October 2016 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

But we urge you, brothers, to do this [love one another] more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. I Thess. 4:10-12

Grace and Peace to you in the name of God our Father!

This past month has been one of living a gloriously ordinary Christian life--taking heed of our gifts and callings, walking the path set before us, enjoying each day given to us, and praising God.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Montenegro, a land of wild beauty

• God has put Montenegro on the hearts of other believers as evidenced by the fact that we had meet-ups, in person and via Skype, with no less than 5 different organizations/groups this past month.  These are not the "regulars" who come every summer for the Student and Sports outreach camps, but rather both individuals and larger Christian organizations looking to establish long-term ministries here in Montenegro.  Please pray for wisdom and for the unity of all God's people,  and particularly in seeing new areas of Montenegro reached with the gospel.

• While our nursery intercom has been a big help, we long to see a proper children's ministry develop--the needs are great, the workers are few.  Please pray that God would send the right person to oversee this ministry to our growing numbers of little ones, that they may be raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  And, may we all come boldly before His throne, asking that He would provide a bigger facility of our own, that His name might be better proclaimed to all in Nikšić.

• Our upcoming mini-furlough begins in three weeks!  We praise the Lord that we have several good men able to lead the services and preach God's word in our absence.  Please pray for them as they prepare their messages, for the well-being of the saints, and for the growth of the church--both in maturity and in numbers.  We long to see every service packed every time, not just in the mornings. And please pray for us: for traveling mercies, for taking care of our family responsibilities, for sharing the work the Lord is doing here, and for rest and refreshment.

• Additionally, we still have some open days for meeting up with supporting churches in December--both midweek and Sunday; we'd love to see as many of you as we can.  Please contact Stan directly to schedule a visit.

With much love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support in this great work of God,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

Mission to Montenegro

Note:  If you would like to receive this newsletter update directly, please subscribe at:  http://christianitymontenegro.blogspot.com/ 

September 2016 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,

    nor are there any works like yours.

All the nations you have made shall come

    and worship before you, O Lord,

    and shall glorify your name.

 For you are great and do wondrous things;

    you alone are God. Ps. 86:8-10

Grace and Peace to you in the name of God our Father!

We thank God daily for the many, many freedoms we have in Christ--freedom from sin, freedom to worship, freedom to proclaim His name!

• In our Sunday morning service, Stan most recently preached from Luke 12:10 and we were all encouraged at the great mercy and forgiveness offered by the Son of Man.  In the evening, Stan preached from 1Tim 4, especially highlighting the call (and privilege) to be a good servant of our Lord Jesus.  Please pray for Stan as he prayerfully plans and prepares to proclaim God's Word faithfully week after week.

• We are enjoying the fresh start autumn brings with the renewal of weekly pastoral meetings, visitations, mentoring/discipleship times.  Groundwork for university outreach is being laid with kickoff activities for the new academic year beginning next week.  Additionally, we are strategizing ways to reach out on an ongoing basis to a broader spectrum of society.  Please pray that we would be faithful to use the gifts God has given us to serve Him well.

• The pastors of the five main evangelical churches/fellowships here in Montenegro have begun meeting regularly, to support and encourage one another as ministers of local churches, to discuss joint projects such as the annual All-Montenegro Believer's Meeting, and to develop a united Evangelical voice/presence in public life.  Please pray that God would grant these leaders wisdom and humility to fulfill the appeal to all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (I Cor. 1:10b)

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests

• Our end-of-the-month Fellowship Lunches are still new enough to be exciting, not commonplace.  We will finish off the warm weather season with a much anticipated "Roštilj" (BBQ/Grill) feast this month.  These gatherings have been very well received and proven to be a great ministry especially to those families where only one spouse is a believer.  We have (happily!) seen a cross-over increase in church participation these past few months. Please pray for the salvation of these dear souls, that God would bring them to Himself and build His church with entire families loving and serving the Lord.

• Brief Items of Note: 
• The  intercom system has been set up and proving quite helpful to parents with young children.  Prayer Alert:  If every family came every week (as we are praying for), we would not have enough room in our meeting facitility.  Please join us in praying for and contributing to a larger (and more permanent) facility.
• Please continue to pray for satisfactory outcomes for both Peter S and Rebekka’s residency applications.

