KRIŽ

KRIŽ is at the core of why we are here. Everything we do has the end goal of students growing and living lives pleasing to the Lord, that they might in turn change their communities. KRIŽ is an acronym for (Christ, truth, integrity, and life). KRIŽ runs all year and is an in depth bible teaching and mentoring program for any student who is interested in deepening their walk with Christ. Our goal is to prepare them for lay ministry. This summer 12 students, 6 mentors and 4 teachers spent 2 weeks studying the Old Testament, Romans, Bible Study Methods and personal Holiness.

We hide away at a little retreat we refer to as “Holy Joes”. It is a small church on a hill above the Sava valley. A local restaurant provides great Slovene food. It provides a place to get away and focus on the Word and our hearts. During the weekend we hike into the Alps where we stay at a mountain hut and observe a day of silence to help process what we are learning.
These weeks are very important as most of these students have very little support in their lives either spiritually or emotionally. Each student has a spiritual formation group where they talk about issues in their heart and encourage one another to “keep up the fight”. This year an important topic was how do we live in homes where our parents do not agree with our faith and are applying pressure. The Slovenes masterfully encouraged one another as they shared success and pain with each other. Community provides so much power to help us change.

KRIŽ will continue throughout the year and meets one Saturday a month to study Bible content, issues of character and ministry skills. And we meet weekly, one-on-one in spiritual formation groups. Please pray for these students as they face many cultural and family pressures to follow the Lord.
One incredibly praise is that we are beginning to see parents respond to what they have seen in their children’s lives. Many of these students have made difficult stands in their homes and are trying to build healthy relating patterns. They have been faced with incredible resistance and have had to make many difficult decisions. Their faithfulness is beginning to pay off as families see the difference in their lives.