God Provides a Building

This post is an excerpt from SEND Canada's 2020 Annual Report.

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In an open hall where children used to develop their muscles through running, jumping, and climbing, Macedonian believers now are developing spiritual strength as they meet in their own church building.

Word of Hope Church started in 1997 as a Bible study in a fast-growing suburb of Skopje. A decade ago, the church had grown to the point where it needed a building - and so it started a persistent effort to raise funds.

God provided for this church building through everything from matching grants to a sponsored 30-mile run, to a Macedonian-focused campaign called, “Give Me One More Brick.”

As funds from hundreds of generous donors rolled in over the years, church members kept their eyes open for the perfect building. Last year, they found it! Bambini, an indoor playground near the church’s cramped rental, had put its building up for sale after COVID made it impossible for children to play together indoors.

Weekly worship services started in last December. The new space gives the church room for outreaches, including language classes, orphan ministry, and fitness groups.

Josie, from Ontario, served in the church as a short-term worker until March 2020. Josie commented, “I remember the complexities of having two separate rental spaces for the church’s ministry. While the believers made it work, having one larger building will be considerably more convenient and aid the ministry.”

Through God’s provision and the believer’s persistence, the building will allow the congregation to easily triple in size —important, as the surrounding neighborhood is now three times as big as it was when that Bible study started in 1997!