Last Saturday our church leadership team, of which I am a part, along with our elders, started on a process of evaluating where we are as a congregation; as well as discerning our purpose, vision, and mission for the future. We expect this process to  play out over the next several weeks. We felt this an important time in the life of our congregation to go through such an exercise, in the aftermath of the death last fall of our long-time minister and brother, Mladen Jovanović. Pray along with us that we will catch God’s vision for us as a church. There are exciting days ahead for our congregation and for the Kingdom in Croatia!

The week before last found us on the coast, in Crikvenica, for the annual spring retreat of the Churches of Christ in Croatia. We had churches from all over the country represented, as well as guests from Slovenia and Austria. We also had a contingent from a Church of God congregation in eastern Croatia. Our guest speaker was Bill Wilson, who served for many years as a minister for a church in Cologne, Germany. I led the teenage discussion group. It was nice to be out of the city, have some rest, hear some teaching in English, and enjoy some great fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ.

Last Monday Mislav and I from Zagreb drove to Zlatoličje, Slovenia, where we met co-workers from a sister church in Varaždin, Croatia. We were all guests there for lunch in the home of Andrej and Nina Lovše. Andrej and Nina are graduates of Biblijski institut and are seeing success in their church plant that is made up entirely of contacts from their ministry with youth in Slovenia. We had a great lunch and fellowship together and spent the afternoon talking about youth ministry realities in central Europe, and learning from their success. May God help us replicate that success in Croatia!

I spent last Sunday in the northern Croatian city of Varaždin, about an hour’s drive from Zagreb. I preached for the Church of Christ there and we had lunch together after the service. We brought several youth from our church in Zagreb, as well as from another church in Zagreb that participates with us in summer ministry activities. One girl came who has been a participant in our summer Champs Camp. We had a class for the youth in the afternoon. It was a great spring day for some great fellowship outside.

Last weekend I attended a retreat of missionary men from all over Bosnia and Hercegovina. There was also myself from Croatia, as well as two from Montenegro. The retreat was held just outside Sarajevo at Jahorina, where the downhill skiing events were held in the 1984 Winter Olympics. We enjoyed a great weekend  of worship, fellowship, playing, encouraging one another, and sharing what God is doing with each of us.

At this time of year in Croatia, I begin to long for the spring. The winters here are cold, wet, dark, and gray, and I admit that at times I have to fight off some depression at this time of year. Over the last week or so we have begun to see buds on the trees. I took these photos today out the window of the institute’s reception area. The fruit trees are like this all over the country right now. It’s beautiful. It’s one of the many things I love about living here. This week’s forecast is also for sunny skies and high temperatures in the low 60s. It is all a reminder to me of renewal, restoration, and LIFE. Through the signs of spring I think we also get a glimpse of what Jesus is up to with us. This is something I have been needing more of recently, following a season of death and loss. Come Lord Jesus! But in the meantime I will be thankful for the renewal of spring.