Westside’s Youth did a really great job this year. Under the direction (and creator of the play) Sis. Karen Chesser.

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As the temperature in Moscow dips below zero, one of the city’s largest Pentecostal churches meets for worship in a marquee on a rough patch of land in an outlying suburb. “We’ve nowhere else to go,” Bakur Azaryan, Emmanuel Church’s assistant pastor, explained to Forum 18 News Service. The land is tied to a former workers’ club bought by Emmanuel seven years ago. But as the local authorities have still not drawn up the Church’s land rights, it cannot use or reconstruct the building, gutted in a suspected arson attack in 2007. In April 2008,

Emmanuel lost access to rented premises apparently due to state pressure – a familiar complaint by Moscow Protestant communities. A local official maintained to Forum 18 that Emmanuel may in fact use or reconstruct its building, but this was countered by a more senior Moscow official. Konstantin Blazhenov also insisted to Forum 18 that the land rights issue is being resolved but is just taking “a long time”. Without stable premises, Emmanuel cannot licence its seminary, which the Justice Ministry this month tried to dissolve for being unlicensed.

Barred from their adjacent building, members of Moscow’s Emmanuel Pentecostal Church braved subzero temperatures last Sunday, 14 December, as they packed away the blue-and-yellow-striped marquee, benches, portable heaters and electricity generators now required for their weekly worship. A recent Justice Ministry attempt to dissolve their seminary is just the latest offensive in the authorities’ long-running campaign against the Church, Assistant Pastor Bakur Azaryan pointed out as Forum 18 News Service looked on.

The Youth Christmas Play will be held Sunday evening Dec 21st.

The Children’s Christmas Play will be held Sunday Dec 14th at 10:00 a.m.

The youth Christmas party is Saturday Dec 13th at 5:00 pm at the church.

If you would like to participate in the gift exchange please bring a snack basket valued at $10.00.

The Adult Class Christmas Dinner is Thursday dec 11th at 7:00 pm at the Oaks Restaurant in Manchester.

If you would like to participate in the gift exchange please bring a moderately priced wrapped gift.

The dinner is dutch treat.

The Annual men’s Christmas breakfast at Shoney’s in Manchester is this Saturday Dec. 13th at 7 a.m. We will also introduce the concept for the next year where we’ll seek volunteers to be in charge of a month of the men’s prayer breakfast. A sign up sheet will be provided to allow you to pick your month.

All men are invited to join us for this special men’s breakfast.

Tuesday December 9th at 6:30 pm at Crockett’s Restaurant the Ladies of Westside will be having their Christmas party.

If you would like to participate in the gift exchange please bring a moderately priced wrapped gift.

Meal is dutch treat.