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Moving forward together

Regular readers of EuroNews will be familiar with some of the difficulties faced by church planters in Eastern Europe. Protestant churches are often discriminated against by the authorities or viewed as a cult or religious sect by many people; they are often situated in areas of high unemployment, which means it can be a struggle to pay the heating bill let alone support your pastor.
Such churches and their leaders often feel isolated and unsupported and many leaders feel like throwing in the towel. Imagine what a difference it makes when a church in the UK commits to stand alongside you - contacting you regularly for prayer requests, perhaps providing some financial help, and occasionally sending a team over to visit and encourage you.
	This is the relationship between Lisburn Christian Fellowship in Northern Ireland (seen praying with the church in Sombor in the photo to the left) and the church led by Greg and Jelena Sivulka in Sombor, Serbia. Members from the church in Lisburn have been out to visit Sombor twice; the church worker they support in Sombor, Maca Turner (see photo below), has made a return visit to the church in Lisburn and they are in regular contact. The result has been an incredible blessing to both churches:
"Our church benefits greatly from their church. Just the thought of having a body of believers way over in Ireland who are actually concerned about us is so wonderful! In this country, where Protestant Christians are in such a minority and often despised and discriminated against, we need to constantly remind ourselves that we are not alone. Churches like the ones in Lisburn, who in a concrete way want to get involved in our ministry here, really help us do this. Thanks to their giving, we were able to renovate a part of our building and support Maca, who spreads the Gospel throughout Sombor on a daily basis." Greg Sivulka - Sombor, Serbia
"Whether it is giving time going to visit or supporting financially, we always seem to have received more in return. All our Church members who have been to visit have returned home encouraged and challenged." Colin Patterson - Lisburn Christian Fellowship With more and more churches in the UK closing their midweek Mission prayer meetings due to declining numbers, and struggling to interest or motivate their members about overseas mission, a church to church partnership is one of the most effective ways to put overseas Mission back into the heart of your church.
Please pray with us: That our church planters would perservere in times of persecution, disappointment and discrimination. That churches in the UK would feel called to form supportive and lasting partnerships with churches in Eastern Europe such as the one in Sombor. That governments would recognise our partners churches as loving communities and genuine faith rather than as a sect.

How you can help
• If you would like to discuss the possibility of a partnership with a church in Eastern Europe that will be both a huge encouragement to them and a real blessing to your church, contact David Roderick on 0117 961 5161.

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