John 15:7 “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.” As we wrapped up the conference today, that was the sentiment of all who attended. What a blessing to see how that verse applied to our time together. We went around the room, sharing, and leader after leader, church planter after church planter, said they had come to the conference with questions, with problems, with situations they didn’t know how to handle. And throughout the course of our days together, they received the answers from God’s word!
How often do we think of that verse in a selfish way? It’s easy to focus on “ask whatever you wish” but don’t forget the first part of the verse: “If you abide in me and my words abide in you . . . . “ There is the key. This weekend, God’s word was alive and active, sharper than a two-edged sword! It brought strength, encouragement, instruction, and correction. Roma, Serb, and American, we laughed together and cried together, and all together, we praised God!
We covered a number of topics at the conference, including goal setting, mentorship, the importance of focus, getting familiar with the electronic tablets Linking Partners is providing and knowing how to find the many resources included on the tablets, other available resources such as the Acts study and Multiply study materials, and the various Secret Church topics that will be available for their study. We shared testimonies about how God is moving in the different regions of Serbia – hearing stories of 22 home churches in 17 villages in the north, 30 people in one home group, and 50 people in several home groups in an area in the south that has just been going since November 2014, and work in Belgrade in a community with many Muslim people, some who have invited church planters into their home to share the gospel! We talked about how the Teach A Man to Fish program works, and about pastors and church planters who are also “tent makers.”
Velibor, Dalibor, and Miloš were with us for the first time. They are church planters who work with Dragan and Danijela in the Belgrade area. Velibor’s heart “felt better” being with all of us who had the same focus on bringing the gospel to the Roma in Serbia via home churches. Dalibor recognized the value of the Biblical principles of leadership in being attentive to detail, taking notes, and focusing on the work we are doing. Miloš shared that all he heard was new to him, information he had never heard before.
Niki, Pera, David, Dragan, Vlada, and Aleksander, church planters from the south, shared how they had prayed, as youth, for instruction in goal setting. Hearing Jim’s life testimony and how he faced crossroads in his life helped them as they move from high school into adult life. David shared that when we talked about mentoring, he started thinking about who in his life he could mentor. He and Vlada will be working together. Praise God for this young man who thinks of what he can do for others, rather than what someone can do for him!
Mirko and Slobodan, church planters in the north, said they were encouraged and challenged by the sessions on goal setting, and also when we talked about getting out of our comfort zone. They also remarked on how encouraging it was to have people together from all over Serbia with the same goal: “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2
