Дорогая семья,

Мы идём этим путём вместе — в молитве, планировании и движении вперёд с верой. Сегодня мы рады поделиться тем, что готовилось уже некоторое время, и мы верим, что это отражает самую суть всего, что мы строим.

Мы с радостью официально представляем название и облик нашего нового здания:

The Living Stone Center.

Это название выбрано не случайно. Оно взято прямо из Слова Божьего:

«Приступая к Нему, камню живому, человеками отверженному, но Богом избранному, драгоценному, и сами, как живые камни, устрояйте из себя дом духовный, священство святое, чтобы приносить духовные жертвы, благоприятные Богу Иисусом Христом.»
— 1 Петра 2:4–5

Сам Христос — Живой Камень, избранный, драгоценный и единственное истинное основание. А мы, как верующие, называемся живыми камнями, созидаемыми вместе во что-то несравненно большее, чем любое строение, возведённое руками человека. Каждая балка, каждая стена, каждая комната этого здания отражает эту истину. Мы строим не просто здание — мы церковь, созидаемая вместе в Нём.

С момента нашего последнего обновления произошло следующее:

Компания Cornerstone Commercial Builders активно набирает работников для участия в этом проекте на постоянной основе, и радостно видеть реальный прогресс на строительной стороне.

В настоящее время мы ожидаем окончательного одобрения от города Сейлем в связи с изменением проекта цокольного этажа здания. После получения этого одобрения мы рассчитываем в течение ближайших нескольких недель получить окончательные разрешения на строительство, завершённые строительные чертежи и полный финансовый обзор проекта.

Предложения от подрядчиков уже поступают. Как только окончательное разрешение на строительство будет получено, мы действуем на полную — официально выставляем весь проект на торги и переходим к строительной фазе.

Наша цель — начать строительство в апреле.

Благодарим вас за то, что вы — живые камни рядом с нами. Продолжайте молиться, продолжайте жертвовать, и будьте готовы — потому что то, что Бог строит здесь, только начинается.

С благодарностью,
Строительный Комитет Living Stone Center
Первая Славянская Баптистская Церковь

Dear FSBC Family,

We have been on this journey together — praying, planning, and pressing forward in faith. Today, we are excited to share something that has been in the works, and we believe it captures the heart of everything we are building toward.

We are thrilled to officially introduce the name and identity of our new facility:

The Living Stone Center.

This name was not chosen casually. It is drawn directly from the Word of God:

"To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." — 1 Peter 2:4–5

Christ Himself is the Living Stone — chosen, precious, and the only true foundation. And we, as believers, are called lively stones, being built together into something far greater than any structure made by human hands. Every beam, every wall, every room in this building is a reflection of that truth. We are not just constructing a facility — we are a church being built up together in Him.

Since our last update, here is what has been happening:

Cornerstone Commercial Builders is actively bringing on workers to serve on this project on a full-time basis, and it is exciting to see real momentum on the construction side.

We are currently awaiting final approval from the City of Salem following a design change to the basement level of the building. Once that approval comes through, we expect to have finalized building permits, completed construction drawings, and a full financial overview of the project — all within the next few weeks.

Bids are already in the pipeline. The moment that final building permit is in hand, we go full steam ahead — formally bidding out the entire project and moving into the construction phase.

We are aiming to break ground in April.

Thank you for being lively stones alongside us. Keep praying, keep giving, and get ready, because what God is building here is just getting started.

With gratitude, The Living Stone Center Building Committee First Slavic Baptist Church

People may ask, who is the Building Committee?

The Building Committee was initially formed with a group of seventeen people. As of right now, that group continues to serve faithfully in various capacities, each bringing their own gifts and responsibilities to the project.

We have two pastors, Eugene Korchagin and Constantine Vysotski, serving as the spiritual leadership for the building process. Their guidance keeps us focused on prayer, unity, and God’s direction.

Representing the general contractor group, Cornerstone Commercial Builders, are Gyennady Makarenko (President), Alex Polhovski (Vice-President), Danik Shipuk (Secretary), and Max Shipuk (Vice-Secretary). These men are directly involved in leading the construction side of this project.

Serving as administrator is Andrew Shpiruk, who oversees paperwork, moderates meetings, and provides general organization and direction.

We also have Tim Korchagin, who is serving as the youth liaison and leading in fundraising. He will be reaching out to churches, communities, non-profits, and companies to see if they would like to take part in supporting the building project.

