John 1,12: But as many as received him (Jesus Christ), to them gave he power (exousia) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: The Greek word exousia from the New Testament means legal right, ability, freedom, power and authority.

 

FOCAL POINT SARAJEVO   

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Quarterly Information update

Bosnia Today Dec, 1999
Bosnia Today Jan, 2000
Bosnia Today May, 2000
Bosnia Today Aug, 2000  
Bosnia Today Nov, 2000 
Bosnia Today May, 2001 

Building church in a fateful city

Bosnia, and the city of Sarajevo, are a central point in the Balkans, where nationalities, religions and cultures are mingled together. The churches in former Yugoslavia are among the most traditional in Europe. Bosnia has fewer evangelical believers than any other country in Europe and Bosnian muslims are Europe's least evangelized people. During the awful Balkan war Sarajevo was a focal point for years.

Today the city is predominantly Moslem. Many new minarets are visible, reaching up into heaven, and significant numbers of UN-soldiers guarantee a certain unity among the different parties in the state of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

In Sarajevo there are few living Christians. However, Elvira started to live the gospel and to proclaim it in words and deeds in the midst of an Islamic area. Children were especially drawn to Jesus. The grace of God touched them and as they started to burn like little lights they ignited their parents.

Meetings were held in the living-room and the group began to grow. Many people in Sarajevo were traumatised because of the war, but when they received Christ they experienced great peace. Serbs, Bosnians, Croatians, Moslems, Communists, Orthodox, and Catholics found in Christ a unique oneness. God spoke to many of them through dreams.

Recently the group divided up into separate groups. They meet in spiritual families and experience God’s power in and through them. God comes into their hearts, visits their living-rooms and draws friends and neighbours together.

God begins to bring peace into a former war-torn and destroyed city. The vision goes far beyond the present happening, because Sarajevo is a key-city for the Balkan and shall be transformed by God’s power, and all of Bosnia and Herzegovina shall be reached by the good news along with the surrounding nations.

Facts

Bosnia-Herzegovina (federation)

Area:	51.129 km2
Population:	3.7 millionen; 51% Muslim-Croatic Federation, 49% Serbian Autonom Republic. 43.7% Bosniac Muslims, 31.4% Serbs, 17.3% Croatians and 5.8% others 1.5 million refugees.
Capital:	Sarajevo with about 400.000 inhabitants.

History

The name Sarajevo became world-famous because of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which triggered off World War I. June 28, 1914, marked the Orthodox Saint-Vidovan-day, a reminder of the battle on Amselfeld (Kosovo), which decided the destiny of the people on the Balkans for centuries.

From 1435 till 1878 the city was under Turkish rule, still evidenced today by the 80 mosques, the bazaar, and old streets. From 1878 until the end of World War I Bosnia was under Austrian rule which gave the city a modern foundation. Following World War II, under the rule of Tito, the city grew larger and became the cultural, economical, and political center of Bosnia. One third of the population was Moslemic, one third Greek-Orthodox and on third Catholic.

Today, after the recent Balkan war, Bosnia-Herzegovina is an independent state, struggling with many difficulties, and held together by the UN. The city of Sarajevo has become predominantly Moslemic.

 

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