December 2017 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.  Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.   I Tim 1:15, 17

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

This past month has been a month of quiet progress.  Here are a few highlights:

• We’ve had several repeat visitors to our Sunday services as well as our mid-week prayer meeting.  We see this as a direct answer to prayer as well as confirmation that our recent addition of “get out into the community” activities is a step in the right direction; we’ve had a number of good conversations naturally touching on spiritual truths with new acquaintances.

• Stan continues preaching from Luke, having just wrapped up Ch. 19 covering Jesus and the cleansing of the temple with a particular look at what the the temple was meant to be doing instead of being a "marketplace and den of thieves” and what that tells us about God and about us, the church, as His Temple today.  In the evenings, along with preaching through specific psalms, Stan looked as Jesus Christ, the perfect Psalm Singer, who sings over us, for us, to us, with us.

• The children’s Sunday school continues on despite various challenges due to sick children and stressful schedules.  Our good beginning *is* just a beginning, so please keep praying for Martina as she prepares each week, for the children to listen attentively, for the Holy Spirit to touch hearts, and for the right person/couple called to oversee this important ministry to join us soon!

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests:

• Here in Niksic we will be receiving approximately 2000 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes to distribute before Orthodox (Jan 7) Christmas. This is an huge undertaking for a small number of volunteers, mainly through EUS-CG (Evangelical University Student group).  An extra challenge this year is that the theatre we had use of in previous years has been sold and renovated as a pub, so there are numerous logistical problems to solve at present.  Please pray that each box handed out would testify to the children and their families the Good News of Jesus Christ.

• During the holiday season, we have several cultural (secular but rooted in religion) days coming up: two Saint Days (St. Nikola, John the Baptist) plus Christmas (Jan 7).   Christmas this year falls on a Sunday which means that people who might not ordinarily go to church on Christmas Day will. Also, we are privileged to be invited to a number of family Slavas (celebrations of the aforementioned Saint Days) which includes enjoying a special meal together.  Please pray for meaningful discourse and for a packed church room on Christmas Day.  Soli Deo Gloria!

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

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

Mission to Montenegro

We are extremely grateful for those individuals and churches who support this work through prayer, encouragement, and material giving.  If you'd like to join our team of financial supporters or adjust the gift you already give, here’s how:

If you live in the U.S., you may mail checks made out to: Mission to Montenegro with appropriate memo and addressed to:

Faith Community Church

Attn:  Mission to Montenegro

723 South D Street

Oxnard, CA 93030

website: Faith Community Church

If you live outside the U.S. do get in touch (stan.surbatovich@gmail.com) and we will give you bank transfer information.

Thank you for your support! To God be the glory!

November 2017 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Col. 3:16-17

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

As mentioned in our last newsletter, on Oct. 31st, at a national press center in Podgorica, partnering with the German embassy, Stan organized and participated in a round table discussion regarding the importance and far-reaching influence of the Reformation.

In giving a brief history of the Reformation and the translation of Scriptures into locally understood languages, Stan brought out the fact that the Reformation for Serbian-speaking peoples didn't begin in the 1300s (Wycliffe) or 1500s (Tyndale, Luther);  it was not until the mid-1800s that Vuk Karadžić translated the New Testament into Serbian.

Serbian New Testament first published in mid-1800s

This portion of Vuk Karadžić's introduction to his Serbian New Testament is both moving and sobering:

I hope that this book will be of untold benefit to our people.  From the Gospels people will become acquainted with how Christ came to this earth, what He taught, and how He went from this earth; from the Book of Acts  they will learn what the apostles did after Christ and how Christian truth (law) spread throughout the world; and from the Apostolic Epistles they will learn what the apostles taught so that Christian truth will be better established.

Regarding Christ, that He suffered and rose, our people know something from listening in church and sermons, but about the Acts of the Apostles and of the Epistles they know,  truthfully, nothing.  And how could they know?  Even if there were enough books like this in the Old Slovenian Language, people don’t understand that language; and even if we found people who somehow understand something, there are no books.

I don’t know that amongst all of our people, except for in churches, perhaps at most fifty houses have the New Testament; and except for priests, who read in churches and on various other occasions according to their ministry, I don’t know if even five people could be found who have read through the whole New Testament. 

Between having no books and not being able to understand them, it has come to the point that our people don’t even think that the Gospels and Apostolic books are worth reading or hearing to actually learn something, but they think that they should only be read in church and at other various church services because of ritual.

