91大神

God is doing some fantastic things in the West Sacramento SDA Church.

Sasa Andelkovic, district pastor, explains, “During the pandemic, our church attendance significantly dropped.聽Around the same time,聽many of our youth聽graduated from high school and went to college. Our church looked desolate.聽Only about twenty-five people were attending on Sabbath, one-third of normal.”

The congregation began earnestly praying that God would fill their church, especially with young people.聽Andelkovic continues, “From our prayers,聽strange things started to happen! We had a student from UC Davis join us with her boyfriend.聽She had learned about the Sabbath聽over the internet, and two more young adults arrived at our church having seen our web page.”

The new guests attended Bible studies, eager to know more about Jesus. Church members worked diligently to include their new friends in activities, drawing them into the church.聽Andelkovic聽states, “We were happy to see things happening聽and the spirit moving, but that was just the beginning!”

In time, the church had its first baptism, a rebaptism. This decision by a gentleman聽seemed to encourage others. Andelkovic聽exclaimed, “As a district pastor, I am there every two weeks, and when I baptize, I always appeal to the congregation, asking if others wish to make that commitment. After this baptism, every time I was there, a new hand would go up in the church!”

“After the third Sabbath with a baptism,” Andelkovic continues, “I聽jokingly聽told the congregation that we needed to continue the tradition asking, ‘Who will be baptized next?’聽I聽couldn’t dream up what聽happened next!聽The whole back row of the church stood up joyfully, waving their hands.聽I was stunned! It was a group of people I hadn’t even met yet!聽Needless to say,聽I couldn鈥檛 wait to meet them and hear their stories.鈥�

Andelkovic states, “The original couple from UC Davis just made a commitment too, requesting baptism as well, our cup runneth over.”

Andelkovic聽reflects, “You just never know how God will answer your prayers! We often ask for blessings and then try to predict how He will work. But I must tell you, this experience left me in awe of how His way is not our way, but the experience is always wonderful!”

[Stay tuned for a story of the mysterious back row!]

Featured in Northern Lights, October 26, 2023
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