Additionally, on the finance side of things, Alex Inzhirov has joined as head of finance for the construction project. He is making sure accounting is tracked, and everything is properly documented and reported. Natasha R is serving as our bank coordinator, assisting with loan and grant information. Sergey Yarigin and Oxana Damaskin represent the church’s finance side, working to ensure that the relationship between the general contractor and the church remains fluid.

Pasha Tofan, who serves as the church secretary, is also a member of the committee. Alongside him, Sergey Brichuk, Dmitriy Rybakov, Vitalik Tyhotski, and Vova Lamnic contribute valuable insight and guidance for the construction process.

Since our men’s breakfast meeting on September 27th, four additional brothers have stepped up to join the Building Committee: Alex Gridinar, Aleksey Polkhovskiy, Andrew Walker, and Artem Krivoy. Andrew Walker, in particular, has expressed a desire to help ensure the building is both structurally sound and cost-efficient. Artem Krivoy will be assisting on the accounting side where needed.

Please pray for these brothers and every single member of the Building Committee. We cannot do this without your prayers, and WE CANNOT DO IT WITHOUT YOU! If God places it on your heart to join in helping, we encourage you to reach out and see how you can be a part of this important work. God uses people as His instruments, and together we believe He will bless this project as we build.

We are grateful to share how God is continuing to guide us in the process of building our new multipurpose church facility. From the very beginning, our goal has been to invest in the future generation of Christians, to create more space for ministry, and to strengthen our church family as we labor together in faith.
Here are the details of where we are today:

1. Building Committee Established
   
   • A 17-member building committee has been formed, representing a wide range of skills and perspectives within our church.
   • The committee meets regularly on Tuesday evenings at 6:00 PM to review responsibilities, assign tasks, and ensure that every area of the project is moving forward.
2. Construction Company Created
   
   • A church-led construction company has officially been formed to legally and efficiently oversee the building project.
   • Leadership for this company includes brothers Gennadiy Makarenko, Daniil Shipuk, Maksim Shipuk, and Aleksandr Polkhovskiy.
   • This allows us to work directly as a church family while keeping costs transparent and at cost.
3. Roles and Responsibilities Assigned
   
   • Responsibilities have been divided into clear categories: financing, documentation, design, contracting, scheduling, and communication.
   • Meetings have helped outline both the immediate priorities (loan approval, site preparation, design planning) and the long-term responsibilities (permits, contracts, and construction oversight).
4. Loan and Financing Process
   
   • Conversations with the bank are actively ongoing as we pursue the loan required to fund this building.
   • Required documents include tax returns, personal financial statements, and guarantor information.
   • The church is currently gathering records such as attendance and financial reports from the past three years to strengthen the application.
   • Members who qualify may be asked to prayerfully consider serving as personal guarantors, as this is an essential requirement of the bank.
5. Vision for the Building
   
   • The new 37,000 square foot multipurpose facility will provide room for:
     • More students in every school connected with the church.
     • Bible classes, youth activities, and group meetings.
     • Conferences, weddings, sports events, and church-wide celebrations in all seasons.
   • Beyond its physical use, this project is a testimony of God’s provision and an opportunity for us to grow in unity and trust in Him.

Everything about this project is being done openly and with accountability. All information, reports, and updates are available to our church family.
We humbly ask you to continue in prayer—pray for wisdom, provision, and unity. Faithfully give toward God’s work as He directs you. And if the Lord places it on your heart, consider joining us directly in the construction process by serving on the building committee.
This is not just about building walls; it is about building a foundation for future generations to worship, learn, and grow in Christ.

God has been leading our church step by step as we prepare for the exciting task of building a new multipurpose facility. Over the past months, we have prayed, planned, and organized, and we’re grateful to see how the Lord is providing through His people.

At this stage, our building committee has been formed and is actively working through the many details involved. A construction company has been set up to oversee the project, initial responsibilities have been assigned, and conversations with banks and potential guarantors are in progress as we take the necessary steps toward financing. The vision for this building remains clear: to invest in the next generation of Christians, expand ministry opportunities, and provide a place where the Gospel can continue to reach many.

As we move forward, we want to emphasize that everything about this project is being handled with full transparency. All information, plans, and reports are available for the church body, and we encourage every member to stay informed.

We ask you, dear church family, to keep this work in your prayers. Pray that God would continue to guide, provide, and bless each stage of the process. Faithfully give to God’s work as He leads, and if the Lord places it on your heart, consider joining in the construction process by serving on the building committee. Together, we can see this vision become a reality for His glory.