• Our plans for our mini West Coast furlough are shaping up! We will be in California from mid-Nov through early Jan. and our basic housing/transportation needs have been met.  We thank both God and FCC friends!  Although our time is limited, we look forward to seeing many of you.   If your church or family would like us to visit, please contact Stan ASAP; we've already begun scheduling our days.   Please pray for wise balancing of all that we hope to accomplish:  enjoying family times, caring for an aging parent,  connecting with friends and supporters, taking care of medical needs, and squeezing in some actual R&R. (East Coast friends take note:  We will be back East around May 2017 to celebrate our children's graduations and plan to catch up with you all then.)

With much love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support in this great work of God,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich
Mission to Montenegro

Note:  If you would like to receive this newsletter update directly, please subscribe at:  http://christianitymontenegro.blogspot.com/ 

August 2016 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.  And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,  not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Heb. 10:23-25

Grace and Peace to you in the Name of God our Father!

With September fast approaching, we are wrapping up a busy, busy summer season of evangelistic outreach and Christian hospitality.

• The 10th Camp Monty sports outreach was a great success with many returnees of both campers and volunteers.   Sports and English lessons occurred throughout the day, but the highlight and main focus of the camp was the evening presentations featuring worship music, testimonies, devotions, and more.  Please pray for us as a church in our continued follow-up with the children and for the volunteers who stay connected from afar.  And especially pray for those young people who heard the Word, that they may truly embrace, love, and serve the Living Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, and delight to gather with His people.

Team from Ohio with cool USA/MNE shirts!

Out on the soccer field

Evening program--note the full house!

• While we've welcomed various friends and other guests to our home (sometimes with just an hour's notice!), we are particularly delighted to have Rebekka from Denmark with us, even if just for a short three weeks.  The Lord has blessed all our prayers with quick provision of a terrific flat to rent for the year as she is here helping out with the university student work, EUS-CG.  So join us in giving thanks to the Lord for His mercy in this important need.  Please continue to pray for the granting of the visa which will allow her to stay past three months (and for Peter S's visa which continues to be bogged down in the bowels of bureaucracy).

Rebekka from Denmark

• Our monthly fellowship lunch has proven to be especially refreshing and helpful for new people to the church to quickly build relationships with all the brethren and see themselves as part of the local body/church family. Please pray particularly for the unbelieving spouses and family members who also come, that they would be drawn by the love of the Father as seen in the lives of His children.

• Mini-Furlough Alert!  This November/December 2016! Since it has been two years already(!), we will once again be visiting Southern California this November and December to reconnect with family, friends, and supporters.  Please contact us directly to schedule get-togethers and visitations. Also, we will be in need of transportation, so if anyone has a free automobile during that time period, we could put it to good use! (East coast friends take note:  We will be back East around May 2017 to celebrate our children's graduations and plan to catch up with you all then...)

With love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support in this great work of God,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

Mission to Montenegro

Note:  If you would like to receive this newsletter update directly, please subscribe at:  http://christianitymontenegro.blogspot.com/ 

July 2016 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

You must continue in the things which you have learned…

 the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 2Tim. 3:14, 16

Grace and Peace to you in the name of God our Father!

We've enjoyed expanded opportunities to share and live God's Word this past month. Here are some highlights:

• In the regular ministry of preaching, Stan recently taught in the morning services on true blessedness from Luke 11:28, where Jesus says Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it! In the evening, continuing in 1Tim. 3, we are looking in some detail at the many, namely character-based, qualifications of overseers and deacons, knowing they apply to all believers.  

• The UCCF English team arrived at the tail end of June, a total of 8 people, including 3 returnees from last year.  We are always glad to see the familiar faces again and meet new ones.  By God's good providence, the English Student Camp was a great success -- great weather, great people, great fun, and great Bible teaching going through the Gospel of Mark.  The highlight of the camp, though, is the many great discussions about the things that matter (God, Jesus, Truth, Life) all the while enjoying the beauty of God's creation, far away from daily pressures of life.  Please pray for the young people who heard the Words of Truth, that they would embrace the Lord Jesus and commit to following Him.

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests:

• Although we've said good-bye to our English friends, we are saying hello to all the Camp Monty folks who are arriving this week for the Camp Monty sports outreach which begins on Monday, July 25th.  This event is for the youth of Nikšić, ages 8-18, and reaches several hundred children, who participate in sports events all over the city.  May the love of Jesus shine brightly as the volunteers work with and coach and share their lives with these children.  Please pray for the coaches and volunteers to discern rightly and speak words of wisdom at opportune moments.  

• We look forward to enjoying our second monthly fellowship lunch the last Sunday of this month, not letting the busyness of camp season distract us from breaking bread together, as we seek to establish this new (but ancient) practice of celebrating love feasts, as Jude 12 puts it.  Please pray that this simple means would be blessed by God for the uplifting of His people here as we seek to love one another and grow as a fellowship.

