Here’s the television news article about our open house. It’s all in Croatian, but you will get a good view of our library here.

“We wish to popularize reading of the Bible.”

Last Friday we hosted an open house for our library at Biblijski institut. The purpose of the day was to raise awareness in the city about our library and its resources.  The day started with official presentations at our reading room on Gajeva street. The group then moved to the facility on Amruševa street, where the bulk of the library’s collection is located. A few government officials and librarians from other university libraries in Zagreb were present for this event. In the afternoon we hosted round table discussions on various Bible and biblical literature topics. The day was covered well by the media in Zagreb. We had an interview by a television crew from Croatian National Television, and there was also a feature article in one of Zagreb’s newspapers, “Vjesnik.” The image above is a scan of this article. The woman in the photo is our librarian, Matina Ćaran, inside the main library location. The headline reads, “We wish to popularize reading of the Bible.”

Reading room ready for open house.

Notice yours truly at the far right.

Biblijski institut director, Tom Sibley, addressing the group

Our librarian, Matina Ćaran, speaking.

Visitors looking at one of the Bible displays.

  Today we had our second Kidz Klub of the school year. Kidz Klub is a monthly outreach we do with neighborhood children. This is done both as a follow-up to our Champs Camp for kids last summer, and as a prelude to Champs Camp next summer. This way we have an on-going children’s ministry happening all year long. Today, in addition to games and a “praise party,” we talked about not grumbling and complaining, and how Jesus gives us joy and peace and wants us to be joyful and grateful people. We had a good crowd of kids and parents and I think everyone enjoyed it.

Graduates and Professors

 On Friday, October 7, we celebrated the opening of the new academic year of the Biblijski institut. We have one of the largest incoming classes of new students in several years. This event was held at the largest and most prestigious museum in Zagreb, called Mimara. During the celebration we honored our graduating students for 2011. We had one of their mentors or professors pray over each graduate. We also surprised Mladen and Dragica Jovanović by honoring them with a Christian service and leadership award.  Mladen has been a minister in his home country for almost 40 years.  He is the leader of the Council of Churches of Christ in Croatia.  He has been the president of the Croatian Evangelical Council, and he started what was eventually to be developed into the Biblijski institut.  Dragica has been instrumental in children’s and women’s ministries over the years. Croatian National Television was there to cover the event, and had a feature about us on the news that night.

Grand Hall of the Mimara Museum

Honoring Mladen and Dragica Jovanović

Monika

Nino

Stela

Vanja

After about a six week process, and many trips to the local police station, I finally received my new Croatian Visa yesterday. Now I am again legal in the country until next September, when I have to go through this process again. Thanks to God for His provision in this.

Last Saturday we had our first Kidz Klub of this school year. It was a success! We spent the weekend before talking with kids and parents out in the parks in the neighborhood where we do the Kids Klub. We also sent invitations to all the kids who attended Champs Camp in the summer. Our work paid off and God blessed us with about 45 kids in attendance. Please be praying for our ongoing children’s ministry. Our next Kidz Klub will be in mid-November. A few photos of Saturday’s Kidz Klub are below.  Notice yours truly playing Jesus in the “Jesus Heals the Leper” story.

 

 

After a summer full of three camps in two different countries, a quick trip to Texas, and a few days vacation time, I am back in the office at the Institute.  I also celebrated my birthday at the end of August (see the photo below).  Several friends here helped me celebrate by taking me to dinner at the restaurant Lagvić, up in the hills above Zagreb.  It was a nice evening. 

 

One of the events I am preparing for now is our first Saturday “Kids’ Club” on October 1st.  These will be regular events we will host throughout the school year to keep in contact with the children who came to Champs Camp this summer.

Last night the Hillsong Australia worship team presented a worship concert here in Zagreb.  It was very well attended.  This kind of event is quite a big deal here, in a country that is less than .005% evangelical Christians.  There were also people from the surrounding countries that came.  In addition to Croatia, I talked with people from Serbia, Slovenia, and Hungary.  Some of us from Biblijski Institute also went to the concert and took the opportunity to promote the Institute.  We set up a display and handed out postcards, bookmarks and brochures.  I hope we made some good contacts that will turn into future students.

 

 

 

 

I have been involved with the annual summer Bible camp here for almost as long as I have been coming to Croatia.  The first summer I came to participate in the camp was in 1997.  This summer marked the fifth time I was involved.  This summer I taught the teenagers’ class, along with my friend Mislav Ilić.  We had seven days of swimming in the Adriatic Sea, good fellowship, and daily lessons on the seven “I Ams” of Jesus in the book of John.