Sergei was born in Keiv, Ukraine. He encountered Christ through the witness of an American missionary. Sergei and Gillian (a native of Michigan) both graduated from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and returned to Ukraine where they started and pastored a church. The family moved to Chicago in 2007 when Sergei was called to become the pastor of Christian Fellowship Church. Sergei and Gillian have four daughters: Elaina, Zoya, Polina and Evangeline. They all enjoy living in Roscoe Village. Sergei is pursuing a graduate degree in church history from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.