Czechoslovak Baptist Convention of USA and Canada

Our Registration deadline is coming up! June 1st!

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=EqRIDC1R4Ee-H89Ta6c6vhcqkOSrsVxJhYqjFUZ-FPpUME44WUFNWFNCVEMyNUVDUDFOTDBTMzlCTC4u

Or visit www.czskbc.org to download a registration package to mail it in.

Please read this note and be praying for Nico and Deb.

Hello dear friends,
We are so grateful for all of you in our lives and we appreciate all the texts and well wishes but especially your prayers.
We are leaving tomorrow evening, flying out at 21:55 from Pearson and the first stop will be London. From Wednesday mid-day to Sunday we will be with our daughter and her family in Johannesburg and we’re excited to see them all.
There are a lot of unknowns once we reach, but we do know that God has a plan for the 2 months that we will spend in Maun at the Dutch Reformed Church.
At this time our prayer requests include
- a safe journey
- acceptance by a congregation that has been without a pastor for 2 years. They feel neglected and they are negative toward the church leadership
- unity within the congregation

Our first goal is to meet with the leadership of the church and their families. We begin our service to the church on Monday May 27th

In His love,
Nico and Deb

Registration link below!

Did you know that our online registration is now open?
We are so excited to see you!

You can use the link below to register or download a registration from the www.czskbc.org website to mail it in.

Registration Deadline: June 1, 2024

Here is the online registration link:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=EqRIDC1R4Ee-H89Ta6c6vhcqkOSrsVxJhYqjFUZ-FPpUME44WUFNWFNCVEMyNUVDUDFOTDBTMzlCTC4u

We express Christian Sympathy to the family of our long time friend and member of the Czechoslovak Baptist Convention of USA and Canada

Fred Opocensky

January 08, 1928 - April 26, 2024

Went to be with his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on Apr. 26, 2024 at 96 years of age. Predeceased by his beloved wife Anne, his parents Frederich Sr. and Blanche, his brother and sisters Joseph, Anne (Braemer), Georgina (Taylor) and Marie (Larson).

He is remembered as a very special uncle to many nieces and nephews and a good friend to many. Fred served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Korean War. He was also a Canada Custom officer in Windsor for more than 30 years.

Fred was a long-time and faithful member of Grace Baptist Church serving gladly wherever needed. He was a great supporter and volunteer of Matthew House Windsor from the beginning. His sense of humour and kindness will be missed by many. Fred shared love and compassion and generosity widely.

He also served on the board of the Czechoslovak Baptist Convention of USA and Canada and enjoyed attending, supporting and fellowshipping with good friends at many annual Conventions at Alderson Broadus College, Philippi WV, Allegheny College, Meadville PA and Malone University, Canton OH.

Visitation will be held at Grace Baptist Church, 3150 Tecumseh Rd. E. on Thursday, May 2, 2024 from 9:00 - 10:00 am, with a service to follow at 10:00 am, Officiated by Pastors Alex Moir and Stan Mantle. Internment to follow at Victoria Memorial Gardens.

Donations in memory of Fred may be made to Grace Baptist Church Food Bank. Online condolences may be shared at www.windsorchapel.com.

https://windsorchapel.com/tribute/details/12891/Fredrick-Opocensky/obituary.html

2024 Summer Convention Guest Speaker Highlight

Rev. Pavel Coufal
The President of the Baptist Union in Czech Republic.

To learn more about Pavel please read his bio below.

Did you know that our online registration is now open?
We are so excited to see you!

You can use the link below to register or download a registration from the www.czskbc.org website to mail it in.

Registration Deadline: June 1, 2024

Here is the online registration link:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=EqRIDC1R4Ee-H89Ta6c6vhcqkOSrsVxJhYqjFUZ-FPpUME44WUFNWFNCVEMyNUVDUDFOTDBTMzlCTC4u

Please save the date! 🗓️ Lord willing we hope to see each other this summer, at the 111th Czechoslovak Baptist Convention. The Convention will take place July 5-7, 2024 at Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania, USA.

