October 2014 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him 
       the name that is above every name,  so that at the name of Jesus 
every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 
       and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, 
            to the glory of God the Father.  Phil. 2:9-11

Hallelujah!  For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns!

• This has been a good month for getting back into the regular rhythms of church life.  Stan  continues to preach through the Gospel of Luke and the Letter to the Phillipians, with the men participating in the In-House Preaching seminars occasionally taking the pulpit as well and continuing to preach through these texts consecutively.  This has been very good for the church:  continuity plus a variety of communication styles.  Our mid-week sermon discussions/prayer meetings have been lively and fruitful.  

•  We are blessed with a good number of godly men in our fellowship which is a direct answer to our/your prayers over the years.  Unlike many congregations in the Balkans, our makeup of males/females is 70/30% which is a huge change from the days when Stan and the boys were the only males.  However, we long to see God add to the church: men, women, children, entire families. 

• It is exciting that some of the students first met at the end of spring semester are back and eager to learn more about God from the Bible.  Along with the usual contact via Student Bible Study and Conversation Club, we are hosting a semi-regular Friday Lunch as well as encouraging some one-on-one times to allow for deeper and more personal questions and discussions.

• Next month's newsletter will be written while we are Stateside!  We are in the final throes of putting all in order here for our absence as well as looking ahead to our time there.  We are especially grateful for Peter G. who will be staying in our house and keeping the cats company.

To God be the glory for the great things He has done here in Nikšić and Montenegro.  However, we know and are extremely grateful for all that you have done in His name to help make this happen:  your faithful prayers, faithful giving, faithful encouragements. 

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich
Mission to Montenegro

Prayer and Praise Bullet Points:

• Praise the Lord for the freedom we have to openly meet and proclaim His truths, and for those able to teach and preach them.  Pray for those who will be filling the pulpit while we are gone:  Peter S., Danijel, Nemanja, and Rade--for grace, peace, wisdom, and unity as they study the Word and work together leading the believers here in Nikšić.
• Praise the Lord for answering our prayers to "Raise up men!" which was a continuous prayer request a number of years ago.  Pray now for multitudes to come to faith.  But pray especially for the unbelieving wives of the married believing men; many are not against the gospel per se but are bound and weighted by the duties and prejudices of local culture.  And pray that we as a church can reach them with the love and hope of Christ.
• Praise the Lord that some of the students we were first introduced to during the Michael Ots/UCCF outreach last spring are back and wanting to pick up the relationships that we had just started.  Please pray for this group of young people who are interested in spiritual matters but have a swirling eddy of conflicting, competing thoughts gleaned from diverse readings.  Pray that Biblical truths will illuminate and free them to follow God whole-heartedly.
• Praise the Lord that we are able to visit Stateside and leave the church without needing to call "an outsider" to lead while we are gone.  This is a first!  We have a lot to do once on US soil and are trusting God to help orchestrate many things, including varying housing needs, transportation, visitations, holidays, healthcare appointments, and more.  Please pray for us to make the best use of our limited time and to get a bit of rest and relaxation, too!

• Reminder: We are planning to take a short furlough this coming November to mid-January.  Our desire is to be in California to celebrate Thanksgiving with all the family, and reconnect with friends and supporters the rest of the time.   If you would like us to visit, please contact Stan ASAP.

September 2014 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. Ps. 89:1,2

Who is mighty like You, O Lord?

Who, indeed, is mighty like the Lord?  What a great God we serve!  Here are a few highlights of His faithfulness to us and the ministry here in Nikšić:

• Stan spent much of this month in the States, helping the fledgling European Tonewoods Work Project (primarily run and manned by local believers for the purpose of providing sustainable work) attend a major show (Violin Society of America, (VSA)).  While there, he also visited and ministered at our sending church, Faith Community Church, and the brethren in Bremen, Indiana.

• We greatly rejoice in the raising up of the next generation of leaders as Peter, Danijel, Rade, and Nemanja ably filled the pulpit and led services while Stan was gone, bearing the fruit of the ongoing weekly In-House Preaching seminars. It is exciting to see the foundations being laid for making God's faithfulness known through all generations here in Montenegro. 

• Due to packed schedules amongst all the churches and our own upcoming mini-furlough, the window for hosting the All-Montenegro Believers' Meeting narrowed to nothing, so the date has been set for March 14, 2015. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Ps. 133:1

•  In the spirit of unity and cooperation, Camp Monty supporters have acquired a small "storefront" very close to the university to be used for the teen meetings, university mid-week bible studies, as an office for Danijel (who ministers to university students), and other possible public outreaches of our fellowship.  The lease has been signed, but it is currently an empty space, ready to be outfitted as yet another beacon of light.  To God be the glory!

