What is the Church?

Since there are questions there must be answers.

Christ - the creator, is the founder and the head of the church. The words "I will create my church" belong to Jesus of Nazareth, which he voiced two thousand years ago. A church (Greek: "ecclesia") is a gathering of people who follow the ideas of their Teacher. In the present the church represents itself in local communities, congregations and denominations. Also, it is called universal because it covers the whole world.

From ancient times Israel (a nation chosen by God) has divided all the inhabitants of the earth into Jews and gentiles. But…the coming of Jesus Christ to earth has marked a new era in the history of mankind, in which the national exclusiveness of the former covenant (only with Israel) is replaced by the joining in Christ upon the equal rights of believers from all nationalities. He was able "in Himself to create ONE, new person, establishing the world".

In the present there exists only one status of a person before God – which is His children by faith in Christ Jesus. However, the church is a continuation of the spiritual Israel – the seed of Abraham and the people of the covenant of God. The New Testament, by which the Church lives today, is the new form of relations. God spoke to his chosen community, saying "I will be a God unto them and they shall by my people" (Exodus 6:7).

The main task of the Israelite nation, and so also of the church, consisted of demonstrating visually the power and character of the one living God, with the goal of educating pagans and turning them to the true faith. Allegorically the Holy Scriptures present the Church as a letter that is read and known by all, as Christ’s fragrance - spread in everywhere, as a city on the top of a mountain – not able to conceal itself, as a candle- that shines for everyone in the house.

During the course of the long years of the 20th century the Church of Christ suffered severe persecution and refined attempts at it’s destruction. From Nero’s insane exploits to the slyly disguised actions of Constantine, who mixed truth with pagan traditions, and from the crusades to Luther, the church has live through tough times and has made achieved great feats of faith

In 1906 in Los Angeles (exactly one hundred years ago) a long awaited revival flashed into flame that covered the whole world during the course of one century.

Several years later a massive emigration of Christians, which began in the nineties from the Soviet Union to the USA, was met with the frightening factor of degradation because they ended up "in a flask" or completely isolated from the great revival in the countries of the CIS.

Year after year the Lord raised those who sought their way, who desired to see a visual demonstration of God’s power and who remembered commission of Jesus from Nazareth. One such person was A. Shevchenko. Even though the "Ugol" ministry, which began it’s work in 1996 under the direction of A. Shevchenko, quickly obtained a wide community of acceptance the Lord firmly called him to pastoral work. After a period of meditation that lasted for over a year Alexander and Zhanna submitted to God’s call and a new a new Christian fellowship center by the name of "House of Bread" was opened in the city of Sacramento (California, USA) which held its first service on January 15th, 2006.

Foremost, the "House of Bread" church is a reaction to the need of the Slavic emigration of the 90’s. The modern religious and cultural hybrid of two great powers demanded an intervention from above. A few years ago this pain was bearable, but now it is the "Macedonian cry" of our generation. The appearance of the given church is one of the parts composing the living mosaic of God, in which the salvation of the human race is placed in the forefront until the day of the coming of Jesus Christ.