Our guest speaker is Rev. Pavel Coufal, the president of the Baptist Union in Czech Republic. 🇨🇿

The annual convention newsletter is planned for Easter Monday, April 1st, so please look out for that. 👀 Online registrations will also begin on April 1, as well as registration by mail will be available.

If you are not receiving our newsletters, you are also not receiving registration links and upcoming information. Please email [email protected] to join our email list.

We need your help to better plan for a Summer Convention!

Please share with your family and friends!

Here’s the link 🔗

https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=zloVDAJfVUyue3YK6ms0qzYGg-X3l19Op61OcpXe2hNUQ0tLSUNHUTE3N0dGMTZORTROWUM5MlI3TS4u

Dear CZSKBC Family,

At the General Board's direction, the newly-appointed Annual Convention Organizing Committee met on January 6th and began tentatively planning for a July 2024 Convention. The responsibility of the Committee is to organize the Annual Summer Convention. Aaron Blata accepted the position of Committee Chair.

The Committee explored several locations, and after careful consideration of the options, we are pleased to propose the 111th Czechoslovak Baptist Convention at Alleghany College, in Meadville, Pennsylvania, from July 5 – 7, 2024.

A minimum attendance is required to secure our venue. Therefore, we are requesting your response to four questions, which will enable the Committee to begin planning the 2024 Summer Convention.

CZSKBC Convention 2024 Questionnaire

https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=zloVDAJfVUyue3YK6ms0qzYGg-X3l19Op61OcpXe2hNUQ0tLSUNHUTE3N0dGMTZORTROWUM5MlI3TS4u

Please click on the 🔗 link and complete the questionnaire prior to January 31st, 2024.
If you require any technical assistance with the provided form, please contact us at [email protected].

God willing, we are looking forward to gathering as a CZSKBC Family in 2024.

Donald Shoff - August, 19, 1934 - January 3, 2024

On January 3, 2024, Donald Gene Shoff (89) of La Verne, CA entered the gates of heaven. He died peacefully surrounded by his family.

Don was a long time member and servant of the Czechoslovak Baptist Convention of USA and Canada and will be dearly missed! We offer our deepest sympathies to the Shoff family.

Donald Shoff August, 19, 1934 - January 3, 2024

On January 3, 2024, Donald Gene Shoff (89) of La Verne, CA entered the gates of heaven. He died peacefully surrounded by his family.

We will celebrate his life and impact on Saturday, January 27 at 1:30 PM at Lighthouse Baptist Church, 2600 N. White Ave., La Verne, CA, 91750. The service will be live streamed for those unable to attend.

Born on August 19, 1934, in Ponca City, Oklahoma, to George and Mary Shoff. He received his bachelor's degree from Bob Jones University, where he met his beloved wife, Judith Helene Sivulka. He also earned a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Theological Seminary, a Ph.D. from California Pacific School of Theology in Glendale, and a Doctor of Ministry from Dallas Theological Seminary. In his early years of ministry, he pastored Sabine Place Baptist Church (Fort Worth, Texas). He brought the family to Orange County, California, in 1963 to Trinity Baptist Church (formerly Community Baptist Church) in Westminster, CA. He then pastored Bethany Bible Fellowship (Midway City, CA). Later, he served as Director of Personnel at African Inland Mission, traveling around the world encouraging and mentoring pastors and missionaries for a year. He then pastored Cornerstone Bible Church (Glendora, CA).

After retiring he and Judy continued to minister to churches in transition in various locations in the US with Titus Ministries. During his retirement he founded the Fellowship of Evangelical Pastors (2003-present) where he trained and mentored numerous local pastors.

He was a man of deep faith and passion, devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle, and loyal friend. He loved his family and cherished the time we could be all together. Don is survived by his wife, Judy; sister, Mary Ann Shurley; daughters, Christie (Jim) and Shelly (Guy); grandchildren Jeremy (Christine), Lindsey (Noah), Danny (Karen), Brooke, and Claire (Rudy); great grandchildren Everett, Isla, and Eliyanah; and a loving dog, Honey Bun.

