A conference titled “Christian Woman of the 21st Century” was held on April 25, 2026, in the city of Hayward at Mission Blvd. Baptist Church. It was a great joy that sisters from other churches also came, allowing us all to enjoy wonderful fellowship together.
There were three speakers: Olga Zherebnenko, Tanya Senina, and Alyona Mileeva. Olga spoke on the topic “How to Be a Joyful and Thankful Christian Woman,” using Leah as an example. Though Leah was unloved, when she gave birth to Judah, she was able to say, “Now I will praise the Lord” (Genesis 29:35). Leah became an ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Tanya Senina spoke on the topic “How to Resist the World and Remain Faithful to God’s Covenant.” She pointed out that a spiritual war is taking place, and today there are enemy attacks that did not exist before. Christians are developing strong dependence on phones and gadgets. There is an attack on our minds. She read 1 Timothy 2:9–10, which says that women should adorn themselves with good works, “as is proper for women professing godliness.” Godliness is a condition of the heart and a way of life in which a person strives to live according to God’s will. We must train ourselves in godliness, cleanse ourselves from the spirit of the world (self-love, pride, judgment, gossip), and support and pray for one another. The world is “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” These things are being brought into the church, but we must resist sin, fears, and doubts.
In conclusion, Alyona Mileeva spoke about the inward and outward beauty of a Christian woman. In today’s world, outward beauty has become an idol. Alyona read Proverbs 31:30: “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised.” The true beauty of a Christian woman is her inner beauty, her “gentle and quiet spirit” (1 Peter 3:4). This may not be fashionable today, but it is important to remember that our Lord looks not at outward appearance, but at the heart, and He delights in our meekness, purity, love, and fear of God. Alyona also read 2 Corinthians 4:16–18: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day… for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
The sisters also shared testimonies of how God carried them through trials and difficulties. Together we prayed, sang, and praised the Lord. During lunch we enjoyed fellowship around the tables, and each sister spoke about her favorite heroine from the Bible and the qualities she admired in her.
Glory to God for such fellowship and for the grace of God that teaches us “that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.”
Nina Yurkova