• We rejoice that in Montenegro there are now many more than fifty homes with New Testaments and more than five people who have read them!  However, many still view the Scriptures as a relic, as something religious, even as a talisman, but not, as Vuk Karadžić notes, worth reading or hearing to actually learn something.  Please pray for God's Word to be a light and sword to those here lost in sin and darkness.

• We rejoice that God's Word is faithfully proclaimed every Lord's Day here in Nikšić.  In the morning, Stan continues to preach through the Gospel of Luke.  In the evening, Stan has finished the Book of Esther and is preaching from selected Psalms, beginning with Psalm 1 and Blessed is the man....  Please pray that we would continue to delight ourselves in the law of the Lord and meditate on it daily.  

• We rejoice that with Martina's commitment to have a simple Sunday School, parents are bringing their children more regularly.  The children range in age from 5-9 and are asking good questions, like "What *was* wrong with Cain's offering?"  Please pray for Martina and other helpers to get a good routine and program in place and for the children to grow in their love and knowledge of God.  

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

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

Mission to Montenegro

We are extremely grateful for all those individuals and churches who support this work through prayer, encouragement, and material giving.  If you'd like to join our team of financial supporters or adjust the gift you already give, here’s how:

If you live in the U.S., you may mail checks made out to: Mission to Montenegro with appropriate memo and addressed to:

Faith Community Church

Attn:  Mission to Montenegro

723 South D Street

Oxnard, CA 93030

website: Faith Community Church

If you live outside the U.S. do get in touch (stan.surbatovich@gmail.com) and we will give you bank transfer information.

Thank you for your support! To God be the glory!

October 2017 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

Save us, O God of our salvation,

    and gather and deliver us from among the nations,

that we may give thanks to your holy name

    and glory in your praise.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

    from everlasting to everlasting! I Chron. 16:35,36

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

Greetings from Nikšić!  Fall is definitely upon us:  the leaves are turning color and there is snow on the mountains! Truly, He has made everything beautiful in its time.

• We are enjoying the fresh start autumn brings with the renewal of weekly pastoral meetings, visitations, mentoring/discipleship times along with the regular services and prayer meeting.  The EUS Student work has fully started up again as well with the return of university students.   Please pray that we all would be faithful to use the gifts God has given us to serve Him well.

• We are thrilled to have several new regular attendees to our services, including school-aged children.  Thus, for the time being, Martina (one of our own) has begun a simple Sunday School for the children.  Please pray that God would use this humble beginning to bless the children mightily.  Also, please continue to pray for a full-time dedicated worker/couple to oversee this growing area of need.

• In honor of the 500th anniversary of The Reformation, Stan is coordinating a press conference/round table on its importance and influence in conjunction with the German Embassy.  Montenegrins know very little about the Reformation nor that the most popular Bible translation here is based on Martin Luther's work.  We trust this will increase  understanding and give credence to Protestantism/Biblical Christianity here in MNE.  Please pray for good success! (Interestingly, October 31st will be a national holiday in both Germany and Slovenia!)  

We are extremely grateful for all those individuals and churches who support this work through prayer, encouragement, and material giving.  If you'd like to join our team of financial supporters or adjust the gift you already give, please read past our signature.

One with you in Christ,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich
Mission to Montenegro

If you desire to give monetarily, whether for ongoing support or as a special offering, here’s how:

If you live in the U.S., you may mail checks made out to: Mission to Montenegro with appropriate memo and addressed to:

Faith Community Church
Attn:  Mission to Montenegro
723 South D Street
Oxnard, CA 93030

website: Faith Community Church

If you live outside the U.S. do get in touch (stan.surbatovich@gmail.com) and we will give you bank transfer information.

Thank you for your support! To God be the glory!

September 2017 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. II Peter 3:9

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

Our assumption that with the busy summer camp season past us, ministry and life would slow down to its "normal" routine was quite misguided!  Here are a few highlights from the past month:

• The privilege of proclaiming of God's Word here in Nikšić every Sunday continues for which we are most thankful.  Stan is currently preaching through Luke 18 in the morning and the Book of Esther in the evening.  In Esther we see God's amazing providence and greatness, not through the working of miracles, but through everyday life (insomnia, for example!), accomplishing *all* His good purposes.

• We hosted a record number of guests (apart from teams) these past four weeks-- from the US, the UK, Greece, Holland, and more--some for a meal, some needing a place to stay for a night, some for a week.  We barely fit under the shade of the grapevines for our last Fellowship Lunch!

