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JANUARY NEWSLETTER - 2025
NEWS FROM THE DEPARTMENTS AND CHURCHES OF THE ASSOCIATION


ORDINATION AT THE LIVING STONES CHURCH

On January 19, the Living Stones Church in Rancho Cordova had a deacon ordination service for four men. The church service had a dignified feel to it: the encouragement of the head pastor, A. Krasnov, as well as an inspiring word of encouragement by PCSBA’s President, I. Mileyev. There were also many songs and words of exhortation to the future deacons, and a call to the entire church to serve one another. More details…(in Russian only).

DECEMBER NEWS FROM THE EDUCATION MINISTRY

The Education Ministry is one of the most active ministries in the Association. In his article, the leader of the ministry, A. Pronin, shares about their efforts in various churches during the month of December. Read more about it here (in Russian only).


Group of students under the “Bachelor of Church Ministry” program at the Second Slavic Church in Sacramento. Taught by Ivan Leschuk.

LEADERS’ RETREAT

On January 16-18, the Good News Church in Tacoma, WA, had an annual leaders’ retreat at one of the most beautiful regions of Washington – Cedar Springs Christian Retreat Center. Over the course of three days, while experiencing a warm family atmosphere, the retreat participants were able to share about their concerns, give their testimonies, and share their experiences of God’s blessings in their ministries. Close to one hundred people came to this retreat. More details… (in Russian only).

STREET EVANGELISM

On December 1, the Spring Church in Moraga, Bay Area, did street evangelism at the center of Walnut Creek. This was an amazing and joyful event which allowed the Christians to share about God’s love with people around them. They passed out hot chocolate and snacks to the locals, creating a warm and comfortable atmosphere on such a cold winter day. In addition to these treats, they also sang Christmas songs, and created a festive mood on the streets of the city. More details…(in Russian only).

WOMEN’S CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST AT GRACE FAMILY CHURCH

Grace Family Church announced that they were dedicating the whole month of December to Christmas. That is why on December 7 they had a special women’s Christmas breakfast, which became a memorable event for the entire church. The sanctuary was decorated with a Christmas theme, which created an atmosphere of warmth and joy. Everything pointed to creating a festive mood! More details…(in Russian only).

SPECIAL PERFORMANCE FOR SPECIAL CHILDREN

The Spring of Life Church in Mukilteo, WA, has been doing special Christmas plays for years now. However, they were not received well by children with special needs since some of them are scared of loud sounds, others are irritated by the blinking lights, while others are unable to be in one spot for even a short period of time without moving around. This was especially true for children with autism. That is why this year, the special needs children’s ministry, along with the Sunday school team and Christmas drama team, decided to come up with a program that would be the most comfortable for children with special needs. More details…(in Russian only).


Performers

THERE IS HELP AND HOPE!

Perhaps the majority of Slavic churches have families who have children or adults with special needs. The Lord has placed a very special and heavy burden on them, which the majority of the people are bearing alone. They are trying to hide their concerns, suffering, and often, even hiding their special relatives from being seen by others. Very few of them know that they can receive some outside help, and that those who are close to them can actually be integrated into society to be able to enjoy life along with healthy people. Read a testimony of Ksenya Sibrinin, a mother of children with autism, who also leads a ministry to children with special needs at the Spring of Life Church in Mukilteo, WA. The article is in Russian only.

HE LAID HOLD OF ME

On December 7, Rockland Baptist Church had a special women’s Christmas party. About 70 women came together to kick off the Christmas season, and to enjoy the time of fellowship together. The central theme of the evening was a seminar by Olesya Dobychin, “He Laid Hold of Me,” and was based on Philippians 3:12. More details…(in Russian only).

LIVE IN HOPE

On January 18, First Slavic Baptist Church in Sacramento hosted an evening of arts dedicated to the 50 years of Sergey Sulima’s service to God as a composer. The “Live by Hope” meeting in Sacramento was made possible by the support of the PCSBA Literature Department, and the comprehensive assistance of First Slavic Evangelical Baptist Church of Sacramento, Family Harmony Ministry, and media personnel from Grace Avenue Bible Church. More details about the evening and Sergey Sulima…(in Russian only).

