While spreading the gospel locally, Southside is also involved in spreading the gospel around the world by helping support the Phillip Shero family in Uganda, East Africa and the Ivan Tesic family in Zapresic, Croatia.

Phillip and Laura Shero (and their 3 children: Malachi, Israel, and Annalise) are missionaries in Mbale, Uganda, where they have lived since June 1998.

Phillip and Laura Shero serve with a team of several families doing rural church planting and development. Phillip's role on the team is training and developing church leaders through the formation of regional church clusters.

Phillip and Laura began their work in Mbale with a focus on ministry to the Bagisu people, one of many tribes living in eastern Uganda. Since March 2002, they have been coordinating the Rural Ministry of the Mbale  mission team as a whole. This has them interacting with multiple tribal groups on a regular basis. The Rural Ministry includes church-planting, church visitation, congregational development through a curriculum of seminars, women’s ministry, and training local church leaders in all of these areas of service.

Shero Newletter: October, 2008

Ivan and Ruth Tesic work with the church in Zapresic, Croatia. They have three sons, Daniel, Peter and David. The Tesics may be reached by e-mail: ruthtesic@yahoo.com or by mail: Ivan & Ruth Tesic, J. Kosica 42, 10290 Zapresic, Croatia, EUROPE

Background: The Illyricum (and also Dalmatia) that we read about in the New Testament included large areas of modern-day Croatia. Part of Yugoslavia till its breakup in the early 1990's, Croatia is now an independent European country of vast contrast. Thriving natural beauty and rich cultural heritage coexist with a struggling, transitional economy and long-tern effects from its war for independence. Significant development is occurring, thanks to increases in tourism, industry, and transportation. Current reforms are leading to EU and NATO accession by 2010.

Roman Catholicism dominates the religious scene of Croatia claiming more than two-thirds of the population. Orthodox Christianity is the largest minority with Slavic Muslims, Protestants and various other religious traditions representing small minorities.

The Tescis: A native of the former Yugoslavia, Ivan Tesic has served his country as a minister for the church since 1980. In 1981, he married Ruth Witcher (from Weatherford, Oklahoma). They have three grown sons: Peter, David, and Daniel. Ivan has a B.A. in Bible from Lubbock Christian University and a Master's Degree in Biblical Related Studies from Abilene Christian University.

The church in Zapresic: In 1990, Ivan and his brother, Nikola, established the Zapresic church of Christ. Zapresic (pronounced "Za-presh-ich") is a suburban area west of the capital city of Zagreb with a growing population (about 40,000 in 2005). In 2001 a beautiful building was constructed for the congregation meeting in Zapresic.

With the independence of Croatia in 1991 the doors began to slowly open and other Americans made trips to Zagreb serving as summer interns and conducting a “Let’s Start talking” campaign. Another result of the fall of Communism in Croatia was the need for food, medicine, clothing and other necessities. Humanitarian organizations (Partners in Progress, Manna International, Healing Hands International) and congregations of the American churches of Christ responded with $3.5 million dollars worth of supplies and Croatian Christians were able to minister to 3,000 refugee families. Because of this hands-on ministry the Christians in Croatia became known as the people of the Book and of action.

Seeing the benefit of radio in the education of Christians World Radio Croatia began broadcasting in 1992. Introductory messages were prepared for two weekly newspapers to aid listeners in following the broadcasts. The Zapresic congregation was active in such broadcasts as well as serving 800 families a month with relief supplies. In an April 2003 interview in The Christian Chronicle Mladen Jovanovic reported that there were seven congregations located throughout Croatia, each with an attendance of 40-100.

Tesic Tidings Newsletter, Fall 2006, Volume XI