Equip the saints for ministry …
In partnership with local church leaders, SGA has been organizing Bible Schools where men and women from the Slavic nations are trained for a lifetime of faithful, practical ministry. In addition to this in-person training, it is vital that pastors and leaders are equipped with good, sound biblical material to carry on the work of pastoring, evangelism, discipling and church planting.
Christian training clearly does not stop at the point of receiving a Diploma in Christian Studies. In fact, students will become much more effective in ministry when teaching is paired with good-quality resources that are biblically sound, understandable and practical. For many students, however, acquiring such resources is often very difficult.
In some cases, the books are either not available in their language or, if they are, the price is beyond their reach. One of our past students and now a pastor whom SGA supports writes,
'I believe that success in my ministry is due largely to the good quality Christian books that I have in my library, many of which had been presented to me by SGA.'
SGA has invested in the provision of a small library of books for each student graduating from Mission School. These books are tools to help in everyday ministry. There are also occasions when a particular book is provided during studies, to supplement and bring to life the subject being taught. The focus is not so much on the quantity of books provided but rather the quality.
Students are enabled to go deeper in their biblical knowledge, and are provided with practical help as they seek to apply such knowledge in everyday contexts and ministry. There are many testimonies from our students and lecturers which indicate that the resources provided by SGA enable them to develop, grow, lead, and serve in the various areas of ministry even after they leave the classroom setting of our Mission Schools.
Lecturers and students are grateful for the funding provided by SGA to purchase such books which in turn become an ongoing and vital resource as we ‘equip the saints for the work of ministry’.
Ephesians 4:12a
One of the most recent and valued resources provided for our students is the Slavic Bible Commentary. This long-awaited publication has been written by those from Slavic nations who have not only an in-depth knowledge of the original biblical text but also a clear understanding of the Orthodox background and culture in which they serve. Pastor Sergey writes regarding this latest addition to his library:
'This book which has been published recently was one that I was dreaming about getting, but the price was a bit too high. It was a huge surprise for me when I received it from SGA. I use it every week now in my sermon preparation.'