TOGETHER WE ARE UNITED

For the second year in a row, the Integrity Women’s Ministry is hosting women’s meetings in the Sacramento Region. We have an opportunity to serve newly-arrived women, some of whom have never been to church, do not have any friends, and need fellowship. On December 27, the Lord gave an opportunity for women to meet together at Bryte Church to experience the festive environment and to celebrate the birth of the Savior. Over 100 women came to this event. More details…(in Russian only).

BEYOND ALL COMPREHENSION

The Moms in Prayer Ministry held a meeting before Christmas to hear Tatyana V. Senin talk about “The Authority of God as the King of kings and Lord of lords,” based on Paul Tripp’s War of Words book. The women took turns as they read a lot of Scripture passages, trying to have a deeper understanding of the truth. Every Bible text they read, and every heading they wrote down, were like sips of life-giving water that brought clarity and confidence in God, knowing that He controls everything in His will. He even uses the sinful decisions of people to redeem those who love Him, and to allow God’s eternal plan to play out. More details…(in Russian only).

CHRISTMAS FOR SPECIAL CHILDREN

December was the busiest month for the Special Needs Children Ministry Department and was full of meetings with the children and their families. That should not be a surprise, however, because Christmas is a favorite time for all children, including those with special needs. Many people took an active part in visiting others, welcoming, and preparing Christmas presents for children with special needs. More details…(in Russian only).

YOU ARE HERE FOR A PURPOSE

Our hearts continue to rejoice that the Lord is providing opportunities to visit those people who committed thoughtless actions, for which they later ended up behind bars. Of course, no one is immune to this, and even believers end up there. We often hear from them that they are not there in vain, and that the Lord has preserved them from more serious crimes. After ending up in prison, many of them begin to think of Him, and turn to the Word of God. More details…(in Russian only).


During one of the visits…

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS IN HONOLULU

The Slavic Church of Honolulu had a very busy holiday season with numerous services that included worship, a youth play, a musical, caroling, and a sermon on the true meaning of Christmas. Almost all the church families were involved in various activities. More details…(in Russian only).

WE RECEIVED CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR’S GREETINGS!

We received greetings from partnering unions and individual pastors and would like to share this expression of Christian love with you.

Unions and Missions

Missioners

 


MISSIONARY NEWS


WILL THE GYPSY MINISTRY IN UZBEKISTAN CONTINUE?

The first meetings with the Gypsy-Mugate children in January 2024, and then during a summer camp in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, deeply touched the hearts of those who participated in these meetings. These were absolutely illiterate children and adults who did not have a single Bible passage in their own language, and now they were able to hear the Gospel for the first time in their life. As they were listening, they were like a sponge absorbing everything that they were hearing. Thanks to some external support, the local Christians continue to serve them and are praying that someone would support their ministry. But will there be any support? Will the preaching of the Gospel continue in their midst? More details…

THE MINISTRY OF THE ARSHULIK FAMILY IN BRAZIL CAME TO AN END

Although initially the Arshuliks planned to spend three years in Brazil, they ended up being there for seven. Being from Ukraine, Vitaliy and Irina were invited to serve the Ukrainian descendants in Prudentopolis, Brazil and to plant a church there. Before them, there were other similar attempts, but they were not able to plant a church there. However, God helped the Arshulik family to accomplish that. More details…(in Russian only).


Arshulik Family

THE GOSPEL IN POLAND

The Sheremet family has been serving in Poland for two years now. During this time, they have seen so much of God’s grace and mercy as they encountered various difficulties and challenges. They went through a lot of spiritual battles, fasting, prayer, and efforts to sow the seeds of the Gospel, and to allow the seed to take root in the people’s hearts. Read more in a newsletter by J. Sheremet (in Russian only).

NEW MISSIONARY PROJECT IN KENYA

“Embrace a Street Child” (EASC) is the name of the ministry that the leaders of the Missions Ministry of the Association decided to support. Find out more about the challenges of this ministry at the donation website of the missions ministry or at the “PCSBA’s Missionaries” section of the Association’s website.


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNER

MINISTRY IN ITALY

Over the course of many years, Ilya Danilyuk and his wife have been serving in Italy, and are heading a movement of evangelical churches in Europe. In his January newsletter, he shares about which ministries the Lord has blessed in Italy, and about their prayer needs. You can access the letter at this link (in Russian only).


NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD


JUDGMENT, CONVICTION, AND FORGIVENESS

After the final court hearing on December 8, 2024, the verdict was handed down for the murder of Ruvim Stukov, a talented young Christian musician and singer. He was a member of the Salvation Church in Edgewood, WA. Thirty-eight-year-old Leonel Gonzalez was sentenced to 49 years and a quarter in prison. Ruvim’s mother, Larisa Stukov, the conductor of the choir where Ruvim sang, and the church pastor, Andrey Chumakin, testified about Ruvim’s life before the sentencing. They encouraged the murderer to take God’s offer of forgiveness and salvation. Watch the recording of this sentencing here – click this link (in Russian only).

BE CAREFUL! THE DANGERS OF THE NEW ENGLISH STUDY BIBLE

Many Christian immigrants have developed a trust for printed and electronic Bible versions. However, not everything is as good as it seems. We would like to warn  Slavic people who do not know English very well, and who wish to buy an English Bible for themselves or for their children, that before you do that, consult the commentators of Christian scholars about how trustworthy that translation is. One such troubling translation is the NIV Upside-Down Kingdom Bible: Think Deeply/Love Widely, published by Zondervan. For more about this translation, read an article at this link.
Source: The Christian Post.


EVENTS

SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP

Sunday School teachers are invited to attend a conference on Spiritual Leadership: Cultivating the Faith of Children, which will take place on February 8, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Spring of Life Church in Mukilteo, WA. The speakers will be members of the PCSBA's Sunday School Ministry Department Committee.
The conference program will include the following seminars:

  • "Five Levels of Teachers’ Influence on Children"
  • "How to Share the Faith With a Child"
  • "How to Have Discipline in a Classroom"
  • "Methods of Bible Verse Memorization With Practical Tasks"

Church Address: 4711 116th St., SW Mukilteo, WA 98275
Reach out to Irina Tsvelikov with questions at (425) 737-1721.

UNITED WORSHIP NIGHT

Dear youth! We are inviting you to a special United Worship Night, which will take place on February 9 at Bryte Church at 7 p.m. The theme of the evening will be “Overcoming Comparisons,” and will be preached by Peter Kondrashev. More details…

CHRISTIAN WOMEN IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

We are inviting all ladies to a women’s conference: “Christian Women in the Contemporary World.” It will take place on February 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at New Hope Church.
The Conference speakers will be Mariya Gusenkova and Larisa Karpenko from the Salvation Church in Edgewood, WA.
Church Address: 10720 Coloma Rd, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.
Registration: $20.00 per person
For more information about the conference, registration, and tickets, visit this link.

EVENING FOR FAMILY COUPLES

On February 22, at 5:00 p.m., First Slavic Evangelical Baptist Church, located at 7238 Cromwell Way, Sacramento, CA 95822, will have a special evening for family couples. The main speaker will be pastor Sergey Gladyshko from the Ukrainian Bible Church in Bickenbach, Germany. For more about the speaker, visit this link (in Russian only).

For registration, contact: (916) 410-8700. The cost of registration is $80 per couple. Everyone is welcome to join.

SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ CONFERENCE

On March 15, those who are serving in Sunday School ministry are invited to a conference at the Second Slavic Baptist Church in Sacramento, located at 6601 Watt Avenue, North Highlands, CA 95660.

There will be two seminars at the conference:

  • 1st Seminar: “Taking Advantage of AI to Motivate, Train, and Effectively Share Bible Truth in Children’s Ministry”
  • 2nd Seminar: “Creating Effective Teams for Serving Children”

For more about the seminar’s contents, click this link (in Russian only).
Seminar speaker – Irina Tsvelikova – teacher and psychologist with a lot of experience serving in Sunday School.
Register today! To register, reach out at: (916) 798-5838.

WELCOME TO THE WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP!

Dear daughters, mothers, and grandmothers! You are invited to come for fellowship on March 15 at 5:00 p.m. at Bryte Church. The theme of the evening will be: “The God of Abraham is a God of Generations.”

WOMEN’S CONFERENCE AT THE GOOD NEWS CHURCH

On March 29, the Good News Church, Takoma, WA. will have a “Fan the Flame” conference. The speaker will be an author of many books and ministries, and a well-known international speaker, Denise Glenn.

For more details about the speaker, the theme of the conference, registration, and other details, click this link.


Previous editions of the newsletters can be found on the Association's website:
for the last year | for all the years..

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. Romanov - English Translation Proofreader
S. Timofeyeva - Russian Version Editor
S. Iotko - Сorrespondent

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