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. Around the same time, many of our youth graduated from high school and went to college. Our church looked desolate. 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. Andelkovic continues, “From our prayers, strange things started to happen! We had a student from UC Davis join us with her boyfriend. She had learned about the Sabbath 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. Andelkovic states, “We were happy to see things happening 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 seemed to encourage others. Andelkovic 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 jokingly told the congregation that we needed to continue the tradition asking, ‘Who will be baptized next?’ I couldn’t dream up what happened next! The whole back row of the church stood up joyfully, waving their hands. I was stunned! It was a group of people I hadn’t even met yet! Needless to say, I couldn’t wait to meet them and hear their stories.”
Andelkovic states, “The original couple from UC Davis just made a commitment too, requesting baptism as well, our cup runneth over.”
Andelkovic 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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