Ministry Status | Transitioning

Full name | Bosnia and Herzegovina
Capital | Sarajevo
Major Languages | Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian

“There is a need to focus on Christian education not as an educational subject, in public schools, but as a confessional subject, in Sunday schools. In schools, the events from the Bible are told in historical manner, therefore remaining “flat” and not sufficient to rekindle Faith. There is a need to draw children, very precious part of Body of Christ, to the church where they can learn to exercise commitment to their personal growth with Christ. Moreover, in the ethnically divided context of Bosnia, including denominationally-based Christian education in public schools is problematic due to the risk of encouraging exclusion of ethnic minority children. The project has therefore worked with the Church to encourage the revival of Sunday Schools.”

Jasmina Varupa | Christian Commitment Coordinator | World Vision Bosnia and Herzegovina

Most Recent Update
Our Youth Bible Curriculum project in Bosnia-Herzegovina is conducted in partnership with World Vision International and the Orthodox Church in Bosnia. The YBC project has been the main on-going Christian commitment project for World Vision in the past several years. It has continued to benefit children and their families and to strengthen relationships with the Orthodox Church in the region opening up other opportunities to minister the love of Christ with the people of Bosnia.

The books are distributed to representatives from all five dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Bosnia and have been enthusiastically received and in use by children and teachers and by many parents, too. The Orthodox priests in Bosnia share the lessons and materials, with their counterparts in Serbia and Montenegro, including Kosovo, opening up a very natural progression. Some 40 books of each volume were sent to the priests in Kosovo and Metohije with instructions how to use these books. Approximately 15,000 children are using the curriculum, meeting two times a week to study. The average number of students per classroom is 25-30.

Curriculum Development and Usage

Age 8 | 5,000 each of student books of Vol 1 and 2 + 300 Teacher’s manuals
Age 12 | 5,000 each of student books of Vol 1 and 2 + 300 Teacher’s manuals
Age 14 | Translation and contextualization of student books and Teacher’s manual is in progress

Children under 14 years
15.5% of the population (male 359,739/female 336,978)
Religious Breakdown
Muslim 40%
Orthodox 31%
Roman Catholic 15%
Other 14%

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