Brankovac Evangelical Church - Mostar
Brankovac Evangelical Church may only be a relatively small fellowship of believers, but we are pretty active; motivated by Christ's Great Commission to make disciples, and guided by His Word in all we do. We meet on Sundays for a service at 10am (you can read more about this in the "Who we are" section, and also about the values that are central to all we do), and often also meet mid-week for a time of teaching and more discussion, to help us grow as disciples. Our desire is not to build an institution, but rather a family, where everyone knows each other and wants to be in close fellowship; so we also encourage people to form small groups of 3-4who pray for and support each other, growing in their relationship with God and with one another. We aim towards the principle that all in the church have a role, and serve in some way, and call such members 'active believers' - they are the ones who take the important decisions for the life of the church at our semi-annual meetings. Meanwhile we encourage those who, for various reasons, are unable to currently be active, to find the time and ways that they can get involved, while understanding that life has its different seasons, and not wishing to judge anyone.
On Sundays there are Sunday School groups for children up to age 12, but we also have a large work with children, teenagers and youth throughout the week, with different age groups meeting on different nights to learn from God's Word through talks, songs, games, quizzes, films, crafts and other activities. It is a blessing to have many young people attend these groups, and at points throughout the year we organise larger events for them (half-day meetings, summer camps etc.). Here is a link to some songs from our children's groups which we have recorded https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH7jBvV4iTJSU7tnqlwXAb3RqcrLynQxx For adults we run an Alpha/Christianity Explored type course each year, where we come together with our friends to share a meal and listen to a talk about questions of life and faith, which we can then further discuss round our tables. Another event we organise each year is a day of pampering for ladies, a chance to show love and care for those who are always giving of themselves to care for others in their families, and a chance to share of God's love.
We want to be a church that cares, for each other and for those around us; we want this to be at the heart of all we do. For this reason we started our "Centre for Care" project in 2014 by purchasing a plot of land 12km outside the city, which we use for agricultural production, and where we are building a house. The vision is for sustainable humanitarian aid, where our friends can be helped by receiving the produce of the land, and at the same time help by getting involved with the agricultural work. This gives a new dimension to humanitarian development work, where the fellowship is practical, as we work together, and the help is mutual. Our friends in need have the opportunity to be our partners and to participate in the process of production and distribution, and at the same time they can learn new skills, meet new people and contribute to helping many others who are in need. In the long term we hope that this will also be a place where those in need can live together, care for each other, and work together on the land.
This is just a little taster of what is going on in our church, there are many areas where we can grow, and that is what we strive for. We want to know and live in Jesus' grace, always changing to be more in His likeness.