• In presenting the gospel in a relationship-based culture, it is important to cultivate and build those relationships, both within the church and without.  Thus, along with the typical ministry activities of preparing sermons, counseling, visitation, mentoring, and midweek meetings--all of which center around fellow believers---we are participating in several new opportunities to get to know people within the wider Nikšić community.  

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests

• Please pray for the Holy Spirit to illumine the minds and hearts of those who hear God's word for the natural man does not understand these things.  And please pray for Stan and the other young men given opportunities to preach, that they would be faithful and wise in their teaching and preaching.  And, let's pray that God add mightily to His church here in Nikšić and in Montenegro.

• Please pray for the EUS Student work which begins in earnest at the end of this month as the university students begin their classes:  for favor with the university and student council leaders, for students to participate in the offerings, for the local EUS leadership team to be wise in planning, preparing, and following-up students through weekly meetings as well as one-on-one bible studies.

• Please pray for a dedicated worker/couple to establish and lead an ongoing children's ministry.  We no longer just have babies but little people!  It was quite heartwarming when a set of twin boys eagerly requested their favorite worship song (not the same one, of course!) at a recent evening service.

• Please pray for special wisdom and maturity amongst for the church leaders here in MNE because there are always needs and issues arising amongst the believers (and when one part of the body hurts, the whole body hurts).  May God grant grace and wisdom to all for both the giving and receiving of godly counsel.

Special Mention Prayer Request:

As always, we wish to express our great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support in this great work of God.  However, the financial administrator of our monetary support has informed us that contributions to Mission to Montenegro are noticeably underfunded this year to date.  

Our vision is simple: That Christ be preached through all of Montenegro beginning with a biblical local church in Nikšić.  

We are extremely grateful for all those individuals and churches who've supported the work thus far and if you'd like to join our team of financial supporters or adjust the gift you already give, please read past our signature.

One with you in Christ,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

Mission to Montenegro

Note: If you desire to give monetarily, whether for ongoing support or as a special offering, here’s how:

If you live in the U.S., you may mail checks made out to: Mission to Montenegro with appropriate memo and addressed to:

Faith Community Church
Attn:  Mission to Montenegro
723 South D Street
Oxnard, CA 93030

website: Faith Community Church

If you live outside the U.S. do get in touch (stan.surbatovich@gmail.com) and we will give you bank transfer information.

Thank you for your support! To God be the glory!

August 2017 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!

He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just.

A faithful God who does no wrong, 

upright and just is he. 

Deut. 32:3,4

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

Another busy month, another successful camp, plus a lovely wedding--God is good!

• Camp Monty 2017, in its 11th year as a summer daytime sports camp, touched hundreds of children, old-timers and newcomers, through various sports such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, and tennis, as well as English lessons.  A large team of international volunteers shared their expertise and their love for the Lord Jesus.  

• We experienced the joy of inviting our neighbor to sit under our vine (Zech 3:10) as we've hosted a dozen+ people in town as helpers for Camp Monty, as guests for the wedding, and as friends.  We've enjoyed many a meal together, dining al fresco, sharing life, joys as well as trials. Being together in these settings provides wonderful opportunities for table-talk ministry. One other highlight: We were treated to a few "mini-concerts" as a number of the Danes, students at the Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, relaxed and amused themselves (to our delight) with the piano and guitars.  

• The big highlight of July, though, was the Pedersen Wedding!  With great satisfaction, we witnessed the vows and union of these two young people as they committed themselves to love one another and to love God and serve Him wholeheartedly together.  The ceremony and celebration afterwards wonderfully weaved together both Montenegrin and Danish traditions in a God-honoring way. Soli Deo Gloria!

Mr. and Mrs. Pedersen enjoying the moment!

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests

• Please pray for the regular ongoing ministry of the church:  the preaching, the teaching, the discipling, the follow-up to the outreaches, personal growth in sanctification.  Also, please pray specifically for an upcoming visitation to the family of a church member whose father tragically passed away, leaving behind a widow with five children.

• Please pray for the many people, children and adults, who heard and witnessed the gospel in action this summer-through camps, through preaching, through hospitality and other ministry.  We long that the sharing of our faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing... for the sake of Christ.  (Philemon 1:6)

• Please pray for the marriage of the young Pedersen family and for all the marriages of the families in church.  As might be expected in a pioneering work, more than half the marriages in the fellowship are not united in Christ.  May God grant us all much grace and patience in loving and serving our spouses as expressions of our loving and serving the Lord Jesus.

