REACHING THE 98%

Croatia has a Christian heritage that runs deep. But beneath that familiar religious landscape is a huge gospel need: only around 0.4% of the population identifies as evangelical followers of Jesus.

That need has shaped years of prayer for places where there is little or no evangelical witness.

One of those places is Novi Marof, a town of around 12,000 people, an hour north of Zagreb. For years, there was no evangelical church anywhere along the 83-kilometre stretch between Zagreb and Varaždin. Novi Marof sits right in the middle.

Then, in 2023, Nova Nada — “New Hope” — Church began.

Croatian church planters Jonathan and Danijela stepped into this community with a vision to see people encounter Jesus and grow in His Word. From the beginning, people came to worship and study the Bible together, and before long the new Christian community had grown to more than thirty people.

In 2025, Nova Nada faced significant opposition from local religious authorities. Those who might otherwise have provided a place for the church to meet came under pressure, leaving the church without a permanent meeting space. But the absence of a building has not changed its purpose.

Nova Nada continues to gather in temporary locations, build relationships and look for opportunities to share the gospel. Its annual summer evangelistic camp has become one of those opportunities — and this year, several young people committed their lives to Jesus there. They will be baptised in September.

These are the moments that remind us why the need matters. Behind the statistics are real people who need the opportunity to hear the gospel and encounter Jesus.

Jonathan and Danijela continue to lead Nova Nada in this crucial season, trusting God for what comes next while faithfully investing in the people He has already brought their way.

Pray for Croatia. Pray for Jonathan and Danijela, for Nova Nada, and especially for the young people preparing for baptism. Pray that this young church will grow strong and that God will continue to raise up gospel witnesses in places where people have had so few opportunities to hear about Jesus.

Croatia needs more churches like Nova Nada — not simply more buildings, but more places where people can hear the gospel, meet Jesus and grow as His followers.