so that he would bless us, protect us, stop the aggression, and would not allow bloodshed. May our country have abiding peace, and may God bless each one of us. We believe that we will go through this period in our lives, and that the Almighty will bless us. We pray and have faith that we are standing before Him, and that He will protect all of our people and our country”.

Source: Baptistua.

AID REQUEST TO UKRAINE

The head of the Eurasia Mission, Sergey Rakhuba is asking the mission’s partners to provide immediate material and spiritual support for the people of Ukraine. The mission is serving among the Ukrainian refugees helping them with food and the Gospels. Everyone who is willing to join this ministry can find more information in a letter by Sergey Rakhuba – click this link.

PRAYER DINNER AT WASHINGTON DC

On February 8-10, there was an American-Ukrainian forum meeting and prayer dinner at Washington DC. The main organizers of the three-day program were Pavel Unguryan and Mikhail Zhovner. The meetings took place in light of the news about the possibility of war between Russia and Ukraine.

The leader of the Pacific Coast Association, I. Mileyev took part in the meeting. He shares his thoughts about the meeting on the website – click this link (in Russian only.)

Prayer Meeting Participants

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS

Every day, there are more and more messages about our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted worldwide. This includes not only prohibitions to gather for church service and isolated cases of violence, but about those who are being murdered, sometimes very viciously. Christians are experiencing especially difficult times in the Muslim countries, South Korea and China. It is impossible to be unmoved while reading about the sufferings of the members of the body of Christ in these countries.

The Barnabas Fund publishes this information on their website, Barnabas Today in English, and on the “Фонд Варнава” Telegram Channel and at the https://www.barnabastoday.com/ru/ website in Russian. You can also sign up at these websites to receive updates, as well as to pray, and financially support the suffering Christians.

If you have some news you would like to share with others, please send them at pcsbaca@gmail.com.

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The Editorial Team:
I. Mileyev- Editor in Chief
О. Avetisova - Editor
А. Zabolotnyy - Translator
S. Mizera – English Translations Editor
S. Timopheyeva - Russian Version Editor