Holiday - festival "Happy Family"

Already throughout several years our Church takes part in a holiday-festival «Happy family» that has become traditional in our city. And also this year on August 20 invited by the Department of social affairs of Daugavpils city the God`s Covenant Church became the active participant in this charitable action. The purpose of the action – to support family values and to help those families which are in financial difficulties, and such families in our city are quite many yet. By the efforts of the members of our church we have taken part not only in a financial way, but also with many activities that have pleased children and adults.

As well as in the last year, in the territory of the park where this holiday-festival took place, we have arranged tents where evangelical churches of our city could acquaint townspeople with their service and organize various activities.

Children were especially pleased with aqua – makeup on face that was done absolutely free of charge by Larisa Zlobina.

On two tables children could make by their hands greeting cards for the parents, grandmothers and grandfathers, and friends as well. Cards-preparations which children needed to decorate and sign have been prepared for this purpose, and Santa Dzalbe and children from youth ministry helped them with this activity.

At the church stands there was a lot of fact-finding literature on various ministries of the church – children's, youth, family. Any interested person could take special issue «The Evangelical Leaf» with a preaching of Gospel and a penance prayer. This literature enjoyed wide popularity and long before the end of the festival was distributed. The members of our church actively told people about the work of the church and acquainted them with various ministries. Thanks to Svetlana Rudakova, Raisa Efimova and others.

A big scene was set up in the park on which the representatives of various organizations of the city and creative collectives acted. On the behalf of Christian confessions the bishop of Lutheran church Einars Alpe spoke in the Latvian language, and in Russian - pastor Stanislav Zlobin. Priests said about the importance of family values and that the family will be strong and healthy when it is constructed on the basis of the God’s Word.

In the course of the festival our Christian tent was visited by the mayor of Daugavpils Žanna Kulakova, the deputy of the Saeima Rita Strode and the chief of the Department of social affairs Svetlana Gavrilova. They have thanked the churches for the participation in the festival and their help in the organization of this action.

Thanks God for the open doors for Gospel and ability to create good!

Pastor Stanislav Zlobin

Photo: Ilona Melnikova, Vilnis Straus

Youth camp «... Let the light of Your face shine on us»

In the beginning of August Youth camp «...Let the light of your face shine on us» took place, it lasted three days in the Bible Centre of God`s Covenant Church in the settlement Laucese.

The youth could forget about the usual everyday life, relax and spend time with God and each other at this camp.

During the camp the youth was filled with spiritual food. Pastor Stanislav Zlobin has held seven interesting seminars where the parables of Jesus Christ were studied. According to the youth, God touched them very much during this time and many new revelations have come for them.

During the camp there were also many interesting actions as eating of a water-melon at the campfire, competition "Ms. and Mr. Laucese 2011", game "Mafia", a disco and a very fascinating strategic game "Pilgrim" where the knowledge of the youth about Christian life was checked.

Everyone had strong impressions and each of them was filled with the God's love and has changed own life. It was a great time!

Specially for the God`s Covenant Church blog

Johanna Zlobina

Victory over vices and bad habits

The Spanish saying says: "Habits are at first cobwebs, then cables". What to do if your relatives and close people have got into this web? How to help them and how to help yourself? It was possible to receive the answer to this and many other questions at the current meeting of Women's club "Lily" which took place on July 17, 2011 in the God`s Covenant Church. Women have gathered for this meeting from different churches not only in the city of Daugavpils, but also from Kraslava and Livani. Guests of honour - experts were invited, they were those women who had spiritual experience in this area – struggle against bad habits. Among experts were: the pastor of the God`s Covenan” church Larisa Zlobina, the pastor of the God`s Glory Church Jevgeniya Karpenko, social rehabilitator Galina Kolosovskaya, Zynaida Filipova and Maria Dzalbe. At this meeting it was possible to ask any question and to receive the answer to it. There were many testimonies that lifted our belief. Women left inspired.

The continuation of this meeting was the departure to the settlement Laucese next week, to the Bible Centre of God`s Covenant Church, where from Friday to Saturday on July 22-23 women from different churches have gathered. Here we already communicated at ease. We drank tea, ate a water-melon, barbecued. Each woman who has arrived to the Bible Centre participated in the program. During tea drinking the pastor Larisa shared revelations from the book of Lisa Bevere "The Power of Being a Woman". Then we barbecued and sang glorification songs on the river bank. The divine peace and pleasure filled our hearts. It was a wonderful time spent with Our God the Father.

