Abundant good news in Serbia

Bulgarian believers who received church leadership training from Entrust have spent the last seven years developing a ministry training center in southern Serbia. Most of the students of that center are now involved in church planting and have launched four new churches to date. One of the first students at the training center was Danijel Reckovic. This is his story.

Radosna Vest Church (Good News Church) in Lebane, southern Serbia, is literally full of good news.

First and foremost, it’s full of joyful Christians who believe, live and proclaim the good news of the gospel at every opportunity.

COVID-19 ministry

Second, during Serbia’s strict COVID-19 lockdown, the church found ways to encourage one another and to serve their community in Jesus’ name. “We prayed,” says pastor Danijel Reckovic. “Our main goal was to [maintain community] together and we did that. We used various social media networks to pray, study and talk together. We had social media activities every day.”

Older people were banned from going out during the lockdown, so the church mobilized its young people to serve the elderly. They bought medicine and food and delivered it to the senior members. They shared their phone numbers, inviting the homebound to call anytime for help.

The church also purchased food and medicine for the poorest people in the community. “Many of them asked us where God is now at this time of the virus and we took the opportunity to tell them the gospel,” says Pastor Danijel. “Also, many who do not come to church followed us on Facebook and watched our worship. We have made good contact with these people.”

Plus, during quarantine, the church worked with candidates for baptism and baptized 14 people.

Joyful reunions

Third, Radosna Vest held its first in-person service on Aug. 30, when the government lifted the ban on certain-sized gatherings. This was good news to everyone.

“Thank God! we were all overjoyed to be able to be together again!”

The joy spread to the youngest people impacted by the church – those who attend the church-run kindergarten. “Due to the virus, we could not have activities in our kindergarten. Thank God, now the friends are together again!”

Good News vision

“Our vision is that every place in the south of Serbia has a church and faithful people who will serve the Lord,” says Pastor Danijel. “We believe God wants to build his church in Brijanje [a nearby community] where we have a house group and about 20 believers who come, along with many young people and children.”