December 2020 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Col 1:15-17

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

As we finish up this final month of this very different year, it is so good to stop and behold Christ:  Christ in his humility and exaltation,  Christ in his glory and magnificence, Christ in his perfect obedience and accomplished work of salvation.   

May we all praise the Son with joyful hearts this season, and may many more come to know Him and join us in everlasting worship.

• Among the current covid restrictions, the ones that affect us most in our ministry are the nightly curfew, the ban on household gatherings, and the restriction on intercity travel from Friday night to Monday morning.  However, we are once again allowed to meet as a church as long as we restrict the number of people and follow masking/sanitizing rules. Thus, our morning service is both live and streamed; about half the congregation can attend.  Our Sunday evening service and mid-week prayer meeting continue on Zoom.  Please pray for continued health and safety of all the brethren here and that we would not grow with weary with doing good.

• Last Sunday, Stan preached from Exodus 33, emphasizing that the heart and goal of our salvation is to restore that which was lost:  a living, loving relationship with God himself and not merely to gain material blessings.  Over our evening Zoom service, Stan outlined four important truths revealed in Hebrews 9 regarding Christ’s shed blood and sacrificial death.  The online audience for the morning service continues to grow steadily.  Please pray for those who are listening, for many more to hear God's Word, and for us to connect personally with those following online who are located in and around Nikšić.
  
  
  

• Regarding religious engagement with the civic realm—the new government indicated that it reached out to churches, seeking input from them, yet none of the registered Protestant churches were contacted. The pastors of these churches (including Stan) have signed and are submitting a respectful letter to the proper government Ministry indicating our desire to engage with them fully.  Please pray for a fruitful outcome.

• The BGU interns we received last month are settled in and doing well despite the limitations imposed by the pandemic.  They are participating in church life, working hard at learning Montenegrin, and broadening out into the community bit by bit.   Please pray for us all, especially as we seek to lead and expand their ministry and service opportunities in the coming new year.

Additional Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests:

• Please pray for those ministering the Word in all the weekly meetings, for God's life-changing Word to go forth powerfully despite the distancing, whether physically or online. 

• Please pray for the special upcoming Christmas (Jan. 7) messages and service. Also, it is traditional for leaders of the Orthodox and Catholic churches to give Christmas Greetings; in years past, we have also given such greetings using it as an opportunity to explain the gospel and would like to do so this year as well. Stan is currently crafting a message which will be given to the newspapers in early January.  Please pray for Stan as he writes this message and for many to read with eyes, ears, and hearts to hear.

• Please pray for the Samaritan's Purse Christmas Shoebox outreach which will look very different this year. There are far fewer boxes to be distributed this year (a couple hundred instead of several thousand),  so rather than bringing the children together for a presentation (which is not allowed), each box will be personally delivered to a family.  Please pray that each family would truly receive far more than a box of cute presents but The Greatest Gift of All.

• Please continue to pray for the Book project and Video project.  The holidays and Covid have slowed but not negated progress.  Our apologies for not sending out the promised Book Project Funding info. Coming soon!

As always, we want to close this newsletter with great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support for us to do what we do.  Every prayer, every note, every card, every donation from you both blesses us and humbles us because we know that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father.  

Thank you for sharing the Father’s love with us. Amazing love, indeed!

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

November 2020 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

Look among the nations, and see;

wonder and be astounded.

For I am doing a work in your days

that you would not believe if told. Hab. 1:5

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

This past month (and year!) has certainly been a time to wonder and be astounded.  Here in Nikšić, we've had an incredible month of changes, most of which we did not foresee at all.  We walk by faith, not sight, and truly we make our plans but God determines our steps.  (Regarding Covid measures, this past month we enjoyed being a Tier 1 city (least restrictions) for one week but are now subject to strict, nation-wide restrictions.)

• Whether we meet in person (Tier 1 blessing!) or online-only (current status), our Sunday observances continue, for our good and God’s glory.  In the morning, Stan just finished preaching from Exodus 31 on the Sabbath Day as a sign and blessing, and in the evening service, from Hebrews 8 on the better Covenant secured by Jesus.

• At the end of October (taking advantage of Tier 1 status), we had our first joint EUS/Church Ladies' Brunch Meeting in six months.   We had a good turnout--eleven ladies and that is with two not being able to join at the last minute. Considering the times, Vicki's talk was rooted in 2 Cor. 6:  "Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" and what it means to live well with sorrow. 