A foretaste of Micah 4:4!

• As always, summer is a time of coming and going.  We've welcomed back several of our college students and look forward to visitors from afar (US, England, and South Africa).  But most excitingly, this month we'll welcome Rebekka from Denmark who will be staying in Nikšić  working as a volunteer for EUS-CG for the next 12 months.   Please pray for her as she settles into the community and works out her responsibilities and ministries for the upcoming year.

• And again,  the regular ministry continues on with preaching and teaching, ongoing mentoring, our midweek prayer meeting and fellowship,  an active hospitality ministry, and our visitations (particularly to the elderly and infirm).  Please pray for all these good works, but especially that we might have wisdom in best meeting the needs of the very young and the old as this is a new and growing area of ministry.  And, may we ask that you pray for us in particular, as we are seeking to meet the needs of an aging (stateside) family member.

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support in this great work of God,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

Mission to Montenegro

Note:  If you would like to receive this newsletter update directly, please subscribe at:  http://christianitymontenegro.blogspot.com/ 

June 2016 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Cor. 5: 20, 21

Grace and Peace to you in the name of God our Father!

This past month, we've been privileged to have many opportunities to be Christ's ambassadors, representing His kingdom here in Nikšić, Montenegro.

• Preaching from Luke 11:1-13 in the morning, Stan encouraged us to embrace and delight in coming to God our Father, the best Father there ever was or ever will be.  In the evening, Stan is in 1 Tim. 3, addressing the offices and structure of the local church as revealed by God’s Word, that we might do all things decently and in order.  We also rejoice that we continue to have unbelievers coming to our services and hearing the Words of Life.

• We enjoyed a full-house this past week as God brought several people, all full-time missionaries in other parts of the world, to Montenegro to see what the Lord has done here and to prayerfully consider a calling to come back for longterm ministry.  It was a delight to be among peers for mutual edification, encouragement, and worship.  Truly,  all nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name. Ps. 86:9

God's People from Montenegro, Ukraine, Serbia, United States, and Swaziland. PTL!

• This Lord's Day will mark the start of a new tradition for us:  A regular monthly Fellowship Lunch following after the celebration of the Lord’s Supper in our morning service, with an emphasis on connecting as church family and not as an evangelistic outreach event. Our desire is that this not be construed as an imported Western custom (potlucks are unknown here) but rather as one deeply rooted in Christendom (So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.  Acts 2:46) and as an opportunity to contribute to a contemporary Montenegrin Christian culture.

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests

• At the end of this month, we will be welcoming the UCCF team from the UK, here to meet, befriend, and minister to students with activities and events in town as well as away at English Camp. After their departure in mid-July, camp season will continue with the arrival of Camp Monty folks for their annual evangelistic Sports Camp. Please pray that God would be pleased to touch hearts...

• Following Camp Monty, Rebekka from Denmark, will be returning as a volunteer to work for one year with EUS-CG ministering to students, building on the relationships which have developed over the past five years and making new ones.  She is hoping to quickly settle into a place of her own, that she might be another "point of light" in the community.  Please pray for her move, settling in, and fruit from her ministry.

• While we rejoice that Peter G was granted a one-year visa, please continue to pray for the visa situations of Peter S and Rebekka, especially Peter S as his visa situation is currently ensnared in bureaucratic entanglements.  

• As always, the regular ministry, the lifeblood of the church, continues on with Stan's preaching and teaching, ongoing mentoring, our midweek prayer meeting and fellowship, our visitations (particularly to the elderly and infirm), and an active hospitality ministry which always ramps up in summer time! Please pray that the Lord grant that we not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support in this great work of God,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

Mission to Montenegro

Note:  If you would like to receive this newsletter update directly, please subscribe at:  http://christianitymontenegro.blogspot.com/ 

May 2016 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

Praise the Lord, all you nations;

    extol him, all you peoples.
For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord.   Ps. 117

Grace and Peace to you in the name of God our Father!

