Oak Hall in Serbia

Dear friends, brothers and sisters,

We are writing to you after one of the busiest weeks since the very beginning of the school year. In the previous, eighth week of the third semester, the seminar on Bible preaching was held. On Friday, the HUB team and the students were invited to attend the opening of the sport cometitions in a Home for Disabled Adults in Belgrade. Our contribution to the atmosphere was through participation in the casserol-making competition and volunteering. On Saturday, we visited a home for mentally disabled people in Jabuka, and on Sunday we visited churches in Brčko and Bijeljina, Bosnia. All in all, it was a very rich and blessed week.

We would just like to say something about the seminar briefly. The school of Bible preaching has been held four times already at HUB in cooperation with Project Timothy from Novi Sad. We believe that it is one of the best training programs currently existing in Serbia. This is why we invite guests to attend it every year. In short, during one week, the topic of the seminar is how to practically write a good sermon based on a Bible text. The teachers emphasize the importance of preaching and explaining what is written in the Bible, the importance of context and the content of the text.

We are thankful to God that he is blessing us with new experiences week by week and that we are slowly but successfully bringing this school year to the end.

These days we especially keep this verse on our minds, and we encourage you with it too:

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1. Corinthians 15:58

We wish you every possible blessing.

Riste and the HUB team

Dragi prijatelji, braćo i sestre,

Javljamo vam se nakon jedne od najispunjenijih nedelja od samog početka školske godine. U protekloj, osmoj nedelji trećeg semestra, u školi se održao seminar o biblijskom propovedanju. U petak, tim i studenti HUB-a bili su pozvani da prisustvuju otvaranju sportskih takmičenja u Domu za odrasla invalidna lica u Beogradu. Mi smo doprineli toj atmosferi učestvovanjem u takmičenju u kotliću i volontiranjem. U subotu smo bili u poseti domu za lica sa mentalnim invaliditetom u Jabuci, a u nedelju u poseti crkvama u Brčku i Bijeljini u Bosni. Sve u svemu, bila je to bogata i blagoslovena nedelja.

Ukratko samo da kažemo nešto o seminaru. Škola biblijskog propovedanja u HUB-u održava se već četvrtu godinu za redom u saradnji sa Projektom Timotej iz Novog Sada. Smatramo da je to jedan od najboljih programa obuke koji trenutno postoje u Srbiji. Zbog toga svake godine pozivamo goste da mu prisustvuju. Ukratko, na seminaru se u toku jedne nedelje praktično govori o tome kako napisati dobru propoved utemeljenu na biblijskom tekstu. Predavači naglašavaju važnost propovedanja i objašnjavanja onoga što piše u Bibliji, važnost konteksta i sadržaja samog teksta.

Zahvalni smo Bogu što nas iz nedelje u nedelju blagosilja novim iskustvima i što polako i uspešno privodimo kraju i ovu školsku godinu.

U ovim danima posebno imamo na umu ovaj stih, a njim i vas ohrabrujemo:

„Stoga, braćo moja draga, budite čvrsti, nepokolebljivi, uvek bogati u delu Gospodnjem, znajući da vaš trud nije bez ploda u Gospodu.” 1. Korinćanima 15:58

Svaki blagoslov želi vam,

Riste i tim HUB-a

Our dear friends,

We are writing again at the beginning of the eight week of the third term at HUB Bible school. We would like to inform you briefly how the last week went and how you can pray for us.

 In the past two weeks, our school has been visited by four teachers: our long term teachers John Baigent and Norman Tharby, then James Arnold who has been coming since last year, and a teacher who came for the first time, Rob Schaffer. With them, our students studied Jeremiah, Lamentations, Numbers, 2nd Corinthians and Ephesians.

In the past two weeks we have also visited two churches. For the fist time after a longer period of time, we’ve been to the Baptist church in Novi Sad, and to the Evangelical church at Banovo Brdo, and were truly blessed at those services. It is always good to see the old friends and see what God has been doing in their lives.

Last Thursday, we organized a special lunch at the school for the families with disabled children, which was attended by a few families from Opovo and surrounding villages. In the past years they have also been coming to camps, in the organization of which we have been participating, so we already have great friendships and longer cooperation with them. It was really blessed to talk to the parents about everything that had been happening in their lives in the meantime, and enjoy with the children who were playing table tennis, football and many other things.

I think that you can see for yourselves that these are very intense weeks at the school. At the same time, these are the last weeks of school for our students, who are all finishing the first year. This is also a time of preparation for the final essays and exams, and the time of making decisions about a potential coming to the second year, about going back to the churches or starting a new ministry for our students.

Please pray for our students and help them make the right decisions in such a way. Pray also for those who are thinking of enrolling the first year in October, as well as for the team to have God’s guidance, strength and wisdom as they serve in the school during these last and intense weeks.

Thank you for reading our news, praying for us and supporting us in every other way.

We desire you every blessing in Christ,

Riste and the HUB team

Dragi naši prijatelji,

Ponovo vam se javljamo na početku osme nedelje trećeg semestra u Biblijskoj školi HUB. Želimo ukratko da vas obavestimo kako je protekla prethodna nedelja i kako možete da se molite za nas.

U prethodne dve nedelje našu školu je posetilo 4 strana predavača: dugogodišnji profesori Džon Bejdžent i Norman Tarbi, zatim Džejms Arnold koji je sa nama od prošle godine, i predavač koji je sa nama bio po prvi put, Rob Šafer. Sa njima su naši studenti proučavali Knjigu proroka Jeremije,  Plač Jeremijin, Knjigu Brojeva, Drugu poslanicu Korinćanima i poslanicu Efescima.

