13 April 2022 | Novi Sad, Serbia [Vanesa Pizzuto]
Nemanja Jurišić was scrolling on Instagram just like other 30.6 million people do every day. But his was no mindless scrolling, he was researching! Aware of the strong presence of other Christian organizations on the giant social media platform, he also noticed that the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Serbia was not well represented. “Why doesn’t someone do so something?” was his first thought. “Why don’t I do something?” was his second. That last question fired him up to start a digital ministry that has led to more than ten teenagers in his digital community give their lives to Jesus.
Jurišić, a 25-year-old electrical engineering student, started his Instagram account “Prorocanstva” (Prophesies) three years ago. Today, nearly 5,000 people follow him on Instagram. But he was not looking for popularity, because his vision is driven with the desire to share the Gospel in a relevant way. “As I read Ellen White’s counsel to go from door to door to preach the Gospel” he shared, “I was thinking, how should we do that today? Then, I realised that we could do it from phone to phone!”
At first, Jurišić was surprised to see teenagers interested in the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, “I thought this to be a topic for old people, but I found out that this message is relevant and is changing young people’s lives.” Supported with guidance from local pastors, they partnered with him and gave Bible studies to his Instagram followers. They even went live on Instagram to preach and distributed free books like The Great Controversy and Bibles. “I am so grateful for their help and wholehearted support. It was a fantastic team effort!”
Seeing the increased interest in spiritual topics, Jurišić and the church leaders organised monthly meetings where the teens could mingle and ask any question on their minds. This led to their first spiritual retreat in Zlatibor, Serbia. Almost thirty teens and young adults who had never stepped in an Adventist Church before attended the event, “Neither they nor we could hide our enthusiasm. It was obvious that the Holy Spirit had been working in their hearts for a long time,” said Jurišić. Together, they studied the book of Job until late into the night. Realizing that there was still much to learn, the young people asked for a similar event to be held soon, to continue studying.
Jurišić is amazed at the impact of his humble Instagram ministry, “Some people think that to keep an Instagram ministry going they will have to post something new every day, and they will be very busy; but I post content only once a week.” Jurišić doesn’t spend hours planning the content either, “I read the Bible and the writings of Ellen White, and let the Holy Spirit guide me.” The results speak for themselves because, as Jurišić joyfully informs, more than ten people have been baptised thanks to the direct and indirect influence of this ministry. “I am amazed,” he says, “the Holy Spirit is breathing on us!”
When asked about the future of his ministry, Jurišić reflects, “My dream is to continue to preach the Three Angel’s Message to the entire world, to every nation, tongue and tribe until Jesus returns.”
Are you a digital evangelist? We would love to hear your story! Are you interested in becoming a digital evangelist? We would love to support you! Please contact Vanesa Pizzuto at [email protected] for more information.
