Southside World Missions

08/07/2026

Since 1998, Southside has partnered with the Biblical Institute in Zagreb, Croatia. Here is a messge from the Institute.

An opportunity has arisen from a generous donor for a matching financial gift, and an update on the Institute's expansion.

1. The Institute has a special financial opportunity this summer. One of their long-term supporters has set up a $50,000 matching gift this summer. Gifts from new donors AND special gifts over regular support will be doubled, dollar for dollar.

The challenge runs through August 31st, for 3 more weeks. They are almost half-way through the matching window. They have received 70% of the goal, about $35,000 as of today.

Please pray that God continues to bless them and their donors, and to connect the Institute with people who have a heart to participate in their work.

2. The Institute is in a time of expansion. Since the Institute was started in 1999, They have prayed for God to open doors for ministry all over Croatia and into their neighboring countries of Bosnia and Serbia.

God has blessed those prayers. They are currently working in cities all over Croatia, teaching classes and blessing churches with resources. And since the end of 2022, they have been teaching classes in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia & Herzegovina.

And now, just this summer, God has opened doors for them to build partnerships in Serbia!

These countries were at war with each other thirty years ago. Thousands of people were killed, tens of thousands displaced. Cities were reduced to rubble.

And now, people from these countries are sitting and praying together, reading the Bible together, praying for one another, and helping each other's churches minister more effectively. Jesus is bringing healing to this wounded region.

If any individuals want to make a special gift, they can do so at https://ldeay5c.s.gy/my-link.

11/14/2025

Mission's Highlight - Nesto Vise ("Something More" Youth Ministry)

Steve Taliaferro works with a couple, Igor & Mateja, to help the youth of Croatia build meaningful life-time relationships with Christ, and with each other. With less than 1/2 of 1% of the population being evangelical Christians, the youth face a daily struggle to live and develop their faith. Our youth group has made trips to Croatia in 2017, 2018, and 2022 to work with this ministry. Our youth are planning to go again next summer.

Checkout Steve's latest newsletter: https://southsidelexington.wordpress.com/2025/11/08/steve-taliaferros-report-from-croatia/

Biblijski Institut (Biblical Institute)

The Biblical Institute supports and empowers churches by preparing workers for the churches, publishing resources for the churches, and promoting fellowship and cooperation between church and ministry leaders. God has called us to cultivate a thriving community of churches that impacts Croatia for Jesus Christ.

Churches throughout several countries of eastern Europe now have members, ministers and leaders that are connected in some way to the Institute. These connections show the positive effects of the Institute's work over the past 25 plus years.

Check out their website: https://www.bizg.hr/en/

Prayer Requests from Nesto Vise

Please pray for us and our health, wisdom, and joy as we work and serve.

Pray for individual meetings with teens, and for our Ukrainian kids.

Please pray for our youth group. Pray for them by name: Lara, Božo, Sofia, Kristina, Petar, Ivan, Kristian, Marko, Adam, Kata, Marta, Bruna, Franka, Dominik, Patrik, Noa, Ana, Tesa B., Tesa J., Nicol, Irina, Timofej, Andrej, Artem, Pasha, Kolya, Maks, Yarik, Yura, Ilona, Darina, and Ksenija.

Pray that the young people with whom we work will have an increasing desire to know Jesus and to follow Him with their lives.

Pray for Tristan. Tristan lost his father recently. We are praying that Tristan will agree to meet with Steve, and come to our youth meetings. Pray that Tristan is encouraged, comforted, and drawn close to Jesus.

Pray for the economic situation in Croatia. Since Croatia started using the Euro in 2023, things have become rather difficult for those of us whose funding comes in US Dollars, because of these three factors:

1) Since the beginning of this year, Croatia has been either #1 or #2 (depending on the month) among all the Eurozone countries for the highest inflation rates.

2) There is also a very unfavorable exchange rate between the Euro and the US Dollar. That rate has been gradually getting worse. The US Dollar now goes only about 20% as far in Croatia as it did a year ago.

Prayer Requests for the Biblical Institute

Like Nesto Vise, the Institute is dealing with serious financial constraints brought on by inflation and the unfavorable exchange rate.

Pray for the staff as they continue to press forward with teaching, equipping and empowering their students to be ambassadors for Christ in their lives.

Pray for the continued development of working relationships with the churches throughout the region.

Pray for those that are working on the latest research projects.

11/08/2025

Missions’ Highlight - Mike and Kris Bridges - Bridges to Honduras
In August 2016, Mike and Kris Bridges moved to Honduras to become church planters. Settling in the small western town of Corquin, they have seen their original desires transformed by the Spirit into a ministry that reaches beyond two church plants in Corquin and Potrerillos. They provide job training and share about Jesus within the local school system.

The R.A.D.I.C.A.L. school program has grown from tutoring during the pandemic to being in 26 schools on a weekly basis. The government has them teaching life values and allows them to do so using the Bible. The R.A.D.I.C.A.L. team is in front of over 2,000 students at all grade levels every week. With the students they pray, sing, do a Bible skit, break into small groups to discuss that week’s life value from the Bible, and provide tutoring.

