Szeged, Hungary | Dreams and DBS Groups in Post-Christian Hungary
“I’m not going back with you to the neighborhood, I am going to a better place with my Father.”
Over the past three years, Pastor Balu has transformed their church with a gospel movement focus. Hungary is a post-Christian nation and many people don’t have a concept for a personal relationship with God, so he focuses on connecting with people far from God.
Pastor Balu’s good friend Rob, a Novo Staff member, has spurred him on in this vision as a mission partner, mentor, and encourager. They meet together weekly and engage regularly with other gospel movement leaders across Europe.
Pastor Balu’s church has started small groups focused on inviting unchurched people into discipleship. Balu, his family, and his church members engage in regular service activities like a food bank in the city of Szeged that serves 400 people per week.
Balu and his family regularly host young people in their home, and the two oldest daughters started a group with 10 unchurched friends. They use interactive and Discovery Bible Study methods to engage the high school and university students who participate. Now that the group has grown, they are considering how to multiply into two groups. They celebrated their first commitment to faith this past summer with a special baptism service in their backyard!
They celebrated their first commitment to faith this past summer with a special baptism service in their backyard!
Balu started another group with four young men, and all four teenagers received Jesus and were excited to be given their first ever Bibles. They asked to go deeper in the Discovery process and invited more friends to join them.
Balu is intentional about building relationships in his neighborhood, and has become friends with a group of men who play soccer together and organize events for the community. In August, one of the men in the group was diagnosed with cancer and passed away within a month, to the shock and sadness of the group.
Amazingly, the Lord gave one of them a dream, and Balu was able to help interpret it. In the dream, the man saw this departed friend. The friend said, “I’m not going back with you to the neighborhood, I am going to a better place with my Father.” Balu reflected that it sounded like this friend had met the Lord. He was asked to speak at the man’s funeral. Balu referred to this dream and the hope of the Lord, and was able to share with 200 people in attendance that the Kingdom of God is here and Jesus is speaking.