• Reminder: We are planning to take a short furlough this coming November to mid-January.  Our desire is to be in California to celebrate Thanksgiving with all the family, and reconnect with friends and supporters the rest of the time.   If you would like us to visit, please contact Stan ASAP.

 

We say this every month, but we truly appreciate your generous love, prayers, and support in this great work of God. And we look forward to seeing some of you in a few short months!

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich
Mission to Montenegro

Prayer and Praise Bullet Points

• Praise God for European Tonewood's successful showing at the VSA event.  The lack of sustainable work (in part due to years under Communism, in part due to the global economic crisis, and in part due to sinful habits) drives many, including believers, away from this spiritually needy land.  Please pray that God would bring forth an intern, retiree, or marketing specialist, to help the business grow from a fledgling concern to a thriving business.  And please pray and consider whether God is calling you to this supporting ministry.
• Praise to the Lord for building our fellowship with such a delightful mix of people, young and old, men and women, and for those willing and able to develop their leadership abilities. Join with us, for we do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. Zech. 4:10  Pray for the Lord to give the increase.
• Praise to the Lord for the freedom we have to worship the Lord and to share our faith.  Please pray for the ongoing activities of the church:  Sunday services, mid-week prayer meeting, student/teen outreaches, English Conversation Club, one-on-one mentoring, and visitations.  Also pray that we would make the most of our opportunities to reach out to our community around us and not grow weary with well-doing.
• Praise God for the new storefront location close to the university.  Please pray that we would use it wisely, and that many would come through its doors and leave wanting to know more about God and His great love.

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

August 2014 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.   Is.55: 11

For the Lord is the Great God   

• Several hundred young people, ages 6-21, participated in Camp Monty, the annual summer evangelistic sports outreach held here in late July.   Along with sports and other activities, the gospel was clearly shared, relationships deepened, and results left to God.  (Is. 55:11)

•  Encouragingly, the new teen Bible Study has taken off, made up primarily with young people first reached via Camp Monty: this is our most successful post-Camp follow-up.  For the past few Wednesdays, our living room has been packed with this new high school group hearing the word of God, followed by enjoying food, friends, and fun!

Weds. Evening Teen Bible Study

•  In the midst of all the high-energy happenings of the past month, we were saddened and sobered by the tragic passing of one of our regulars, Miss S, who was baptized in June 2013.   We had our own memorial service that Sunday evening, where Stan preached an encouraging message on the reality of God's sure faithfulness and Christ's victory over death, and gave everyone an opportunity to share heartfelt tears and memories.

 Upcoming Ministry and Family News

• We are entering the "Transition Time" of the year as we switch from summer's special activities (camps, hikes, BBQ's, visitors) to fall's regular routines (new schedules, Bible Studies, one-on-one mentoring, visitations).  It is also time to say good-bye to our students:  Josiah, Milijana, Danica, and Anđela. We will be marking the transition with a church-centered (ie., non-evangelistic focused) BBQ the last Sunday of August.

•  We will be hosting the All-Montenegro Believer's Meeting this October but are finding it a challenge to rent an affordable location for the gathering.

• While we were sad to see Josiah leave for his third year of studies, we were grateful that despite his 2 separate tickets with five flights, he made it all the way to Rochester without missing a connection.  Milijana will be leaving next week to begin her second year of studies, and we are praying her flights go smoothly despite pending volcanic activity in Iceland.

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

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

Mission to Montenegro

Prayer and Praise Bulletin Points:

• Praise God for the well-attended Camp Monty outreach and the hard work of those who came to reach the young people of Nikšić.  Pray for the young people to seek first the kingdom of God.  Pray for the believers who came to continue with encouraging the unbelievers through prayer and personal contact via FB, emails, and Skype calls.
• Praise God for the dozen teens who've come to the Teen Bible Study this past month.  Pray for them to continue, especially with the changes and obligations the new school year brings (and pressure from family and friends not to come).  Pray also for those leading the group (primarily Peter S and Saša) and for those of us hosting and helping out in supportive roles).
• Praise God for His steadfast love that we can confidently proclaim:  "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? ...Thanks be to God, He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."  While missing her, we can rejoice that our sister Miss S. has finished her race victoriously.
• Praise God for the many outreach opportunities granted us this summer. Pray for the seeds sown to be watered and tended, and for the enemy to be foiled in snatching them away. Pray for a quick settling in to a new rhythm and routine with the start up of the school year.
• Praise God for the unity of spirit amongst the believers here in Montenegro that we even have the privilege and responsibility to organize the All-Montenegro Believer's Meeting.  Pray that we would quickly find a suitable facility, reasonably priced for the event.