U prethodne dve nedelje takođe smo posetili dve crkve. Bili smo u Baptističkoj crkvi u Novom Sadu posle duže vremena, i u Evanđeoskoj crkvi na Banovom Brdu, i bili zaista blagosloveni na tim službama. Uvek je dobro videti stare poznanike i videti šta Bog radi u njihovim životima.

U četvrtak smo u školi organizovali i poseban ručak za porodice sa decom sa invaliditetom, na kojem je prisustvovalo nekoliko porodica iz Opova i okoline. Oni su i prethodnih godina dolazili na kampove u čijoj smo organizaciji učestvovali, tako da sa njima imamo već velika prijateljstva i dužu saradnju. Bilo je zaista blagosloveno razgovarati sa roditeljima o svemu što se u njihovim životima dešavalo u međuvremenu, i uživati sa decom koja su igrala stoni tenis, fudbal, vozila bicikl i mnoge druge stvari.

Verujem da možete i sami da zaključite da su ovo veoma intenzivne nedelje u školi.

Ovo su istovremeno i posledenje nedelje škole za naše studente, od kojih svi završavaju prvu godinu. Ovo je i vreme priprema za završne eseje i ispite, i vreme donošenja odluka o mogućem dolasku u drugu godinu, o vraćanju u crkve ili o započinjanju neke nove službe za naše studente.

Molimo vas da kroz molitve pomognete našim studentima da donesu prave odluke. Molite se i za one koji razmišljaju da od oktobra upišu prvu godinu, kao i za to da tim škole ima Božije vođstvo, snagu i mudrost dok služi u školi u ovim poslednjim i intenzivnim nedeljama.

Hvala vam za to što čitate naše vesti, molite se za nas i podržavate nas na svaki drugi način.

Svaki blagoslov u Hristu želi vam,

Riste i tim HUB-a

Dear friends, brothers and sisters,

The sixth week has already started at the Bible school. Time flies incredibly fast. So many things have happened in the past few weeks.

We were hosts to two groups at the school – a group from Sweden, which spent four days here and NGO Fokus from Serbia, who held their conference at HUB. While the conference was being held, the students and a part of the team were at the mission trip.

At the mission trip, we were split into two groups. One group was on the South of Serbia, in Vranje, visiting our former student Jan Jabrih, who works as a missionary there.

Jan has been living in Vranje for about a year and a half with his family. He has already started a few children’s clubs. He is currently starting a small group too, where people will be coming to study the Word of God. Vranje is a city with many refugee camps, where people’s lives are difficult. Jan often visits those people, encourages them, prays for them. The students were really encouraged by Jan and his family.

The other group was in Croatia, Virovitica, with our former students Siniša and Daniela Ljubomiroski, who serve as missionaries in a church there. Siniša and Danijela have also lived there a year and a half. Their hard work and effort was very fruitful in the community. When they first came, there were five people in the church, but today, the church is visited by 15 to 17 people, who seek God. The students were encouraged by their work – because they are so young and God uses them so much. Their comments were that they want God to use them the same way He uses the family – on the mission field.

The aim of the Bible school is to equip mission workers. Thank God that that’s what He does through the school. The proof that it’s happening are precisely such students, who are now in full time and fruitful ministries.

„He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation..“ Mark 16:15

Please keep praying for our students and our entire work at the school. Thank you for all your support.

Riste and the HUB team

Dragi prijatelji, braćo i sestre,

U Bibliskoj školi HUB već je počela šesta nedelja. Vreme neverovatno brzo leti. U poslednjih nekoliko nedelja mnogo toga se izdešavalo.

Ugostili smo dve grupe u školi – grupu iz Švedske, koja je ovde provela 3 dana, i NVO Fokus iz Srbije, koja je u HUB-u održala konferenciju. Dok se ta konferencija održavala, studenti i jedan deo tima bili su na misijskom putovanju.

Na misijskom putovanju bili smo podeljeni u dve grupe. Jedna grupa je bila na jugu Srbije, u Vranju, u poseti našem bivšem studentu Janu Jambrihu, koji tamo radi kao misionar.

Jan sa svojom porodicom živi u Vranju već oko godinu i po dana. Osnovao je već nekoliko klubova koji se bave radom sa decom. Trenutno osniva i kućnu grupu, će ljudi dolaziti da proučavaju Božiju reč. Vranje je grad u kojem ima mnogo izbegličkih kampova, u kojima ljudi teško žive. Jan često obilazi te ljude, ohrabruje ih mole se za njih. Studenti su stvarno bili ohrabreni Janom i  njegovom porodicom.

Druga grupa je bila u Hrvatskoj, u Virovitici, kod naših bivših studenata Siniše i Danijele Ljubomiroski, koji služe kao misionari u jednoj tamošnjoj crkvi. Siniša i Danijela su takođe tamo godinu i po dana. Njegov trud i rad je doneo mnogo plodova u toj zajednici. Kada su došli, tamo je bilo petoro ljudi, a danas zajednicu posećuje petnaestoro do sedamnaestoro ljudi, koji traže Boga. Studenti su bili ohrabreni i inspirisani njihovim radom – kako su mladi a kako ih Bog upotrebljava. Njihovi komentari su bili da žele da ih Bog upotrebljava na isti način kao ovu porodicu – da idu u misiju.

Cilj Biblijske škole je da opremamo misijske radnike. Hvala Bogu što to radi kroz školu. Dokaz da se to dešava jesu upravo ovakvi studenti koji su u punovremenim i plodonosnim službama.

„I reče im: idite u sav svet i objavite evanđelje svakom stvorenju.“ Marko 16:15

Molite se i dalje za naše studente i naš celokupan rad u školi. Hvala vam za svaku podršku.

Riste i tim HUB-a

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THANK YOU FOR PRAYING!

Thank you for your partnership as the work continues.

– Andy and Faye