Our most cherished quote of his is, “By your grace I will die climbing. I don’t want to go out coasting but growing. Not complaining but praising – in fruitfulness will be my goal.” It is based on Psalm 92:14, “They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.”

Our hearts are broken, but our hope remains in the Lord. Don was our hero, and his family was the joy of his life. His faith is now sight, and in that we rejoice.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Hindustan Bible Institute https://hbiglobalpartners.org/donation-auditorium-and-education-center/. Don was instrumental in supporting this organization's growth and leadership for over 40 years.

The live stream for the service can be found at this link: https://www.lbclaverne.com

Below Danny Blata wrote up a summary of the recent Broad Meeting. I hope you enjoy hearing that things are beginning to move again in the Czech Convention.

On December 2nd, thirteen members of the Czechoslovak Baptist Convention of USA and Canada's (CZSKBC) general board convened to discuss the organization's future. Despite diverse backgrounds, a shared passion for the CZSKBC's mission was evident. The CZSKBC aims to spread the gospel in Central and Eastern Europe, specifically the Czech and Slovak Republics. Additionally, it supports the efforts of Baptists and other evangelical churches in North America serving individuals of Czech and Slovak descent, fostering a Christian environment for worship, fellowship, teaching, and cultural appreciation among those in the United States and Canada.

We began the meeting with prayer which followed by engaging in a Strength/Weakness/Opportunities/Threats (SWOT) exercise. The outcome of the SWOT analysis highlighted two key priorities among others: enhancing communication and forming a committee for an in-person convention in 2024. If you're interested in joining this committee, please prayerfully consider participating and reaching out to Darko Siracki or myself accordingly.

Our strong connections with those serving in Czechia and the Slovak Republic were reaffirmed during the meeting and we anticipate gathering again to share updates on what God is doing among our mission partners.

Our meeting instilled hope for a future CZSKBC convention in 2024, where we look forward to reuniting and witnessing the engagement of the next generation, including my children, Harvey and Klara.

Thanks Danny,

Ruby

How often have you prayed The Lord’s Prayer? Unfortunately, if you are like me, because we have prayed or said it so many times, we forget the significance or importance of it. When this happens, we lose the posture of prayer that we should have whenever we pray to God.
Let’s take a closer look at the first aspect of the Lord’s prayer. It begins with Our Father in heaven. I think often we think of this as the place where we know God is. Now, it is true God is in heaven, but here in this prayer God’s location is not as important as his position. When we pray and address God we are speaking of his position, his authority and power.
We all know and believe that God is all powerful and that He has authority over all the earth. What a wonderful reminder when we pray that we are praying to this powerful Being who is Infinite. As we pray to this all-powerful God, we know He has power to answer according to his will. But his Infiniteness also shows us that He can give all of Himself to each of his children. God will not love me or you less than anyone else. So, as we are praying let us contemplate this awesome love and pray with confidence that He hears our prayers no matter who we are.
Jesus continues further in showing us how to pray. He says this Father whom we pray to in heaven may this name be hallowed; hallowed be your name. What does that really mean? I think most of us would think of its meaning as…help us to honor Your name or let your name be holy.
As I was thinking about that holy name, I went to a commentary to try to get a better understanding of what it really means. I found this statement in Benson’s Commentary that really put it into words that expounded more of what this might mean. He writes,
“May Thy existence be universally believed, Thy perfections revered, loved and imitated, Thy works admired, Thy supremacy over all acknowledged and confided in.”
Think about that a bit longer and let it sink in. When we pray hallowed be thy name it is talking of his existence, his perfections, his works, and his supremacy. WOW! Doesn’t that throw a different light on those all to familiar words of ‘hallowed be Thy name’?
This Father, this God who we pray to is in heaven, but his name speaks into his existence and his perfections which we all want to admire and imitate, his works we so often take for granted and forget to admire. Perhaps the hardest of all that Benson mentions is accepting and confiding in God’s supremacy and authority over all we are praying for.
Hallowed be your name means so much more than we may think. I trust that the next time your pray, your thoughts will go to our Father in heaven and all that his name means to us. May it bring you courage and words that express ultimate worship of the Father who we can pray to at any time.

