Pier and Joke have been living and working in Novi Sad, Serbia since the end of 2017. They help in the Evangelical Community Otvorena Vrata and the humanitarian foundation Tabita in Novi Sad. These are both led by the directors and pastor couple brother and sister Želimir and Branka Srnec.
In addition to the church in Novi Sad, the Evangelical Church - Otvorena Vrata (Open Door) also has several other mission places where the gospel is shared, including to the Roma population.
There are mission posts in Novi Miloševo, Novi Beograd and in Bangladesh.
For example, the Tabita foundation in Mali Beograd (suburb of Novi Sad) also has a school where children are given tutoring. Church services are also held in this school.
Pier and Joke help in the various mission posts of Otvorena Vrata and also partly in the work of the Tabita foundation. They work together in a team with local workers. For example, Pier is regularly allowed to preach and Joke helps with children's work.
In addition, there is also a school garden at the homework school where Pier and Joke try to pass on some gardening skills to the children. This garden education also goes hand in hand with sharing the gospel with the children. Camp days and activities such as sewing courses are also organized together with the other workers. Pier is particularly passionate about guiding young Christian workers. Pier and Joke are also allowed to lend a helping hand in other churches in Serbia from time to time.
There are many activities of a more pastoral nature that come their way.
Pier and Joke are increasingly involved in the culture and they are increasingly functioning in the local language. Serbia may be a European country, but the region in which Novi Sad is located, Vojvodina, is an ethnic mix. More than 18 ethnic groups, all with their own characteristics, including their own language, church or religion. The Roma is one of them, and is itself divided into all kinds of tribes and groups.
Newsletter and Home Church
If you would like to stay up to date with Pier and Joke's you can follow then via their website (in Dutch): www.meindertsmaservie.nl
Their home church is the Baptist Church Harlingen: www.baptistenharlingen.nl
Financial Support
If you want to support Pier and Joke with your financial contribution, you can transfer your donation via the registration form on Pier and Joke's website.
Emergency Fund
In their work among the Roma, Pier and Joke are regularly confronted with dire situations, often the result of financial need. An emergency fund has been set up to alleviate this (concrete and acute) need. If you want to support this emergency help, you can transfer your donation via the registration form for the emergency fund.