Note:  This newsletter only covers highlights of our ministry. If you, or your church, would like and can use a more detailed Prayer Requests report sent by private email that supplements this one (not replaces it), please contact Vicki.  "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

July 2014 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

The Foundation of all we do

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles  
       are the riches of the glory of this mystery, 
             which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching 
      everyone with all wisdom, that we may 

             present everyone mature in Christ.  Col. 1:27, 28

Grace and peace to you from God our Father:

• Praise God for another great English Student Camp for university students which was held at the beginning of July.   The highlight of highlights of this camp (as always) centered on the good teaching and follow-up discussions from the Bible study which this year looked at the Epistle to the Colossians with the theme:  Living Your Life to the Fullest in Christ.  Praise God that several students joined us for Sunday Worship following the camp and one young person confessed her desire to follow Christ.

• The Camp Monty Sports Camp kicks off this coming week, and while targeting young people ages 10-18, reaches many, many more in this community.  We are delighted that many helpers from previous years are back again this year, building on the foundation laid in previous camps. We are especially excited to have a newly translated tract in Montenegrin from John Piper's Desiring God materials for the campers this year thanks to a returning team member.

• The In-house Preaching Seminar continues weekly with the aim of equipping young men to preach and lead, and this month Rade and Nemanja will each be preaching a sermon in the evening service.

Upcoming Ministry and Family News:

 

• This summer season of "comings and goings" continues as we added a new Dane to the household this past week.  The purpose of all this hospitality is both to encourage one another to good works and to reach out to those around us, being Christ's witness and disciples.

• We are just in the beginning stages of planning the next All-Montenegro Believer's Meeting because this is our year as a fellowship to host it.  

• Reminder: We are planning to take a short, 6-8 week, furlough this coming late fall/early winter.  Our desire is to be in California in time to celebrate Thanksgiving with all the family, then reconnect with friends and supporters in early December through early January.   If you would like us to visit, please contact Stan ASAP as we are beginning to cement dates on our calendar.

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

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich
Mission to Montenegro

 

 Prayer and Praise Bulletin Points:

• Praise God for a terrific English Student Outreach camp; He provided just the right people, activities, discussions, events, and good weather.  Pray for all, believers and unbelievers unlike, that we might  live life to its fullest in Christ.  Pray particularly for the young woman who desires to follow Christ because her family is very against it.
• Praise God for the ongoing Camp Monty ministry--this is its seventh year to be here in Niksic.  Pray for the young people who will hear about God, for those speaking to share the fullness of the gospel and glory of Jesus Christ, for us who remain behind to continue to water seed that has been sown.
• Praise God for establishing His local church here and for the raising up of a new generation of leaders.  Pray for Stan as he mentors the young men, and for the next generation of pastors, elders, and teachers here in Montenegro to ably and reverentially share the Word of God.
• Praise God for the many friends and saints who uphold us, Niksic, and Montenegro in prayer and practical support.  Pray that we would not grow weary, which is always tempting as the busy summer season drives forward, and that God would call more people to Himself here--whether from the local population or saints from other lands.

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

June 2014 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. 
     Guide me in your truth and teach me,  for you are God my Savior,
        and my hope is in you all day long. 
Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
     for they are from of old.  Ps. 25:4-6


Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

• Having finished preaching through the book of Nehemiah in our morning services, Stan has begun a new series expounding the book of Philippians,  showing forth the riches to be found even in Paul's greeting. In our evening services, he is continuing through the gospel of Luke, most recently covering Simeon and Anna rejoicing over the Consolation of Israel.

• We're delighted that extended family members of longtime believers continue to come to services, including those of the young businessman mentioned previously.  Most recently, the sister-in-law of another member has been steadily attending our evening services and giving a good report.

•  We've begun the in-house preaching seminar program with the aim of equipping several of the young men of the fellowship to preach the Word and giving them bi-monthly opportunities to preach in the evening service.  Thus far, two of the men have been in the pulpit, and there are two more to come.

• We hosted a short-term American team of four lovely young ladies from Georgia, who reached out to those students met in last month's Missions week, and kept the student outreach momentum going forward to this coming month's evangelistic English Student Camp.

Upcoming Ministry and Family News 

• Our hospitality ministry continues in earnest with friends and short-term missionaries from Denmark and the UK with us for varying lengths of time from now through August.  Mealtimes are always a small glimpse of the heavenly banquet with believers gathered from every tribe and tongue.

