Daniel Naberezhny
The Naberezhny Family
How have you seen God working in your life?
I was born into a large Christian family in the Soviet Union. My father was a pastor, and all our family was actively involved in ministry. When I was 16, God touched me in a very special way, and I consciously gave my life to Jesus. Soon after, I was baptized and became a church member. Since then, I've always been involved in ministry in Ukraine and Russia.In 2014, God brought me to Florida, where I graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University with an M.Div. In 2020, Istarted the ministry to Eastern Europeans in Boca Raton. My main goal is to bring people to Christ through sharing the gospel and relief work. Since the beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine, I've been heavily involved in relief ministry to hundreds of refugees in South Florida. We distribute food and assist with documents, housing, transportation, and other things for the neediest. We see that God is working on the hearts of people during these difficult times in their lives, and we're excited to witness new salvations!
How have you seen god working in your family?
I thank God for my family - my wife Galina, Ariella, 11, and Aaron, 9. Galina has been in ministry since she was a child and has fully supported me in my studies and ministry work. I think we are a perfect pair, as we both come from large families and our fathers were pastors. We have a common vision to serve the Eastern European and Slavic community in South Florida. Galina is our worship leader, and she heads the women’s ministry. We do many things together, and we also pray and read the Bible together every day. We are very happy with our children, who are both active in Sunday school and go to a Christian school. We gather every night to read the Bible and pray before bed.
How have you seen god working in your church?
I learned that the church belongs to God, and he is the lead church planter. He does the work and I assist. I would never be able to do even a small part of the work that was done since we started the ministry. God brings the right people who share your vision, he builds the team, and he guides you during the times of storm and spiritual warfare. We started our church from three families and this number multiplied many times. We see regularly how people who have no Christian background are being transformed by the power of the gospel and the Holy Spirit. Also, we came to the obvious conclusion that God wants us not only to preach the gospel but also to be practically involved in the ministry of the poor and refugees. Since the beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine we have helped thousands of Ukrainian refugees in South Florida through food distributions and other ways of providing help. We have seen how God was beautifully working in the hearts of the people during these difficult circumstances.
church name
International Bible Church
church email
daniel@ibcnow.org
church Website
http://ibcnow.org
What is your church’s mission/Vision?
Mission: Our church exists to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the Eastern European people in South Florida, and to serve them with compassion and love as they face the challenges of displacement, poverty, and integration. We partner with local and international organizations to provide practical and spiritual assistance to the refugees and to advocate for their rights and dignity.
Vision: Our vision is to see the Eastern European community in South Florida transformed by the power of the gospel and the Holy Spirit, and to become a vibrant and diverse part of the body of Christ. We envision a church that is growing in faith, love, and service, and that is reaching out to other people groups with the same grace and mercy that we have received from God. Based on our community needs assessment, the population of Eastern European and Russian-speaking people is estimated at over 400,000. Despite this large population, there is a significant lack of evangelical churches and ministries specifically serving this group. Many individuals who relocated from post-Soviet countries do not have a Christian background, making them one of the least reached groups by the Gospel, according to multiple reports. My goals as a church planter extend beyond planting individual churches. I also hope to train leaders who can continue this vital work, empowering them to reach their own communities with the Gospel.
Looking five years ahead, our vision is to establish three local churches – in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and Miami– each serving the Eastern European population. These churches would operate as a unified force, sharing a common vision, mission, and commitment to relief work.