Join Mission to Macedonia: Jesus styleTheresa Stone - 20 Feb 2013
Alek and Kiko lead 'Glasnost,' a 24-7 Prayer community in Skopje, Macedonia, mainly focusing on the youth culture. In the last two years they have seen six people come to know Jesus.
The group has been growing so rapidly that Glasnost Skopje recently launched a second community in Ohrid called: Glasnost Veles. The vision is to see Veles grow.
Alek explains how the Glasnost Skopje 'family' consists of around 30 people, mainly 18 to 35 years old. The creative group share challenges, expectations, failures, joys and problems, and they unite to reach out to young people in sub-cultures like music and the arts. Many people in Skopje come from a broken family and suffer unemployment or struggle with drug addiction.
Glasnost Community seek to be a voice in the urban desert.
The community has lots of stories of people coming to faith, working this new belief out in the backdrop of unemployment and poverty. Alek writes:
'A school friend of my brothers came to celebrate New Year with our community after asking questions about God. Later, the twenty year old came to a home group and asked us to teach him how to pray.'
This guy wanted to be in the military special forces. His uncle worked in security for one of the richest people of Macedonia, and some dodgy things were happening in the business. The uncle told his nephew that power, money and sex were the things to strive for in life. Then one night, the guy's uncle said his boss was coming to visit and wanted to know whether the nephew was joining them in business. The younger guy said; "Uncle, I want to live a righteous life."
The uncle insulted and humiliated the young man publicly, but the guy felt like God was with him. The twenty-year-old later told the multi millionaire business man that he didn't want to do dirty business if he worked for his company. The millionaire then wanted to know why, and of course, the young guy explained!
Inspired?
Would you like to be part of communicating the message of Jesus to the hurting, dirty and dying in Skopje this summer as part of a 24-7 Prayer mission team?
What do the team on the ground say?
Macedonia is a small landlocked country in Southeast Europe and the capital city of Skopje is home to a 24-7 Community called Glasnost. Formed about 5 years ago, the vibrant young church is made up predominantly of young people who are working out what church looks like against a post-communist, Orthodox backdrop.
What will the short-term mission involve?
Take part in practical building/landscaping work at a local Roma preschool.
Spend time with the children and families from the Roma preschool.
Spend time with each of the 24-7 communities in Macedonia. (Skopje, Ohrid, Veles)
Take part in outreach activities.
Join with the 24-7 Balkan gathering in Ohrid.
Dates: 6th - 18th June 2013.
Cost: £350 plus flights and personal travel insurance.
To apply: Download the application form and email to the missions team.
www.24-7prayer.com/mission
Closing date for application: 6th April 2013