SPOTLIGHT Central Europe

New A/G Missionary Family in Slovakia

It's always a joy to welcome new missionaries to Central Europe. Last week we officially introduced our newest missionary, John Bean and his family, to the the general assembly of pastors of the Apostolic Church of Slovakia.

John and his family are presently the only Assemblies of God Missionaries to Slovakia. You can find out more about them by visiting their website at: http://www.beans2slovakia.com.

Pictured in the photo are: (Right to Left) Bishop Jan Lacho: Bishop of the Apostolic Church of Slovakia, Missionary John Bean, Jim Sabella and Jan Liba: Assistant Bishop Apostolic Church of Slovakia

Czech National Radio Interview: The Czech Study Bible

I was among a group of 5 who were interviewed by the Czech National Radio about the completion of the Czech Study Bible. Here is the link to the article and streaming audio on the Czech Radio website. You will find the streaming audio link at the bottom of the web article.

Czech Study Bible Released

Very seldom in life do you get to be a part of something that has never been done before. Just two days ago I had that opportunity as I took part in the dedication of the Czech Study Bible. This Bible, with notes and commentary from a Pentecostal perspective, is the first of it's kind in the Czech Republic.

The Czech Study Bible is a culmination of 10+ years of work in partnership with Life Publishers International, Assemblies of God World Missions Europe and the Apostolic Church of the Czech Republic.

The ceremony was held at the Prague headquarters of the Czech International Bible Society. Representatives from Life Publishers, International Bible Societies, the Apostolic Church of the Czech Republic and the major evangelical denominations in the Czech Republic were present for the dedication. Each was presented with a first edition of the Study Bible.

I was honored to be a part of the start of this project 10 years ago and was honored to be there at the completion and dedication of this new study bible.

Assemblies of God World Missions Central Europe is also partnering with Life Publishers International to produce this study bible in both the German and Polish languages.

Pictured right to left: Jim Sabella, Larry Art: Life Publishers International and Bishop Martin Moldan: Bishop of the Apostolic Church of the Czech Republic.

Teen Challenge Czech Republic Celebrates 15 Year Anniversary

    This weekend Teen Challenge in the Czech Republic is celebrating their 15th year anniversary. Yesterday evening A/G Missionary Chris Oakley and I attended the opening session held in Prague. Representatives from Europe and the United States were there to share in the celebration.
    Pictured with me is Teen Challenge Czech Republic Founder and Director Peter Minister. I was honored to have the opportunity to address the gathering. Celebration continues through this weekend at the Teen Challenge Center in Poštovice, Czech Republic. 

Central Europe Church Leaders Convene in Prague

     This past week I had the honor of hosting the annual Central Europe Superintendent's Summit in Prague. Executive leaders from the Pentecostal Churches in Central Europe gathered for a closed summit to discuss issues concerning the relevance of the church in our changing world, and faith within the context of the culture of Central Europe. Delegations from the Czech Republic (Bishop: Martin Moldan); Hungary (President: Albert Patakey); Slovakia (Bishop: Jan Laho); and Switzerland (President: Max Schläpfer) attended (see photo).
      Our guest speaker for Tuesday evening was Mr. Daniel Raus. Mr. Raus is a journalist and the Editor of Religious Broadcasting for Czech Radio. He is also commentator on international politics. He spoke to us about the impact of media on culture. This summit takes place every spring and is sponsored by the Assemblies of God World Missions Central Europe Area.

        

Assemblies of God World Missions and Swiss Pentecostal Church Sign Partnership Document

    May 6th was an historic day in Central Europe missions. On that day, Max Schläpfer--the President of the Swiss Pentecostal Mission--and I signed a partnership document. It was one of the greatest honors of my missionary service.
    With the signing of this document, we (The Assemblies of God World Missions and The Swiss Pentecostal Mission) made a public declaration of our willingness to partner together, with integrity and honesty, for the purpose of accelerating the spread of the Gospel in Switzerland, Central Europe, Europe and the world. The attached clip is a short video of that historic moment.

Central Europe Superintendent's Conference

    Sherry and I just returned from Senec, Slovakia where we hosted the annual Central Europe Superintendent's Conference. The leaders of the Pentecostal churches from Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland along with their assistants and their spouses attended the three day meeting. Visiting with us at this year's conference was Daryle Erickson and Dave Collins. Both Daryle and Dave are working with ICI/Global University Europe.

   Pictured in the photo above are the Superintendents who attended the conference. Below is photo of all who attended the meeting.

 

Central Europe Breakaway 2008

   

 

   





   Yesterday evening we returned from the Central Europe Breakaway 2008.  This year's breakaway was held in Switzerland at the hotel Seeblick. The Hotel is owned an operated by the Swiss Pentecostal Church.
   The whole Central Europe Missionary team meet together for a time to breakaway from ministry responsibilities and be refreshed both spiritually and physically.
    Pictured in the photo on the left are the Central Europe Missionaries who attended the Breakaway. Next to that photo is a view from the top of the mountain.

Missionary Gloria Young Arrives on the Field

    This morning at 10:35 AM Assemblies of God Missionary Gloria Young arrived in Vienna, Austria for her first term. Sherry and I were glad to be at the airport to welcome Gloria as she walked through customs, her luggage in hand and a smile on her face. She will be ministering to international people at Vienna Christian Center in Vienna, Austria. We welcome Gloria to Central Europe.

 

We Wish You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

    It is our wish that during this very busy time of the year, you and your family will find moments of rest and moments of reflection on the true meaning of Christmas...Christ the Savior is born. From Vienna, Austria, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

The Sabella Family