Making disciples through planting new churches in Sofia and building up established churches throughout Bulgaria.
Since the arrival of the MTW team’s first members in 1996, Bulgaria has undergone a sweeping transformation from a recently post-Communist country struggling with economic and social upheaval to one of the more rapidly developing members of the European Union. While still considered one of the more economically challenged members, policies enacted have made Bulgaria attractive to foreign investment and have ushered in waves of political, social, and economic change.
Bulgarians take pride in their country’s rich heritage, which dates back to 681AD. But the shadows of the twentieth century’s political and social upheavals still darken people’s hearts and lives. Though Bulgaria is becoming more prosperous, this prosperity is mostly superficial. In a post-Communist, predominantly atheist and agnostic culture, many people are left seeking after what is fleeting: real peace, real thriving, and real joy— things which cannot be found in easy money or a nice home, but which can be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
In the Bible, God tells His people to seek the good of the city to which He has sent them. He tells them to engage with every facet of society, to seek the best for it, and particularly to pray for their neighbors, friends, colleagues, and relatives—yes, He even encourages them to build families there. But notice that He tells them to pray for the city. He is asking them to participate in His plans to bring spiritual good to the people of the city. And what is better than for people from the city to become part of His family and members of His Kingdom?
We believe that God has called Bulgarians and Americans to serve together as a team to love the city where they are, to serve the city however they might. Through this these partnerships work to reveal God’s love and to speak of God’s love for the city and her people. We aspire to do this in many ways. First and foremost, we desire to see people’s lives changed as they realize that a relationship with Christ is the only real source of truly lasting peace and contentment in this life and beyond. But we also want to help young people advance their careers by improving their English; reach out to those who have been victims of human trafficking and to those who struggle with various forms of addiction; help counsel people toward financial freedom; serve society’s outsiders; and follow in ministering where we see God open doors. Beyond doing these things, we desire to train others to excel in doing these same things in order to see God use Bulgarians to reach Bulgarians for the glory of His name and the growth of His kingdom of peace.
