Building Bridges of Hope for Croatian Teens

In a groundbreaking event, the Biblical Institute of Zagreb and our Croatian partners brought two American church groups to Zagreb to address one of today’s most pressing spiritual challenges, the mental health crisis among teenagers. The mid-October collaboration with Southside Church of Christ (Lexington, KY) and Cornerstone Christian Church (Dallas, TX) marked the inaugural “Disciple Trip“, a new model of ministry partnership spearheaded by the Biblical Institute and our Croatian partners.

Hosted at the Kušlanova building, the weekend seminar, “Teenagers and the Challenge of Modern Times”, drew over 50 participants, including Croatian parents and youth workers from several churches. The event featured a powerful combination of research-based presentations and deep, meaningful discussions that spanned from Friday evening through Saturday afternoon. This event was unique in that it allocated equal time to presentations and discussion. This structure allowed American participants to make their most significant contribution, by facilitating deep conversations where Croatian parents and youth workers could process and apply the insights to their specific relationships.

BIZG President Perry Stepp explained the vision behind DiscipleTrips: “We’re moving beyond traditional mission trip activities like painting walls or tearing down buildings. When a church’s expertise aligns with spiritual needs in Zagreb, we create opportunities to transform lives, both for the Croats who participate and for the Americans who come and serve.” This pioneering DiscipleTrip, planned and financed by Southside Church of Christ in partnership with BIZG and Nešto Više, represents a fresh approach to international Christian collaboration. This new approach leverages specialized skills to address specific spiritual needs while building meaningful cross-cultural relationships. The success of this first DiscipleTrip suggests a promising future for this innovative model of ministry partnership, demonstrating how American churches can make a profound impact by sharing their expertise where it’s needed most.