We've had a packed month of ministry since our last newsletter.  Here are a few highlights:

• Nick Vujicic's visit and ministry surpassed our expectations! As you can imagine, Nick's visit required the coordination and cooperation of lots of people, lots of groups.  We give all glory to God for how well everything came off--God multiplied and blessed everyone's efforts beyond our imaginings.  Truly an answer to prayer as five days before the event, only 500 tickets had been sold.  On the night of the event?  See for yourself:

Nick in MNE speaking to a packed stadium

Over 4500 people heard the Gospel story: from Adam&Eve and the fall, to Jesus Christ our Savior who died for us, finishing with the glorious Resurrection and our sure hope for abundant life--now and for eternity

• We finished April off saying good-bye to the Danish Bible School team and hello to our fellow MNE believers. The All-MNE Believer's Meeting was hosted on the last Saturday of the month by one of the Podgorica churches.  This annual event allows us to connect and reconnect with believers from all over MNE as we enjoy good teaching, the sharing of reports and testimonies, praying together, and singing praises to our God. 

• We began May by celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! Our Easter services were a time of sweet fellowship and well-attended, despite not being able to post times of services (as we had hoped to do) on the Nick in MNE FB page.  Stan preached from different portions of I Cor. 15 in both the morning and evening services, highlighting the blessings that are ours because of the Resurrection and the terrible position of those who do not believe.

• The regular ministry continues on with Stan's preaching and teaching from Luke 10 and 1 Tim. 2, midweek prayer meeting and fellowship, our visitations (particularly to the elderly), and an active hospitality ministry.  We also met up with a representative from Samaritan's Purse and confirmed our participation in this year's Operation Christmas Child shoebox ministry.

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests:

• We are faced with new challenges and opportunities as the needs of the congregation grow, from ministering to the very young (establishing a nursery, Sunday School) to the very old (visitations and practical help for the infirm).  Please pray that we would be quick to discern needs and wisely creative in giving help.

• We're delighted to see several new faces regularly at our weekly meetings, from unbelieving-but-increasingly-interested family members to students blessed by the recent evangelistic events with the Danish Bible School and Nick's ministry.  To God be the glory! Please pray for continued fruit from all the ministries of the church, that God would be pleased to add to His body here in Nikšić and Montenegro.

• We will be hosting several large teams in June and July as the summer camp ministries begin in earnest next month.  Please pray for those coming to minister, for us here as we prepare all the logistics for the camps to take place, and for those who will attend the camps, that their eyes and ears would be open.

• Please continue to pray for the visa situations of Peter S, Peter G, and Rebekka (coming mid-summer to stay for a year).  Changing laws and regulations have complicated the process for both the applicants and the granting offices.

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support in this great work of God,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

Mission to Montenegro

Note:  If you would like to receive this newsletter update directly, please subscribe at:  http://christianitymontenegro.blogspot.com/    

April 2016 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

Sing to the Lord, all the earth!

    Tell of His salvation from day to day.

Declare His glory among the nations,

   His marvelous works among all the peoples! Ps. 96:2,3

Grace and Peace to you in the name of God our Father!

We've been enjoying the burst of new life in the garden as our tulips and other spring bulbs bloom profusely.  May God be pleased to bring new life to the people here as we sing, tell, and declare His life-giving words to the peoples around us.

• Mini-update on two past prayer requests:  1. We rejoice that our evangelistic Sunday in late March brought several never-been-to-church-before visitors, and 2.  The resubmitted application to have the student ministry, EUS-CG, recognized as a legal entity (NGO) was approved for which we are very grateful.

Come Meet the Danes Fellowship Evening

• The Danish Bible School team is here! They're reaching out to the local university students with several events including meeting students on campus, hosting fellowship evenings at our place, student bible studies, and more.  We are enjoying sweet fellowship and mutual edification as we work and live together for the next two weeks.

A Full House!

• Nick Vujicic will be ministering at two major events this Thursday, one in Nikšić, one in Podgorica.  His visit has been widely promoted here in Montenegro, and he'll have a wonderful opportunity for sharing the gospel to thousands.  We're looking forward to following-up with those showing further interest in the good news of Jesus Christ.
  

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests:

• Please pray for the current outreach to university students and Nick's ministry all happening this week.  Continue to pray for both the practical logistics and for those ministering--that Christ might be lifted up and not we ourselves.  Pray for eyes and ears to be open, that the Holy Spirit would illumine hearts for the natural man does not understand.

• We will be celebrating Easter on May 1st.  Cultural religious holidays always present a special opportunity to invite people to come to church. This year, however, Easter conflicts with the more widely-celebrated May First holiday.   

• Please continue to pray for the visa situations of Peter S, Peter G, and Rebekka (who will be coming late summer to stay for a year.)  Changing laws and regulations have complicated the process for both the applicants and the granting offices.

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support in this great work of God,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

Mission to Montenegro

Note:  If you would like to receive this newsletter update directly, please subscribe at:  http://christianitymontenegro.blogspot.com/