Three building projects across Europe aim to become centers of influence as a result of member generosity this last quarter. The gift of 13th Sabbath offerings will help build a Church Center of Influence in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, develop another center that is already a fledgling project in Norway, and allow a church plant to develop in an increasingly popular but secular suburb of Belgrade, Serbia.
New Belgrade
The church plant in New Belgrade, a suburb of Serbia’s capital city, is thriving, but suffers from one difficulty: It is impossible to rent a property. The congregation, established in 1993, first met in a rented cinema but now has to share premises with another Adventist congregation outside of its region
In order to establish a presence in this up-and-coming suburb, the only solution is to purchase or build a church. At the moment they have to worship outside of the local area but want a church that can provide community outreach and develop programs which can touch lives locally.
Nicosia
Adventists in Nicosia have longed for a church they can call their own for many years. They actually own a strategically placed plot of land near the city center but lack the funds to develop it. Three congregations currently meet in rented premises, with the Greek-, Bulgarian- and English-speaking congregations serving diverse communities. Owning their own building in a prime location would help them to develop a substantially more significant presence.
Sortland
The big challenge in Sortland, Norway, is loneliness. A once-thriving Adventist church there has shrunk – as have other churches in the city – and a survey by committed pastor Kenneth Bergland and local members determined that isolation is an issue for both the elderly and for teenagers. They plan to change that.
TED Treasurer Nenad Jepuranović reflects on the long Adventist tradition of a sacrificial offering every 13th Sabbath to assist mission.
“Mission is in our DNA and these three projects are all significant to help reach out in these three very different countries,” Jepuranović states. “We are slightly nervous that COVID-19 may have affected the level of giving, but we nevertheless look forward to seeing these projects become a reality. We appreciate the generosity of church members around the world.”
Sabbath School offerings have assisted in mission since the early days of Adventism. The regular weekly offerings can be seen as the backbone of mission – supporting projects from large mission schools to small clinics. However, 13th Sabbath has always been particularly special as the offering goes to support new projects.
Thank you for that support.
For more information about Adventist mission, visit the website: www.adventistmission.org.
This article was originally published on the Trans-European Division’s news site