• The English Student Camp for university students will be held in Vučje, our local ski center,  from June 30-July 5, with pre- and post-camp activities for several days on either side. Camp slots are filling up, and we are expecting a good-sized group. 

• We are planning to take a short, 6-8 week, furlough this coming late fall/early winter.  Our desire is to be in California in time to celebrate Thanksgiving with all the family, then reconnect with friends and supporters in early December through early January. With all our children stateside now, it makes sense for us to come more often (every year or two, instead of every three or four) for a shorter period of time.  If you would like us to visit, please contact Stan.

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

 

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

Mission to Montenegro

 

Praise and Prayer Bulletin Points

• Praise God for the freedom to proclaim His Word freely and clearly here in Nikšić and Montenegro, and for Stan's faithful ministry week after week.  Pray that the Lord may be pleased to bring many to hear and receive Words of Life.

• Praise God for the witness local believers are having within their own families, and that some family members have been coming to services.  Pray that our believers would share their faith wisely and winsomely, and that family members would embrace the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.

• Praise God for the men He has given to the fellowship and their willingness to preach and improve their preaching.  Pray for Stan as he instructs and encourages, and for Peter, Danijel, Nemanja, and Rade as they prepare and preach, some for the first time.

• Praise God for the growing university Student Ministry, and for all those who make it possible--particularly Danijel and family, and Peter S, as well as the many short- and long-term helpers.  Pray for the upcoming camp, for those attending, for those leading, for good weather (which has been in short supply), and for the blessing of the Holy Spirit on it.

• Praise God for all those who support this work, whether through prayer, finances, encouraging cards, care packages, and more.  Pray that we would neither grow weary with well-doing nor neglect any aspect of this ministry:  preaching, teaching, discipling, evangelizing, and serving.

May 2014 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

What Kind of God? A Great God!

Let Your work appear to your servants,
        And Your glory to their children.
Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
    And establish the work of our hands for us;
          Yes, establish the work of our hands!   Ps. 90:16,17

Blessed be the Lord forevermore! Amen and Amen! 

• God blessed the intensive, high-energy ministry of the Missions Week at the local university.

On campus, main atrium

Meeting Students during the day

Working together, we (the local church) and  EUS+UCCF (Christian Student Groups in Montenegro and UK respectively) maintained a highly-visible 3-day presence on campus, interacting with students during the day, presenting Gospel truths in the evening as Michael Ots discussed his book What Kind of God, and ending the day with social events with students.  We had a huge turnout for all events, and dozens of students indicated an interest in follow-up.  Thus, a second "New Students" bible study has begun as well as  "Fun Friday Lunches" for continued fellowship and relationship building.

 

Presentations in the evening

Fun and Fellowship at night

• Stan, along with Danijel P., were greatly blessed at the Lausanne Conference, held earlier this month in Switzerland.  Celebrating its 40th anniversary as a movement, the Conference continues to encourage pastors to work towards evangelizing via the Whole Church with the Whole Gospel to the Whole World.  Special highlights this year included teaching on presenting the True Jesus to a post-Christian Europe as well as a trip into Geneva.  Our God who orchestrated the Reformation in Calvin's day is mighty to do so today.

Stan enjoying the Lausanne Conference

Upcoming Ministry and Family News

 

•  Desiring the church to be established for generations to come and fulfilling our goal of raising up new leaders in the church, Stan will be conducting in-house preaching seminars over the next months for four of the young men in our fellowship in order to better equip them to preach.  Each will have the opportunity to preach one sermon approximately every two months, giving them the chance to develop their gifts and freeing Stan for other pastoral ministries. 

• The hospitality ministry is taking off this month as we begin welcoming ministry teams, as well as old and new friends, right through til the end of summer.  Along with dozens of guests, we are looking forward to spending some time with two of our children, Josiah and Milijana, home for summer.

• Reminder: We are planning to take a short, 6-8 week, furlough this coming late fall/early winter.  Our desire is to be in California in time to celebrate Thanksgiving with all the family, then reconnect with friends and supporters in early December through early January.   If you would like us to visit, please contact Stan ASAP as we are beginning to cement dates on our calendar.

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

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich
Mission to Montenegro

 Prayer and Praise  Bulletin Points

• Praise God for the successful-beyond-all-our-expectations Missions Week outreach at the local university.  Pray for all who heard the words of life and especially for those who signed up to be contacted.  Pray for us as we are few in number and the needs are great. 

• Praise God for the refreshing, encouraging time Stan had in Lausanne.  Pray that God would once again have mercy and ignite global reformation.  May it begin with us.