• Please continue to pray for Stan's elderly mother and our role in her ongoing care.  Due to poor health, she was not able to come to Montenegro this summer per original plan, and we need much wisdom in determining next steps.

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

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich
Mission to Montenegro

July 2017 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

In the beginning was the Word, 

            and the Word was with God, 

                             and the Word was God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...  

                                                John 1:1,14

Grace and Peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord!

To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose, and here in Nikšić it is the time and season for camps and outreaches!  And while the many activities make for fun photos and good memories, what stirs our hearts is sharing and living the truth of Jesus Christ and His Word.

• On Sunday mornings, Stan is ministering from Luke 17, and in the evening, he is beginning a new series preaching through the book of Esther which uniquely shows God working His plans and purposes for His people who are living in an unrighteous, pagan society.

• The English Student Camp outreach, courtesy of the UCCF team from Britain along with local believers, wrapped up this past week.  Along with the fun activities and probing discussions of God's Word, the Spirit used the challenging circumstances of a somewhat serious injury of one participant to demonstrate the reality of our living faith in a living God as His goodness was proclaimed throughout the entire trial.  May the Lord continue to bring much fruit to bear in the lives of the saved and unsaved from this camp.

• God brought by another family, currently pastoring a church in Seattle, on a scouting trip to see if the Lord is calling them to Montenegro.  This is the fourth family in the past year or so pondering the same question.   We met up with them for a couple of hours to answer questions, share what we've seen and what we hope to see, and generally be helpful.  Please join us in praying for them, that they would distill the input they received from us and others, and discern all that God has for them.  We also fervently pray for the continued unity of all the churches here, especially as we are growing, for by this everyone will know that we are His disciples, if we love one another.

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests

• Please pray for those who attended the English Student Camp.  Some of the young people did come to Sunday Services for the first time while the team was here.  Please pray that they would continue to come, to hear God's Word, to join in with His people.  Please also pray for the young woman who was injured. While she will not need surgery (Thank You, Lord), she still has several weeks of healing ahead of her.

• Please pray for the upcoming Camp Monty which starts next week.  Please pray that the seeds of gospel truth would take hold and pray especially for those who are entering into their high school/university years as that is often a time of personal reflection and decision-making. 

• We will also be participating in and celebrating the marriage next week of one of our young ladies to a Danish man.  Please pray for the bride and groom and their families, for Stan as he prepares a wedding sermon, and for all the details of this God-honoring, cross-cultural, life-changing event! 

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 2017 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,  

who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, 

whom no one has seen or can see. 

To him be honor and might forever. Amen. 

I Tim. 6:15-16

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

Greetings once again from Nikšić, Montenegro! Our return trip was remarkably uneventful: All flights on time and all baggage arrived—miraculously, because one bag bore zero (zip, nada) luggage tags—not a scan barcode at all—and two others had shredded tags.  Thank you, Lord!

• Stan is glad to be back in the pulpit, continuing on in Luke 16 for our morning services. He finished the parable of the rich man and Lazarus with a sobering look at the reality of hell which highlights the joyous good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.   In our evening services, Stan preached from I Tim 6: 14ff, with the theme Theology Leads to Doxology: The more we know God—He who is Immortal, Invisible, in Light Inaccessible, most Blessed, most Glorious, Almighty, Victorious*— the more we will love, praise, and obey Him.

• Earlier this month we attended the annual All-Montenegro Believer's Meeting (a chance for all 150+ believers in country to get together for mutual encouragement and edification--it is rather like a family reunion) which was hosted, for the first-time ever, by the Roma (Gypsy) Believers in Podgorica. We know the organizers were nervous (but eager) and everybody was thrilled with their more-than-respectable first effort!  These gatherings are always a foretaste of heaven, when we will join the heavenly hosts from all tribes, nations, and tongues.

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests

• 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 particularly for Stan as he plans and prepares to proclaim God's Word faithfully week after week.

• We are once again entering in our busy season of camps and teams. Coming up at the end of this month we  will be busy with the Student English Camp (with British UCCF team), followed by the 11th annual Camp Monty sports camp.  Additionally this summer, we are expecting other guests for varying lengths of time--some coming to visit, some coming to celebrate the July wedding of one of our young people, some coming to get situated before moving into a permanent residence.  Please pray for the volunteers who are coming, that they might shine with God's love and speak winsomely by the power of the Holy Spirit and for the hearts of the young people who will meet and speak with them.

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/ 

*Lyrics from hymn by Walter Chalmers Smith (1824-1908)