Every summer, teenagers from small churches across Belarus pack up their instruments and head to an SGA-supported Summer Bible Camp with one goal in mind: to make music for the glory of God—and to grow as ministers who will serve their home churches for years to come.

This year, 157 students ages 11 to 18 came together from approximately 50 churches for seven days of rehearsals, Bible lessons, and fellowship. Many of them attend music school and already play in their local congregations. A team of 40 musician-educators—believers who teach in music institutions—led them through Bible lessons, music theory, choir rehearsals, and instrument-specific training. The week builds toward a single culminating moment: the students take part in a worship service at a local church, offering what they’ve prepared as an act of worship before the congregation.

SGA-supported Pastor Leonid, who oversees the camp, describes the heart behind it simply: “We don’t just play for ourselves; we want God to be glorified through us, for the church to see the fruit of our labor, and for the children themselves to understand why we are doing this.”

More Than a Music Camp

The camp is intentionally designed as a ministry project—one aimed at the spiritual formation of the next generation, generational continuity in the church, and support for small congregations that often lack resources of their own. This year’s spiritual emphasis centered on approaching ministry with a serious, reverent heart. The team examined several biblical stories with the students and drew out lessons for a life of service:

• Miriam—do not speak ill of ministers or criticize them.
• Nadab and Abihu—do not bring “strange fire” into the church.
• The story of Uzzah—do not do what seems right in your own eyes, but measure everything against God’s Word.
• Manna in the wilderness—do not grumble. Grumbling is rebellion against God.
• Ananias and Sapphira—do not try to live a double life or hide anything from God.

That spiritual foundation bore visible fruit. During a Bible lesson on the parable of the ten virgins—about being ready to meet the Lord—several young people asked to pray and seek God’s forgiveness. Among them were Bathsheba, Ilya, and Ulyana, all 12 years old, whose sincere prayers were captured in a moment their pastor called evidence of “God’s work in the hearts of these children.”

A Week That Changes Families

Parents who watched their children go through the camp shared testimonies of real transformation. One mother wrote about her daughter, who had been deeply absorbed in social media before the camp:

“Our daughter was deeply into online communication—various groups, communities, TikTok, and Telegram. After the camp, she herself wanted to unsubscribe from all of it! It all became unpleasant to her! . . . She gets great joy from immersing herself in such a mature, serious, collective effort—being part of one big whole. . . . You accomplish in ONE WEEK what simply amazes and cannot but impress!”

Another parent described children returning home so inspired that they asked to join congregational singing right away: “I want to play, I want to serve!”

Pastor Leonid put it plainly: “I loved watching the children joyfully RUN to rehearsals with their instruments in hand!”

Facing Obstacles, Trusting God

The camp wasn’t without its challenges. Funding was tight, especially for covering the team’s own accommodations during the week—many of the musician-educators take unpaid time away from their own work to serve. Pastor Leonid and his team spent three weeks in focused daily prayer leading up to the camp, asking God to provide for every need.

“Amazingly, on the very day we were praying about finances, we received good news . . . about [the desire of Slavic Gospel Association] to help and participate in the ministry of the intensive. Your response greatly strengthened our faith.”

Gifts from SGA partners like you covered the team’s accommodations, allowing the camp to move forward. Pastor Leonid’s own church also held a special offering that helped purchase T-shirts for the students—simple keepsakes that participants wore during their closing worship service and now carry home as a reminder of the week.

An Investment That Multiplies

Pastor Leonid sees this camp as an investment with a long horizon: “Together with us, you are making a significant contribution to raising a new generation of music ministers. In time, those you have invested in will sing and play to the Lord on instruments in their churches.”

For a church with few young people in ministry, one teenager returning home with renewed passion to serve can make a real difference. Through this SGA-supported Summer Bible Camp, students aren’t just learning music—they’re discovering their place in the life and worship of the church, developing skills and calling they’ll carry with them for years.