Dear Woman, if you haven`t yet been at our meetings you have such possibility to visit Women's club "Lily". Our meetings take place every third Sunday of the month at 15.00; the address - Daugavpils, Varshavas street 24, 3rd floor. The additional information by phone – +371-29562163 (Ilona).

The chairman of Women's club "Lily" committee

Ilona Melnikova

Children`s camp „Sunbeams”

At the end of June in the God`s Covenant Church Children’s Camp «Sunbeams» took place. Sunbeams were our children; they beamed with cheerfulness, warmth, kindness, sincerity, energy, light... Everyone was a beam! And we, instructors and teachers, reflected this light and endured pleasure and inflow of new experiences, emotions, movements!!!

We expected approximately 40 persons, but already from the first minutes there was a worry - children appeared to be much more, altogether we were 60 persons. In such cases you learn to rely on God, and you become the witness of His miracles and God`s grace!

Children were within the age from 6 till 12 years, many participated for the first time, many were unfamiliar with one another and worried. But from the very beginning we endured atmosphere of friendship, kindness, love and respect.

Every day had its name that had to be reflected in behaviour, words and deeds. The first day was the day of KINDNESS, the second – LOVE, and the third – FAITH. Of course, the source for all these values was God!

In addition to acquaintance with these values, there were master classes in dancing and arts (drawing, crafts, plastering) led by the professional pedagogues.

During these lessons it was impossible to stay indifferent; merry music and dances captivated also the adults, and plastering with clay disclosed new creative skills and we made beautiful figures with our own hands. A special day was master class in dancing on the beach, sandy bank of the lake Dervaniski; we danced and later together went for a swim! At the evening there was a concert in the open air, children sang, danced, showed sketches, after that there was a feast. In the dusk we sat at the campfire, played and talked. Before going to sleep we watched cartoons on the big screen, there were a lot of games, talks, hikes, bathing, feeding five times a day...all this during three days!!!

The leader of Sunday school

Larisa Zlobina

One Day in the „City of Kindness”

In one fine and sunny June day our church was visited by 14 children from the social house, within the framework of cooperation with Social department of the city. This day we proclaimed the Day of kindness. We spoke about those values which are so necessary for today's children, especially when they grow up in not very safe and enabling environment.

Children plunged into the atmosphere of the “City of Kindness”.  The following rules have been established for them - not to swear, not to miscall, to say compliments, to help and concede one another, to wait their turn etc. For many it was hard, because negative statements began to appear at once. But in the “City of Kindness” it was possible to recover from bad habits, disobedience, slander, laziness, envy, etc. For this purpose it was necessary to visit the Chemist who prescribed special "medicine" to treat harmful defect. Each child received a leaflet with a verse from the Word of God on a necessary theme and it was necessary to learn it, in addition children received vitamin – a sweet. Almost all have passed through the Chemist. Everything took place on the bank of a lake, with games, competitions, relay races and bathing.

Then everyone moved to the Bible centre of God`s Covenant Church where all children had a tasty meal. Then we studied a parable about Good Samaritan, about how not to pass by the person who is in trouble. Children showed a sketch, made various crafts, played.

On the lawn near the centre we continued to develop skills of kindness through games and relay races. In the end everyone played amicably and received different prizes and presents. We said goodbye with a wish to do good, care and love our nearest people. We also agreed to meet once again and spend interesting and informative time with one another!

The leader of Sunday school

Larisa Zlobina

 

Sunday School News – June 2011

Sunday school of „God`s Covenant” church celebrated its prom. Celebration included games, competitions, panel games. The celebration was led by cheerful clowns; they showed how children sometimes behave badly and good, thus children found out about themselves and commented on how they should behave and how shouldn`t!

During the feast Buratino, Malvina and the Wolf taught children how to forgive and not to take offence to one another; they showed a scene and at the end treated all children with ice cream.

The activities in Sunday school are not finished – summer is ahead, trips in the open air, camps, interesting lessons with children every Sunday with games, crafts, drawings. There are also excursions, thematic lessons, various master classes planned.

The bus of our church continues to follow the route and gather the children for Sunday school! At the moment 30 to 45 children attend Sunday school at every service.

Thanks to God for everyone who help us at this work, who cook for us every Sunday, who bring and drive children home with a bus, who spend the time with children, teach new songs and theatrical scenes. You can also support the Sunday school through donations:

Name: Daugavpils Evangelisko Kristiesu draudze “Dieva Deriba”

ID: 90000166572

A/S Swedbank

Account (IBAN): LV32HABA000140J041347

SWIFT: HABALV22

Details: Donation

The leader of Sunday school

Larisa Zlobina