• Because Montenegrin law allows churches/religious groups to make agreements with the government, Stan and five other pastors met in early November to address which specific issues to raise with the government and request a meeting with the appropriate government ministry.  Two issues (of many) to bring to the table:  working out details for access to public/government media as a body; and relief from certain fees and taxes when building church facilities.   The actual meeting with the government is on hold due to Covid and post-election changes.

• We've taken on a new, quite unexpected challenge:  Four young women arrived Nov. 2 for a 14-month-long internship as part of their Junior/Senior year at Bethany Global University.  It is quite a story of how this came about (especially as a week prior we had no idea that these interns & university even existed.).  Their program is specifically for Intercultural Ministry (missions), so unlike short-term teams here for specific events, the team has intensive language learning requirements, other academic assignments, as well as involvement with local church ministry. Normally, all sides (the school, the students, the church/pastor/overseers on the ground) have several months to go over things and work out details; since that was not possible this time, we are breaking new ground and figuring out things as we go.  Pray for us all!

Kara, Grace, Joelle, and Rebekah--our BGU interns til Dec. '21!

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests:

Please pray for the regular ministry of the Word as Stan (and others) preach and teach throughout the week at church, via Zoom and other social media, and even in (very small) groups.  Pray that God's word would draw those in darkness into His light and for His people to walk closely with Him.

Please pray for the BGU interns as they learn the language, settle into the church community and Nikšić life (especially challenging in the midst of a pandemic), continue their studies, and build up relationships with each other and the people God brings into their lives.  May God bring forth much good from their time here.

Please pray for both the Osnovne Istine video series and Book Translation project which are progressing step-by-step.  Join us in giving thanks because the "Book Publishing" fund has grown this past month (Thank you, FCC Saints!).  Rather than laying out the details of publication costs here, we plan to send a special mini-update in the next few weeks.

Please pray for the upcoming Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child event which will be primarily coordinated by the EUS (student ministry) team.  We will be taking a very modest number of boxes (a few hundred as opposed to a few thousand as in past years).  Please pray for both the logistics given restrictions and for the children and families receiving the gifts.  May hearts seek the Greatest Gift of all, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Noting that Thanksgiving Day will soon be celebrated in the States, may we all join, from every tongue, tribe, and nation, in giving thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. That's why we are here.  

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support to make this all happen,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

October 2020 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

 

I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; 

with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

I will declare that your love stands firm forever, 

that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.  

Psalm 89:1-2

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

The day after pushing send on last month’s newsletter, our city Nikšić was put under Tier 4 restrictions (the heaviest) which included curfews, some closures, and no visiting privately in homes.  Our covid-19 numbers have improved over the last four weeks (yay!), so now we’ve placed into Tier 2. What a joy it is to be able to go from house to house once again!

• Stan recently finished preaching from Exodus 30, putting forth how all that touches God must be holy: the priests, their clothes, the altars, the sacrifices, the oils, everything;  and further highlighting the great gift of salvation, procured by Jesus Christ, which proclaims us sinners sanctified and lets us boldly enter the holy of holies.  Hallelujah!

• In our Sunday evening Zoom meetings, Stan and several other men have brought encouraging messages:  from Hebrews 7 (our assurance being rooted in Christ’s “once for all” sacrifice), from  2 Cor. 5:14ff (the compelling love of Christ to be His ambassadors of reconciliation), and from Psalm 1 (the blessed man (with God’s help) keeps himself out of the perishing path of the wicked.) Despite the terrible camera angles and audio lag times, the ability to see each other together electronically is a huge blessing.

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• The first installment of Osnovne Istine (Basic Truths) has been filmed and is currently in post-production.  This is the start of our hoped-for series of 5-10 minute talks regarding basics of Christianity to be posted online.  This first talk centered on why we need the bible.         
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• We are also making progress with our book project:  We’ve received formal permission to translate and publish Good News for Anxious Christians; we have narrowed down the choice of local publishers to two; we have a realistic idea of the costs involved; translation of the text has begun.  Next steps:  finishing the translation and seeking further funds to finish the project.  If you would like to support this one-time project, please contact Stan* directly for costs/accounting.

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests:

Please pray for the regular ministry of the Word as Stan (and others) preach and teach throughout the week at church, via Zoom and other social media, and even in (very small) groups.  We are also hoping to have a Ladies' Breakfast at the end of October after many delays. May hearts be quickened and lives changed to the glory of God.  

