2 September 2026

Love that Looks Like Jesus

Missionary Jeremy Height shared that after 27 years of faithfulness, the local Church of the Nazarene in Zagreb, Croatia’s capital, was able to purchase their first building with help from the Alabaster Offering. 

For almost three decades, the Church of the Nazarene in Croatia has ministered to and journeyed with their neighbors throughout the country and across the world. During these decades, they have grown into an international church that loves all people through evangelism, discipleship, and compassionate ministry. And during these many years of service, they have prayed for their own ministry building.

In January 2026, they purchased their first ministry center in Zagreb. The Church of the Nazarene finally has a long-term, sustainable ministry center for sharing the love of Jesus Christ in Croatia! This incredible answer to prayer was due to the global prayers of Nazarenes and faithful giving to Alabaster from churches across the world. The building will serve as a foundation for current ministry and a launching pad for disciple-making and church multiplication in the years to come. 

In their current assignment, Nazarene missionaries Jeremy and Reetu Height have felt blessed to journey with this local church and its members who represent close to 10 different nationalities. Some members of the congregation relocated to Croatia seeking a better life, some have had to flee war, and others have chosen to follow Jesus even when it led them to have to leave their home countries because of persecution. 

One of the Heights’ most impactful experiences in Croatia occurred while sharing coffee with neighbors from Ukraine. These victims of war shared that they don’t even know what country their hometown will belong to when the war ends, and admitted that as the war drags on, it is a struggle to keep believing in the existence and goodness of God. Then one mother confessed: "I don't know if I still believe in God, but when I read about Jesus in the Bible - your church does look a lot like Him." 

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The Church of the Nazarene entered Croatia in 1999 under the leadership of Southern Europe Field Director Duane Srader. Southern Nazarene University (SNU) missions professor Dr. Howard Culbertson helped recruit three recent SNU graduates to plant churches in the nation. Through the years, the ministry has included church services in public parks, Bible studies in homes, and refugee ministries in a repurposed bakery; the ministry is still considered a pioneer work.

Do you feel God is calling you to cross-cultural missions work? Click here for information on how to get involved: Send Me – Church of the Nazarene

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