Monténégro

The tiny nation of Montenegro lies on the Adriatic coast, opposite Italy. Once part of former Yugoslavia, this young country has a long Orthodox heritage, with a growing Muslim minority. OM teams seek to introduce Montenegrins from all backgrounds to a living relationship with Jesus through church planting and community outreach.

“The most beautiful encounter between land and sea”

Ministry opportunities in Montenegro

This tiny Balkan nation with an Adriatic coastline has around 100 evangelical believers in a handful of churches. OM’s first contacts with Montenegro came through port visits in Kotor by the ships Logos II and Doulos. The OM Montenegro team started in autumn 2007 in the major port city of Bar, which had no body of believers. A second team was launched in the capital Podgorica in early 2013 in support of a local church.

Two-thirds of Montenegrins have an Eastern Orthodox identity; the remainder are mostly Muslim or Catholic. Few people practise their faith, however cultural identities are very strongly held, and in common with other Balkan societies, superstition dominates the thinking of many people.

Against this background, our vision is “to recognise needs - to act - to win and to excite people for Jesus Christ”. We want to introduce our Montenegrin friends to the living Jesus who can transform their hearts and lives, and to serve them in His name at their point of need. Here are some of our ministries:

Community outreach: varies from summer beach clubs, to events at our own community centre in Bar, such as language cafes, live-music concerts and Alpha courses.
‘Mozaik’, the OM church plant: in Bar, we have a seeker-friendly worship service, reaching both local people and other nationalities with the Gospel and discipleship.
Serving the marginalised: such as supporting families with kids on the autistic spectrum; a literacy programme for Roma children; visits to a centre for adults with disabilities.
Supporting local believers: in Podgorica we work with a group of 30-35 evangelical believers, assisting this established church run their own outreach and discipleship programmes.

How you can get involved:

PRAY -

Pray that Montenegrins will want to know the real Jesus, and be set free from tradition and superstition.
Pray for boldness and wisdom for existing Montenegrin believers as they reach out to their peers.
Pray for strength as OM workers serve those on the fringes of society.

GIVE - Give here (http://www.om.org/en/give) to help support the work of OM in Montenegro.
GO - See the job opportunities listed at http://www.om.org/en/opportunities Contact us at info.me@om.org. Montenegro really suits rugged people with pioneering, servant hearts who love building friendships!

More information about Montenegro

Population: 626,000
Official language: Montenegrin (dialect of Serbian)
Personality of the culture/people: Formerly part of ex-Yugoslavia, it is one of Europe’s youngest countries, declaring independence from Serbia in May 2006. The younger generation often feel both ‘Mediterranean’(‘western’ like Italians and Spaniards) whilst retaining proud kinship with Slavic Balkan culture.
State of economy: still in transition to a market economy. Tourism is again a major part of the economy; over the last ten years Montenegro has become one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations with a rich historical heritage and stunning coastline and national parks. Increasingly affluent and developed, Montenegro seeks EU membership, yet off the ‘tourist trail’, areas of poverty remain.
Religious make-up: Orthodox 72%; Muslim 19%; Catholic 3.5%; undeclared 2.6%; atheists 1.25%; evangelicals 0.25%;