• Praise God for men willing and able to teach and preach His Word carefully and faithfully.  Pray for Stan as he begins these preaching seminars and for the four who will begin to test and develop their preaching gifts.  May God raise up many preachers to go forth here in Montenegro and establish His people for generations.

• Praise God for the many believers who support the work here, whether materially or prayerfully, in person or not.  Pray that we would continue wisely in "doing a great work" (Neh. 6:3) balancing all parts of the ministry:  preaching, teaching, discipling, evangelizing, and serving.

• Last but not least:  PLEASE PRAY for our brethren and neighbors in Bosnia and Serbia who are experiencing devastating floods and landslides.  Pray that God would use His (world-wide and local) Church to minister both practically and spiritually to those in need.  Also, please consider donating for the relief of those afflicted. 

April 2014 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

This is how we know that we live in him and he in us:
      He has given us of his Spirit.  And we have seen and 

Testify that the Father has sent his Son

      To be the Savior of the world.   I John 4: 13, 14

 The darkness is passing, the true light is already shining.

Highlights of ministry the past month include:

•  By amazing providence, Stan was invited to represent and speak on Evangelicalism to a university sociology class here in Nikšić.  The meeting was voluntary and the professor told us to expect 10 students.  Stan spoke at our worship facilities and 20(!) students came.  All heard a clear exposition of the history of Protestantism and evangelicalism, and students left knowing basic truths about:  1. The Authority of Scripture, 2. Salvation in Christ, and 3. A Vibrant Christian Life.  The follow-up Q & A time was lively, and Danijel P. outlined our current evangelical student ministries.

•  We just finished hosting a small group from LIFE ministries, here to oversee preparations for the Camp Monty summer sports outreach. Over the years solid relationships have been built with various people and businesses (eg., the interpreter, the printer, the soccer coach, facility directors) to put this camp on; it is a joy to see growing glimmers of understanding that the Christian life is a joy-filled life, not merely a "religious" thing to do on Sundays.

• The Children's Outreach continues, though a bit hampered by illness and bad weather.  Please continue to pray for Jelena V. and the children.

Upcoming Ministry and Family News

• This coming week we will be involved with the first-ever Missions Week outreach at our local university.  Evangelist Michael Ots and a team of twelve from the UK will engage students via sports, British Corner, outings, and most particularly, a series of talks on "What Kind of God?" which answers 10 questions people have about God.  Posters and flyers have been put up and handed out.  We are looking forward to an intense week of ministry.

• We've welcomed back Peter G. who spent a month and half here last summer.  He is currently staying with us and prayerfully considering making Nikšić a "home base" and seeking to see how he can best serve the Lord with his time and talents here.

• Reminder: We are planning to take a short, 6-8 week, furlough this coming late fall/early winter.  Our desire is to be in California in time to celebrate Thanksgiving with all the family, then reconnect with friends and supporters in early December through early January.   If you would like us to visit, please contact Stan.

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

Stan and Vicki Surbtovich
Mission to Montenegro

Prayer and Praise Bulletin Points

•  Praise God for the good rapport we have in the community, and the fact that Stan was asked to speak on Protestantism/Evangelism (and not the JWs!).  Pray for the students and the professor who heard the Gospel clearly presented (Stan gave a mini-demo on a sermon preached directly from Scripture as part of his talk), and who were interested in learning more.
• Praise God for the good reputation Camp Monty has in this town and for the many, many people who make it happen each year.  Pray for those with whom we have continuing contact and relationships:  particularly the coach and his family, as well as the interpreter as they have become increasingly sympathetic to the gospel.
• Praise God and thank Him for the children He is bringing to Himself.  This past week it was very heartwarming to hear the "Amin!" of one young boy at our mid-week prayer meeting.  Pray for good health and strength for all as it has been a month of illness for many including us.
• Praise God for this upcoming Missions Week outreach and the favor shown us to actually host some events on the campus itself.  This is a big answer to prayer, especially in light of recent changes in administration at the university.  Pray that students would come, engage, wrestle with the big questions, and see that true answers are found only in Christ.
• Praise God for putting Nikšić on the heart of Peter G. (and others) to come back and encourage both believers and unbelievers. Pray that God would be pleased to use the words of life shared and the love shown to bring sinners to salvation.
• Praise for God's faithfulness in providing for our needs, but we do want to bring one new item to your attention.  With three children attending university our financial needs have increased, particularly due to the additional cost of transatlantic flights at Christmas and summer.  Please pray and consider donating frequent flyer miles or in other ways.  If interested, please contact us at stan.surbatovich@gmail.com for more details of how you might help in this practical manner. Thank you so much.

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