A Word From the Director
Partnerships are wonderful blessings. Biblijski institut continues to experience the blessings which come from those who choose to partner with us. Individuals and churches have embraced the mission of the Institute and continue to support all that we attempt with their prayers and financial gifts. Our ministry could not exist without their partnership. Likewise, educational institutions such as the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek, Abilene Christian University, and Lipscomb University have enriched the academic programs that help us in our task to teach and train leaders and future leaders in the work of the Kingdom. These schools which partner with us express trust and engender confidence in the quality of our work, and we thank God for their work with us. Similarly, students and teachers enter into a partnership of learning that we hold sacred. That partnerships are crucial for an endeavor like ours is a reality which we understand and eagerly embrace.
The success of our recent Jesus Conference is a vivid example of how partnerships can be used by God to bless and serve His purposes. In this event, five Christian academic institutions invested financial and human resources to provide inspiration and meaningful instruction for both the academic community and the church community. In addition, the following organizations were moved to partner with Biblijski Institut in this ambitious undertaking: the College of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Zagreb, the Croatian Protestant Evangelical Alliance, The Baptist Union of Croatia, the Evangelical Pentecostal Union of Croatia, and the Council of Churches of Christ in Croatia. In a world characterized by division and fragmentation, Christian institutions and committed individuals, working together, demonstrate the effectiveness that Christian partnership can achieve. I praise our Lord for the trust such partnerships require. And I thank Him who calls us into the fellowship of the triune God to desire and to experience partnerships which glorify Him.
Tom Sibley
International Conference – “Jesus of Nazareth”
We held our first Jesus Conference on January 23-25. The conference was an overwhelming success and the name of Jesus was truly lifted up. We heard academic papers presented in daytime sessions at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Zagreb. We also heard keynote sermons all three evenings at the Hotel International. The speakers focused on highlighting Jesus as He is presented in both the Old and New Testaments. With teachers and preachers from the USA, Romania, Croatia, and Hungary, It was truly an international event. The presentations, and especially the evening sermons, were well received. The Christian community in Croatia was well represented, with Christians from almost all confessions in attendance. Even though we were confronted with bad weather, snow and ice, we had very good attendance at the evening lectures, almost filling the Hotel’s large conference hall most evenings. The daytime lectures at the University of Zagreb, during which papers were read, were also well attended. There is much interest in having another such conference in the future. Please pray with us as we evaluate our efforts and consider future plans. Take a look here at a feature about the conference that appeared on Croatian National Television:
Jesus Conference 2014 on Croatian National Television
