REJOICING WITH THE CHURCH
The members and guests of the First Slavic Baptist Church of Sacramento will remember December 3, 2023 for a very long time. This was a day of great celebration for the local church. Five men were ordained as deacons. Children of God are always eager to spend time in the house of the Lord, but when there is an ordination of God’s servants, then the joy is elevated to the highest degree. More… (in Russian only).
CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN
On December 12, the Special Needs Children Ministry had their Christmas celebration for children with special needs and their families at the First Slavic Baptist Church of Sacramento. More than 100 people came to the event, including newly arrived immigrant families. More about the celebration… (in Russian only).
“BETHLEHEM” EVENING AT SLAVIC CHURCH IN WEST SACRAMENTO
Christmas is the best time of the year to be obedient to the Great Commission that the Lord gave to His disciples – to proclaim the Gospel to the world. Many churches, including Slavic Baptist Church of West Sacramento, took advantage of this and hosted a special event for their neighbors, acquaintances, and unbelieving friends. For more about this event in West Sacramento, read an article by A. Zabolotnyy.
Youth – Event Organizers
FAMILY CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION
On December 17, Spring Bible Church in Moraga Bay (Bay Area) hosted a family Christmas celebration evening. About 40 people were able to attend the church service and hear the Good News of Christ. About half of the people who attended the Christmas celebration were those who do not know the Lord – young families, representatives of various religions, and even some Buddhists. For some families, this was their very first time at the church. More… (in Russian only).
Children had many engaging activities
MISSIONARY BREAKFAST AT MORAGA (BAY AREA)
On January 13, Spring Bible Church in Moraga Bay (Bay Area) had a leaders’ meeting for missionaries and pastors of PCSBA. The initiator and organizer of this event was Aleksey Kharlamov, pastor of the church, which was recently accepted as a member of the Association. For more details, visit the Association’s website.
Prayer Breakfast Participants
SURVEY RESULTS OF PCSBA’S 85TH CONVENTION
During the 85th convention, the delegates had an opportunity to take a survey with 14 questions related to the first and second generations of immigrants in Slavic churches. The survey was conducted in order to understand who we are as an Association, and to make some adjustments for future growth. After reviewing the survey results, we can sort through the well-meaning advice, hear about the ideal scenarios, and look at the reality of our situation today. The analysis results are presented in an article by I. Mileyev – read it on the Association’s website.
MINISTRY TO WIDOWS, ORPHANS, AND LONELY PEOPLE
Ministering to widows, orphans, and lonely people is important for the Pacific Coast Slavic Baptist Association. Tatyana Senin is overseeing this ministry. We are bringing you an interview with the PCSBA’s Information Ministry associate, Svetlana Iotko, which took place during the 85th Convention – click this link (in Russian only).
Tatyana Senina and Svetlana Iotko
WINTER CAMP AT THE MISSION BIBLE CHURCH
On January 18-21, Mission Bible Church had their winter retreat with the theme of “God and You.” The retreat took place at Zephyr Point at Lake Tahoe and was attended by about 200 people. Our church paid for the lodging at the retreat, and there were also brothers and sisters from other churches from Sacramento and Concord, as well as a few people from American churches. Aleksandr Peganov was the speaker. More…(in Russian only).
RELEVANCE OF CHORAL MINISTRY
Choir ministry is always very practical because they look well on stage, and can also perform in harmony with the contemporary worship bands. The leader of PCSBA’s music ministry, Sergey Yanovskiy, shared his thoughts about the future growth of choir ministry with the Association’s Information Ministry associate, S. Iotko. More details… (in Russian only).
Sergey Yanovskiy with the Choir
YOUTH CHOIR VISIT TO THE LIVING STONES CHURCH
Grace Avenue Bible Church’s youth choir visited the Living Stones Church on January 14. The church had a warm greeting for the visiting choir and worshipped the Lord together with their young brothers and sisters in Christ. More details…(in Russain only).
Choir with Their Conductor and Pastors
UPDATES FROM THE PRISON MINISTRY
The Prison Ministry team continues to share the Gospel in prisons. Every Saturday, a team of people travels hundreds of miles and stands in long lines at the prison entrances in order to bring the joy of visitation to one or a few inmates. This is a difficult ministry that requires a lot of dedication and sacrifice, but seeing the joy of salvation makes it all worth it. More details… (in Russian only).
After a Meeting Session
PAST EVENTS AT THE ROCKLAND CHURCH
Rockland Baptist Church had such a blessed season of celebrations. Concerts, plays, and guest attendance were all something to remember. Indeed, everyone who would like to watch these events can do so by visiting a page at this link (in Russian only).
“Ten Virgins” Play
MISSIONARY NEWS
URGENT NEED IN SPAIN
Please, pray for an urgent need of receiving a license to have church services at Torrevieja, Spain.
The enemy is on the alert. Two families who live across from the missionary church (pastored by Victor Kovba) complained to the police that the church has loud music and is gathering a lot of people. The police came three times and warned the church that if they did not get a license before February 15, 2024, then they will shut down the church building. They want to get the church out of their city. The Christian organization and the church itself are officially registered. Without the license and insurance, they are allowed to have no more than 30 people.
They do have the insurance, but not the license. Please pray so that the church would be able to file all the paperwork and find the finances for the license, which is 1,900 Euro. If you would like to contribute to this need, you can do so through Connect International (click this link). Under the Designation on the list of Missionaries choose Kovba, Viktor.
MISSIONARY MINISTRY REPORTS
Missionaries that are supported by our Association regularly give us updates about their work in various countries. To see some of their reports for December and January, go to the following links:
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
 14TH SUMMIT-FORUM OF EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN BAPTISTS OF EUROPE 2024
On February 6-9, the Movement of Evangelical Churches of Europe are planning to have their 14th summit-forum. The main goal of the event is to have spiritual fellowship, share ministry experience in planting immigrant churches in central and eastern Europe, and to plan joint events for the upcoming year. For more about those who are invited to it, about the program, and registration, visit the website of NRC-EBF – click this link.
OUR MISSION IS TO SHARE THE GOSPEL
 This is the goal of The Light to the East Mission, which is partnering with our Association. In order for the Good News to reach all the peoples of the former Soviet Union, those serving in this ministry are utilizing  everything that they can in modern technology: website, social media, Telegram, YouTube, Twitter, printing Bibles in many
languages and distributing them in printed and electronic forms, as well as various books, magazines, video and audio resources, and radio. These are only some of the ways this Christian organization is serving in reaching out to the people and serving the Lord for over 103 years. What’s great about this ministry is that anyone, regardless of their age, is able to serve. Read more details and listen to an interview with a representative of this ministry at this link (in Russian only).
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