Ruby

Greetings to all from the new President of the Convention. Last night the General Board unanimously accepted me. Kinda scary but I believe God has a great future ahead
Will you join me in trusting God to revive our organization as it once was. Suggestions and ideas as to how to move things forward will be received with gratitude. Ruby Mikulencak

Join us for tonight’s Service at Grace Baptist Church in Windsor!

CZSKBC Worship Service Live from Grace Baptist Church in Windsor, ONOctober 15, 2022

Dear Convention Friends:

Just a reminder that the special Czechoslovak Conference is this Saturday. Oct. 15, 2022.

Business meeting will be live streamed on our YouTube Chanel. Please replay to this email if you wish to receive the Login information. This meeting will be streamed as Private and login will be required.

Saturday Worship service will be live streamed on our YouTube channel as public (no login required). Live stream will appear on the top of our YouTube page around 6:55pm. If you wish to receive the link by email, just replay to this email.

Weekend schedule:

SATURDAY October 15, 2022

1:00 pm. Business meeting

5:30 pm. Special Slavic Dinner

7:00 pm. Worship Service

SUNDAY October 15, 2022

11:00 am. Worship Service

12:30 pm Potluck Lunch

All meetings will take place at

Grace Baptist Church,
3150 Tecumseh Rd. E.
Windsor, ON N8W 1H1

Please RSVP so our hosts can know how many to prepare dinner.

Please be in prayer for this important gathering and the crucial decisions before us. We look forward to seeing you as we discuss the future of the Convention and worship the Lord together.

Sincerely,

Stan Mantle, President
Darko Siracki, Executive Secretary

https://mailchi.mp/c274d666cdb0/2021-convention-update-8677843?e=e0f964c38e

CZSKBC Conference is this weekend - Join us

Dear Convention Friends:

Warm greetings from Windsor, ON. Early fall in Southwestern Ontario has been absolutely delightful. We hope you are enjoying the blessings of the fall season as well.

We would like to invite you to a special Czechoslovak Baptist Convention Conference planned for Saturday Oct. 15, 2022.
All meetings will take place at:

Grace Baptist Church,
3150 Tecumseh Rd. E.
Windsor, ON N8W 1H1

We hope you will be able to join us as we renew in person fellowship for the first time after 2 years.

We also hope you are there because we need to discuss the future of the Convention - what happens next? Can we continue the convention going forward?

Several key positions are vacant, most notably the position of President and US Treasurer. These are critical positions which MUST be filled in order for the Convention to exist and function going forward.

If YOU are willing to serve or would like to nominate someone to either of these positions, be sure to join us at the business session at 1:00 pm on Saturday, October 15.
All delegates, past and present, are welcome to participate in the meeting.

If you are not able to attend please share your thoughts via email or phone call. If you wish to listen in on the meeting, be sure to contact us at [email protected] so we can send you the link for the live feed of the meeting.

A delicious Slavic dinner will be served at 5:30 pm followed by a worship service at 7:00pm. We look forward to lively singing, special music and a message from God’s Word.

The Fellowship of the Brought Out (Psalm 40:1-3) by Rev. Stan Mantle.

Those who are able are welcome to stay for Sunday morning worship service at Grace Baptist Church, followed by a potluck.

Please RSVP so our hosts can know how many to prepare dinner for, since this is a special conference it is hard to estimate the attendance so your RSVP is very important.

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

1:00 pm. Business meeting

5:30 pm. Special Slavic Dinner

7:00 pm. Worship Service

SUNDAY SCHEDULE

11:00 am. Worship Service

12:30 pm Potluck Lunch

Please keep everyone and the Convention in prayer for this important gathering and the crucial decisions before us. We look forward to seeing you as we discuss the future of the Convention and worship the Lord together.