Please pray for the Osnovne Istine video series: For Stan as he prepares short talks and for the tech team (Peter and Danijel) who will be recording, editing (which has come with a large learning curve), and posting.  May God use these humble means to bring people to Himself.  

Please pray for  book translation progress and consider contributing to the financial needs* to get it into print.

Please pray for the members of our own fellowship:  for unity, for reaching out to one another, for perseverance in grace and charity, for the financial needs as well as the emotional needs of those hard-hit by closures and disruptions, especially the families with school-aged children as they have much to juggle with ever-changing school scenarios.

Please pray for continued health and strength for us and BabaC (Stan's mother who lives with us).  

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

* If you would like to know more about contributing to the Book Publishing project, please contact Stan directly at stan . surbatovich @ gmail . com (no spaces).

September 2020 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, 

for his compassions never fail. 

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 

I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24

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

Between migraines, dental emergencies, and Covid-19 increasing its foothold in the local community, it has been a bit of a challenging month. Sometimes just living each day with grace and joy by the mercy and strength of Christ is a victory.  Soli Deo gloria!

Services have continued, some in person, some via Zoom, some solely through our Youtube Channel or Facebook Page. We are glad we have so many options.

• In the morning service, Stan preached Exodus 26, highlighting the truth that God meeting with His people in the tabernacle in the wilderness is just a foreshadowing of God meeting with His people face to face in the new heavens and the new earth; a glorious promised secured for us by the blameless life and sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus which rent the veil in two.  In our evening Zoom meeting, Stan most recently covered Hebrews 7:26, showing the superiority of Christ's fitness as The High Priest.  We've much appreciated the serendipitous intertwining of covering Exodus and Hebrews at the same time. 

• At the end of August, before the physical challenges arose, we thanked God and prayed for Andrija, (Andrew) a celebration which was postponed since March due to Covid-19.  As a fellowship, we rejoice with his parents and older sister Iva Sara and commit ourselves to seeing him grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  

• Unfortunately, progress stalled on both the book translation and recording of the series of shorter (5-10 min) videos covering basics of the Christian faith for the benefit of seekers and new believers.  However, the plan (Deo volente) is to begin the recordings next week. 

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests: 

• Please pray for the regular ministry of the Word as Stan (and others) preach and teach throughout the week at church, via Zoom and other social media, and even in (very small) groups.  May hearts be quickened and lives changed to the glory of God.

• Please pray for the video series: For Stan who will be speaking and for the tech team (Peter and Danijel) who will be recording and posting.  May God use these humble means to bring people to Himself.  Please pray for the book translation progress, especially as we seek to find a local publisher.

• Please pray for continued health and strength for us and BabaC (Stan's mother who lives with us).  We feel we are being wise with precautions but are not cloistered, so there is some level of risk as Covid-19 is increasing here in our city; so much so, the Covid ward here in Niksic is currently at full capacity.  Please pray for the health care workers who are serving us all.

• Please pray for the members of our own fellowship:  for unity, for reaching out to one another, for perseverance in grace and charity, for the financial needs as well as the emotional needs of those hard-hit by closures and disruptions, especially the families with school-aged children as they have much to juggle.

• Please pray for wisdom to know when and how to resume larger events.  All the events of spring and summer (conferences, camps, teams) were tentatively postponed to fall/early winter.  However, now that we are approaching autumn, the likelihood of being able to safely host such events is diminishing.  Pray, too, that we might find and embrace opportunities to reach out to our community,  as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothing ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

August 2020 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

Sing praises to God, sing praises;

sing praises to our King, sing praises.

For God is the King of all the earth;

sing to him a psalm of praise. Ps. 47:6,7

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

Isn't it marvelous that grace and peace are ours in these challenging times?!  What an awesome God we serve!

• In our morning service, Stan has wrapped up Exodus 23, highlighting the wonderful promise and provision of God leading His people into the promised land and its ultimate fulfillment by Christ our Savior.  In our evening Zoom meetings, we are continuing to go through Hebrews 7, covering shorter portions of scripture (due to the format) than in a normal service.  This slower format, however, has allowed us to savor the reality of Jesus, the superior priest who is far above and in a different class altogether from the Levitical priests and the mysterious Melchizedek of old.

• As you can see from the picture above, our online presence continues and is growing! So much so that we would like to make a series of shorter (5-10 min) videos covering basics of the Christian faith for the benefit of seekers and new believers.  This project is in its nascent stage of determining a specific scope and sequence.  Please pray for wisdom from above to hit the right topics at the right time.

