How a Former Dump Yard Became a Thriving Church Building in Serbia

Written by Madeline Hill

In 1996, the Bakic family encountered a miracle which saved the life of their eldest son, which could have only been explained by a work of God. Sherif Bakic was a dedicated member of the communist party and worked for the state as a professor, in which it was illegal to claim anything other than atheism. However, after God intervened, Sherif and his family’s lives were transformed by their newfound love of Jesus.

Thirty years later, their family has been an integral part of the church and its ministries.

Ten years earlier, Pastor Mio Stankovic had been a pastor of the Evangelical Protestant Church for several years already. The church was located in Leskovac, Yugoslavia, which is now Serbia. The church and its members were often attacked, and some were imprisoned.

Mio and his American wife, Else, had a Roma maid who helped them around the house. Suddenly, she fell ill, and Mio had what was at the time a revolutionary idea: he should pray for her. Nobody at that time had thought to preach the Gospel to this people group. So when God spoke to Mio, he listened. It’s reported that she was healed instantaneously.

This was the moment that sparked a movement.

Have you met the Klumpenhowers?

Jason and Monica first noticed the need for Christian believers in the Netherlands when they first visited on holiday years ago. Now, the couple and their four children live in the country as missionaries, hopeful to see Christ be known.

They often participate in street evangelism through an organization in Alkmaar called Kracht om te Veranderen (Power to Change). Jason is part of the core leadership team, recruiting and leading short-term teams and going out on the streets to tell people about Jesus, while Monica is the prayer coordinator.

Discover more about this family, their important ministry, and how you can support them by clicking the button below!

Support the Klumpenhower family

GEM Canada Staff & Board Gatherings

In just a few weeks, each member of GEM Canada's office staff will travel from their homes across Canada to come together to "Plan, Play, and Pray."

Meeting in a united location—rather than the usual virtual format—they'll team-build, strategize and collaborate, coming up with and executing ways to make Greater Europe Mission Canada stronger and healthier as a whole.

The GEM Canada Board of Directors will also gather immediately after the staff gathering with the purpose of further strengthening the trellis (see: Rooted and Reaching).

Would you pray with us as the staff and Board prepare for these important upcoming gatherings?

Rooted & Reaching:

Firm Framework, Flourishing Fruit

As part of our Rooted & Reaching initiative, we're continuing to strengthen relationships with friends and partners across Canada through GEM on the Road.

These gatherings provide opportunities to share stories from the field, connect personally, and explore how God is at work across Europe through GEM's missionaries and ministries.

This November, our Executive Director, Charlie Lyons, will be in the Maritimes as part of that effort.

He will be:

Attending the Jesus to the Nations Conference in Halifax on November 13–14
Speaking about GEM at Grace Baptist Church in Charlottetown, PEI, on November 15
Spending time around Charlottetown on November 16
Returning to the Halifax area from November 17–22.

GEM Canada workers serving in Spain will be joining Charlie in Halifax. We'd love the opportunity to meet with anyone who would enjoy sitting down for a coffee or meal, hearing stories of what Jesus is doing in Europe, and learning more about the ministry He is accomplishing through GEM.

If you'd like to attend (or host!) a small gathering in Charlottetown or Halifax next month, email Charlie at charlie.lyons@gemission.ca for details.

Give to the Mission Roots Growth Fund

Many blessings,

Your friends at GEM Canada

Do you want to help us make a bigger impact in Europe?

Consider partnering with us financially.

Explore ways to give here