Making a Difference in Croatia

Dear Friends,

In Croatia, the PC(USA) is making a difference. That is why we are here. Last night in worship there were four people new to the church now being planted in Osijek. Two were Croats, two were Serbs. They were sitting together in worship in the Reformed church! Not long ago they were sitting on opposite sides of a frontier as their countries shelled each other. This is exactly the kind of small miracle of grace we work and pray for here in post-war Croatia.

Damir, a man who goes to the new Reformed church in Tvrdja (Osijek) said, "I have many friends who are from mixed [Serb-Croat] families who are hungry for spiritual food and don’t feel welcomed in the traditional, ethnically exclusive churches." So, Damir brings his friends to the new church in Tvrdja.

Jasmin, the pastor of that church, is from a mixed family, too, so he understands them well. He says, "The Reformed church is in a unique position in this country to reach these people with the gospel: all we need are the people and resources to do it." Jasmin has gotten all the Alpha evangelism course translated into Croatian, and after a training course this fall, he will kick off the program in earnest.

Branimir, the pastor of the new Reformed church now being started in Zagreb, the capital, says, "We have to be in Zagreb if we want to reach this country: this is the capital where one of every four Croats live, and it is the ‘heart’ of the country." Branimir and his wife Visnja are serious and strategic about their ministry. At least once a week Branimir calls me to ask, "Do we have any more groups coming? We need them. Do we have an English teacher yet? Are you looking?" I have to smile—yes, I’m looking! The PC(USA) has a mission volunteer position ready and waiting for the right person to come and teach English as a second language—a highly effective tool of outreach to new people.

It is our vision and goal that the Reformed church can become an instrument of God’s grace in Croatia in a powerful way, such as has not been seen since the 16th century. This is no small task, but we are committed to mobilizing every possible resource towards that end. God has been faithful, and many individuals and
congregations have responded:

• We are nearly finished buying the new church building in Osijek, thanks to the many who have helped! We are confident that God will similarly supply what we need to repair the roof.
• We have been given vans to use for the church, for visiting groups and for the camp ministry.

• Some excellent groups have come for short mission
trips—St. Andrews (Newport Beach) and College Hill and North Presbyterian Churches (Cincinnati). We can use more! Already we are making preparations for a hand-bell choir tour from Community Presbyterian (Lombard, Illinois) who will come this spring.

We have a sense of urgency about this: now is the time! Many significant factors have come together in an amazing constellation that can only be the work of the Lord and can only further motivate and energize us. This is the time in which we can make a difference, with the Lord’s help. (If you want more exciting details, e-mail me!)

Making a difference on several fronts simultaneously

Another front is the work of peace building, which is Michelle’s area. Just last weekend at an Alternatives to Violence seminar that she leads, a conversation developed about the nature of leadership. One fellow said that in this part of the world, the best leaders were those who were forceful and commanded the followers. But at this seminar he came to understand that the best leaders are those who work to keep the group together, listening to their concerns and desires. This is the beauty of this kind of learning. Pray for this program as I (Michelle) train the next level of leadership to be facilitators. This is a place where I see God at work in the ministry of reconciliation.

A huge six-month peace building project has just come to an end. I was the project manager of the impact assessment. Now it is time to get on with my own studies. Please pray that I’ll be wise in choosing a topic and a methodology that will be helpful for the peace building project. I hope to use participatory action research.

On a quick family update: We are all well, despite another close call. Benjamin (age 10) has now been in and out of the hospital for the third time (in five years) with food poisoning. We think the culprit is eggs each time—no more eggs. Nathaniel (4) is still in kindergarten, catching each cold that goes around, but otherwise fine. His Croatian is getting better all the time. Steven teaches Old Testament theology and ethics this quarter, as well as an OT survey course. Work on the doctorate progresses—slowly. Michelle teaches human development theories later this term.

Steven and Michelle Kurtz

The 2000 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 77