• In another exciting development, we've gotten permission to translate Good News for Anxious Christians, a book we keep on our coffee table when teams visit, which has proven to be  helpful for young people concerned about knowing and following the will of God. We have a translator and are currently researching the possibility of printing the book locally here in Montenegro and not outsourced (as in the past) to other countries.  Please pray that this project goes forward expeditiously.

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

July 2020 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

You have shown your people desperate times;

    you have given us wine that makes us stagger.

But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner

    to be unfurled against the bow.

Psalm 60:3,4

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

The reality of living in the midst of a pandemic has reasserted itself; cases are rising dramatically here in Montenegro and beginning to touch our circles. However, we remain of good cheer because our hope in Christ is an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

• Taking note of the current situation, we are reverting back to virtual gatherings.  Beginning this weekend, our Sunday morning service will be via pre-recorded video and our evening service via Zoom. Please pray for us as the logistics do not come easy to us!

• We are also cutting back our hoped-for events scheduled in mid-to-late July like our quarterly women's meeting and student events.    As you might expect, this whipsawing of on-again-off-again plans as we seek to balance spiritual needs and health considerations is both physically and mentally draining.  However, we take comfort in knowing that while we make our plans, the Lord directs our steps. Please pray that we would be wise in determining when and how to meet up again publicly.

• In good news, the Good News of the gospel continues to go forth.  Stan is now preaching from Exodus 22, showing forth how God's laws reveal His loving concern for His people and the world as well as highlighting the perfect Law-Keeper, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Sunday sermons are regularly posted online. Please pray for God's Word to change hearts.

• Thank you to all of you who gave financial support for Mission to Montenegro within the past month.  Your generosity has been a great encouragement to our souls, especially as Covid uncertainties remain on the horizon. It does appear that overall giving is still down, so when considering charitable donations, please consider financially supporting the Kingdom work here in Nikšić. Please pray for us to be faithful stewards of all the gifts and talents the Lord has given us.

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

June 2020 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

    He lifts his voice, the earth melts.

Come and see what the Lord has done,

    the desolations He has brought on the earth.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

    I will be exalted among the nations,

    I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 46:6,8,10

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

Here in Montenegro we enjoyed a brief respite from the pandemic as a Covid-free nation for all of two weeks.  It was glorious.  However, with the re-opening of the borders, the virus has been brought back in, so we are required to mask in public places and gatherings but with no severer restrictions at present.  We are grateful for our relative freedom but, like the rest of the world, are weary of Covid-19.  Our prayer is that we would embrace this opportunity to Be still and see the Lord exalted among the nations.

• Our Sunday services (morning and evening) have resumed at our meeting facilities.  We are continuing to video record and post the sermon online to good effect.  We had two visitors to our services last week, one of whom had been watching online during the shutdown. Stan is just wrapping up Exodus 20 in the morning and will resume preaching through Hebrews in the evening.  Please pray for Stan and the other men as they prepare and preach the Word of the Lord.  It is both an awesome privilege and awesome responsibility, unto life and death.

• Although we are not expecting any teams, plans are being laid for the Camp Monty Sports Camp to take place in late July.   We see this as an opportunity for locals to take the lead in serving and ministering to young people (ages 7-17) this summer.  Please pray for Danijel (head of the student ministry EUS-CG) for wisdom in putting together a doable-but-quality program given necessary restraints in terms of manpower, time&money, and health concerns.  

• In conjunction with the Buxton family in Kotor, we have the opportunity to be involved in a humanitarian project funded by Send Relief, to help twelve families (4 within the church, 8 outside the church) financially hit by the pandemic.  We are providing each family with several months of aid for food and hygienic goods.  Please pray that God will use this outreach for His glory and the blessing of many.

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Given the global nature of this pandemic, the Covid-19 crisis will have long-term financial impacts on many individuals and churches.  We expected this to have a trickle down effect upon us; now, three months in, we can see that monthly support for Mission to Montenegro has been noticeably down.  We draw this to your attention, that if the Lord so enables you, you might prayerfully consider joining our supporters or adjust the gift you already give.  Enabled or not, we rejoice that God is able to bless [us] abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that [we] need, [we] will abound in every good work. 

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

Note: If you would like to send support, 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 of Sending Church: Faith Community Church Homepage

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! Soli Deo gloria!