Church Planting in Slovenia
Sebastian Forjan alongside his wife Glorija are church planters in Radovljica, Slovenia. They open their hears in this interview and share with us about their life and their vision.
What is the vision for ministry that the Lord has given you?
To share the glorious Gospel in northwest Slovenia, to make disciples of Jesus and to plant new churches in a region of 200,000 people where there are only 4 evangelical churches. Over the last 3 years, the Lord has been encouraging us to care for believers and church leaders who are struggling with trauma and mental health issues, such as depression or burnout. I know personally how important it was when my mentor walked with me during hard seasons and shared Gospel truths. My desire is for other pastors/church leaders to walk with others during trials and storms, and to be refreshed in their faith, so that they will lead and serve well with full of joy.
What new initiatives are coming up as you faithfully serve your community and the Lord?
In Slovenia, there are around 45 evangelical churches to serve a country of two million citizens. We are the fourteenth least evangelised country in the world. There is a big need and opportunity for new churches, so I am working together with other leaders to establish a national church planting network. The main goal of this network is to connect, encourage and share resources for new church plants in Slovenia.
Why ECM?
There are many reasons why Gloria and I decided to partner with ECM but to put it in one sentence it would be, they loved us, cared for us and provided resources that we needed in our calling.
What have been your biggest encouragements?
We are encouraged to see a new church plant in a city where the last Protestant movement was destroyed after the counter-reformation at the beginning of the 17th century. God is at work in our region and brings people to Himself in many ways, and even sometimes via the internet. I have witnessed God’s goodness and faithfulness after seeing Gloria healed after burnout.
How can we pray for you?
Pray for us to boldly proclaim the Gospel to neighbours and our local community. Pray for the preparation and planning for the church planting network that we want to see in autumn. Pray for energy and for more workers because there are many opportunities, but the workers are few. Thank you for standing with us.
Stories from Europe > 2023
December
- 12/31/2023 12/31/23, 11:30 PM - Happy New Year from ECM!
- 12/19/2023 12/19/23, 10:15 AM - Connecting with the Global Church
- 12/12/2023 12/12/23, 10:00 AM - Connecting across Europe
November
- 11/28/2023 11/28/23, 12:39 AM - Christian or Kingdom?
- 11/20/2023 11/20/23, 4:20 AM - Why Pray for Mission? | Sam Boog
- 11/14/2023 11/14/23, 9:55 AM - New book dealing with rest and recovery
- 11/8/2023 11/8/23, 12:59 PM - Christian leaders gather from across Europe
October
- 10/27/2023 10/27/23, 10:44 AM - A Great Book: "Church Planting in Europe"
- 10/24/2023 10/24/23, 2:28 PM - Insights into ministry in Greece
- 10/17/2023 10/17/23, 1:08 PM - Sharing the vision for European ministry in… Uruguay?
September
August
- 8/25/2023 8/25/23, 12:44 PM - News from Ukraine
- 8/16/2023 8/16/23, 2:01 PM - A Summer's Story
- 8/4/2023 8/4/23, 11:09 AM - Wild at Heart, a Testimony
- 8/2/2023 8/2/23, 5:07 PM - "Camino Antiguo" Guesthouse in Spain
July
- 7/21/2023 7/21/23, 3:19 PM - Trauma Healing Small Groups in Slovenia
- 7/14/2023 7/14/23, 3:06 PM - Church Planting in Slovenia
- 7/6/2023 7/6/23, 2:54 PM - Equipping a New Generation
- 7/3/2023 7/3/23, 2:02 PM - Mum & Baby Club in Spain
June
- 6/28/2023 6/28/23, 4:00 PM - Life and Ministry in Times of War
- 6/6/2023 6/6/23, 11:05 AM - United in Prayer, discover Mahabba
- 6/2/2023 6/2/23, 1:34 PM - Camino Guesthouse in Spain
May
- 5/25/2023 5/25/23, 5:54 PM - Elena's short-term mission trip to Greece
- 5/22/2023 5/22/23, 3:23 PM - Greenhouse Repaired!
- 5/15/2023 5/15/23, 11:00 AM - Freedom in Christ: a testimony
- 5/8/2023 5/8/23, 12:42 PM - The Irpin church: a testimony of love and service
March
- 3/15/2023 3/15/23, 10:04 AM - Angry and Grateful
- 3/13/2023 3/13/23, 9:37 PM - Living through the war
- 3/7/2023 3/7/23, 10:07 AM - Let's walk!
February
- 2/24/2023 2/24/23, 11:34 AM - They were living in a 15m2 hut...
- 2/2/2023 2/2/23, 5:57 PM - The war has torn down many houses, we are building them up.