‘I often wondered how we could win the people around us for Christ. In the evenings, when I went home, I saw many young people sitting on the banks of the river Tisza in downtown Szeged. So, we started praying for them in the church, how to reach them with the Gospel.’
This is how SGA-sponsored missionary pastor, Mark Sipos, who has been instrumental in planting a church in the university of Szeged, expressed his burden. This strategic church plant is reaching many students engaged in medicine-related disciplines.
God is working and blessings have been flowing over the past year. While 2020 will be remembered by many for ‘lockdown’, Mark has experienced an ‘opening up’ to the Gospel.
He, along with his wife, Csilla, decided to relocate to the village of Mórahalom with the primary purpose of planting a church there. Praise God that is what has actually happened!
Mark shares how the Covid-19 epidemic significantly reshaped the 2020 mission plans. He writes: ‘In the spring of 2020, our live online broadcasts were successfully launched, and then our university mission was moved to the internet too. With restrictions eased during the summer months, we used special evangelization opportunities. Every night we were outside on the banks of the river Tisza, where we talked about Jesus with young people or local gangs. On weekend afternoons, we tried to reach out to people on the streets with a questionnaire about fears and the need of salvation. Moreover, we held several outdoor worship services in the main park of the city’.
Mark thanks the Lord that the church has grown by 25% – 30% but this creates another problem – a good problem – they need to find larger premises! He is currently planning a baptismal service as there are many new believers.
Mark is very grateful for the fruit of the SGA Mission School where he and others were taught the basics of ministry and preaching. Now several graduates of the school are church leaders.