Since 2022, Southside has partnered with Mike & Kris through financial support for the R.A.D.I.C.A.L. program, prayer, and in 2023 started taking a team to do local benevolent outreach through a medical brigade. Our teams provide much needed medical care that is provided with the heart of Christ. These brigades also allow us to grow our relationships with Mike and Kris, the local churches, and the R.A.D.I.C.A.L. team, while sparking evangelistic opportunities for Bible studies.

You can check out the R.A.D.I.C.A.L. team page:

https://www.facebook.com/RadicalTeamCorquin

Prayer Requests from Mike & Kris
1) For the Spirit to guide them as they focus on three main points of church growth in 2026. Pray as they actively pursue having the church members grow into taking roles with ministries within the church. Pray as they modify and adapt the paid ministries into becoming more integrated within the church. Pray as they work on the growth of men and male leadership.

2) For Kris’s surgery and recovery in January.

3) For the AIMers that are leaving in November and for the next team of AIMers that will hopefully be arriving in May 2026.

4) Pray for the country to have peace during the upcoming National elections. Normally this is a time of possibly violent upheaval in the country, which can have a huge effect on travel within the country.

5) For generous hearts to provide the funding needed for additional R.A.D.I.C.A.L. employees.

10/17/2025

Missions’ Highlight - the Noblitts - Kenya Hear
Former Southside members Bryce and Mary Beth Noblitt moved their family to Kijabe, Kenya, in the fall of 2022. Bryce is an Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon and initially was part of a Post-Residency Program through Samaritan’s Purse, at Kijabe Hospital. This is a two-year program that takes physicians right out of residency and puts them on the mission field.

Now that the PRP is over, the Noblitts have transitioned to a long-term sending agency, Christian Health Service Corps, a community of Christian doctors, health professionals and health educators committed to serving the poor in places that have little or no access to healthcare. Christian Health Service Corps serves as their employer, taking out required deductions for Social Security, U.S. income tax, etc.

CHSC also supports the Noblitts to continue their work in Kijabe by providing continuing education, member care, credentialing assistance, and decades of wisdom in providing healthcare in the furthest reaches of the globe. The Noblitts are excited to join the CHSC Kijabe team, currently made up of two Pediatric Surgeons, two radiologist, an OB-GYN, and an Emergency Medicine physician.

For more information on Bryce and Mary Beth go to: For more information on Bryce and Mary Beth go to: https://southsidelexington.wordpress.com/kenya/ or check out their blog at: https://kenyahear.org/

To check out the organizations they are working with go to: https://www.healthservicecorps.org/ and https://kijabehospital.or.ke/

Prayer Requests from the Noblitt Family
1. Pray for a mold-free home, and for their family's health. Upon returning to Kenya, their house was filled with mold. They have hired a remediation company and purchased HEPA air filters and dehumidifiers to get rid of the airborne spores. This has affected the health of their family, especially Owen. He needs to take breathing treatments daily and sometimes, multiple times a day.

2. Pray for strength, endurance and patience as Bryce is currently the only ENT at the hospital for the next month, as his U.S. partner is stateside until December. His schedule is extremely busy while trying to operate and answer questions for the Clinical Officers all day, every day.

3. Pray for the students and the teachers as the new school year has begun. Grace is now attending the pre-school where Mary Beth is one of the instructors.

4. Pray for hearts to be opened to support them financially.

10/11/2025

MAGI Boxes

It is time again to pick up and fill up a MAGI Box for a needy child around the world. Boxes are available in the Gathering Place and the front of the auditorium. It would be great to fill all 100 boxes this year.

New for 2025 is the opportunity to sponsor a box. Healing Hands will take your donation and fill a box for you. If you wish to sponsor a box, please fill out a check payable to Healing Hands International for $35, and give it to Alvin Cox.

Please return your MAGI boxes by placing them on the stage behind the pulpit. Due Date: October 26th.

For more information and a packing list go to (right click): https://www.hhi.org/magi/pack-box

08/26/2025

A new semester with new students has started at CBC.

06/29/2025

Many gave books and their time to preapre the books for transport to Kijabe. A great way to be involved with our mission's partners, Bryce and Mary Beth Noblitt.

After 2 years, the library is finally open. The ribbon was cut during the dedication ceremony, attended by over 200 kids from the community. ...

06/19/2025

We gladly welcome our 9 new students, 5 female and 4 male, for this school year 2025-2026. May God raise up a new breed of servant-leaders to help expand the borders of His kingdom. If you feel God is calling you to ministry, rise up, enlist yourself for spiritual training and equipping. Enrollment is still going on. Classes will start on June 30. We have a few more scholarship slots available for new enrollees. If you are interested, or have any questions, please feel free to message us. We are more than willing to assist you. May God bless you...