БХСС - лицата се сменят, мисията остава.

BHSS: players change, mission remains unchanged.

Is Anything Worth Believing In? Lessons from the Eastern Bloc

John Lennox, Jan de Vries
University of California, Berkeley
5 April 2011
Over the course of human history, ideas have come and gone, countless religions into existence, and movements for change have succeeded and failed. Amidst all that is out there, the question remains: what, if anything, is worth believing in? Come find out as professor of mathematics and apologist John Lennox gives his response, drawing from his experiences with atheism and theism in Eastern Europe.

Студенти от БХСС презентираха Summer Project 2010

Съобщение до медиите

На 11.10.2010 г. в Арт клуб на Радио „Варна” представители на Български Християнски Студентски Съюз направиха презентация на проведения проект за културен обмен на тема „Свобода на избора: ролята на ценностната система за формиране на поведението”. Присъстваха участници в проекта, студенти, общественици.

В началото Трифон Трифонов, основен координатор на проекта, разясни че организационния комитет се е спрял на темата за ценностите поради изключително опасните тенденции, които се наблюдават в момента сред подрастващите и младежите. Ваня Трифонова, координатор на проекта, разказа накратко за дейностите по проекта. Алла Ужакова и Николай Николов, представители на оранизационния комитет, разказаха за силното въздействие на проекта върху тях и останалите участници и поканиха присъстващите да се включат в проекта следващата година.

В обмена участваха студенти от България, Англия и Холандия. Сред основните дейности бяха дискусиите в малки групи „Свободен”, мултитрак семинарите „Култура и свобода”, експозета на тема „Свободен да питам”, „Свободен да избера” и „Свободен от матрицата”. Участниците чуха обобщените резултати от проведените от тях анкети на тема „Личната позиция – реалност и приложимост”.

Към края на проекта те имаха възможност да изразят своето отношение по въпроса доколко свободни са студентите да направят съзнателен морален избор в работни групи „Свобода на израза”. Една от групите написа и изпя рап песен, в която апелира за свобода за християнските организации да провеждат събирания в университетите. Друга група написа отворено писмо до министъра на образованието и ректорите на университетите в България, настояваща за същото право на събиране. Видео клип показа, че конституциите на България и ЕС дават правото на събиране, свобода на словото и религиозно изразяване, докато правилниците на българските университети забраняват това, що се отнася до неправителствени организации, работещи в сферата на духовната просвета. Студентите нарисуваха постер и колаж, и написаха есета и стихове на тема свобода на избора на убеждения и ценности.

Накрая на презентацията участвалите в проекта получиха своите Youthpass сертификати, а гостите бяха поканени да се запознаят с изложените резултати от проекта. Организаторите се надяват чрез тези прояви да привлекат вниманието на медиите и по-широката общественост към проблема и да инициират обществена дискусия относно забраната за дейност на християнски организации в университетите.

За повече информация, посетете:

Уебсайта на проекта „Свобода на избора”: www.summerproject.info

Facebook група на проекта „Свобода на избора”: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=330576711192&ref=ts

BHSS Leadership Conference Liaskovets 2010

The annual Leadership Conference took place from 5 to 7 March 2010 in Manastira Hotel in Liaskovets. Besides the leaders from Sofia, V. Turnovo, Varna, Pazardzhik and Russe there was a representative of Burgas where there isn’t a group at present, and two Indian students from the Internationals group in Sofia. Unfortunately, the groups in Shumen, Svishtov and Blagoevgrad were not represented at the conference.

The event was opened by the BHSS volunteer in V. Turnovo, Mimi, who encouraged the participants to serve with deeper commitment to their groups by reading grads’ testimonies about their time in BHSS. After the inspiring praise and worship, led by Toshko, every morning Joro and Megi would offer a passage for Bible study in small groups. Afterwards the students were able to get practical skills on leading by giving their feedback to the Bible study leader. In two seminars Trif and Vanya challenged the participants to grow as servants and shepherds for their groups by committing to serve with insight and foresight, and to immitate the Good Shepherd in leading their groups. The Training by Experience Session, led by Peter helped the students to learn to take a risk and work as a team. The Panel-discussion with Masks” showed what kind of difficulties lie behind the job of the staff-worker. Peter led another session on “Planning the Semester” and through case studies stressed the importance of Christian students being acquainted with their universities and small groups if they want to be effective messangers of the good news in them. At the end Vanya and Mimi encourated the participants to model thanksgiving and encouragement in the members of their groups. Finally, before leaving, some of the leaders managed to organise mutual exchange of visits with other groups.

A Helping Hand for Moldovian Bulgarians

From 1 to 8 May 2010 a BHSS student team is going to visit a few Bulgarian cities and villages in Moldova in order to bring literature and share the gospel with the people. They will also give an evangelistic talk at the Bulgarian Taraklia University.

Bulgarian expatriates have lived there since the middle ages. More recently, big groups of Bulgarians migrated after the Russia - Turkey wars in 1806 and 1832, escaping Turkish genocide. They couldn't avoid Stalin's genocide, though. Together with 8 millions of Ukrainians, 100 000 Bulgarians have been killed by the Bolsheviks through starvation in the 30s and 40s of the 20th century. These people love Bulgaria but are virtually forgotten by our authorities. It is a privilege and joy for us to be able to undertake this mission.

Here is a link to the video clip I made:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw49YGJNljE

Those who are interested in helping:

Gifts can be sent to

The Bulgarian Christian Student Union, UniCredit Bulbank Ltd., Kaloyan Branch, BIC: UNCRBGSF, IBAN: BG39UNCR76301139276954 (USD)

If you have questions, let me know at: trifvanya@mbox.contact.bg

Identity Revolution

Under this heading the National conference of BCSU took place in The Lesoparka hotel near Lyaskovets from 23rd to 25th October. More than 60 students from Bulgaria, 2 students from Bosnia and Herzegovina аnd 2 from India and 1 from Germany attended the event. As a kind of support several graduates from Sofia and Varna also attended the conference.

The main expositions on The Epistle to the Galatians were delivered by Nikola Galevski, General Secretary of Exodus, Macedonia. In an appropriately decorated for the event hall, in five consecutive sessions he managed to provoke the students to think about those aspects of their national identity that could be a stumbling stone for spreading the good news and to prioritize their belonging to the crucified and risen Christ (Galatians 2:20). As the law in the past made the Galatians compromise the truth, we - the people on the Balkans - carry a big historical baggage that prevents us from being a good testimony to our colleagues. If we want God to use us for transforming their lives, we should be really a part of their lives, getting to know them better, loving them and taking care about them.

The seminars were equally challenging. According to Tim Awtrey, holiness is the thing that God wants us to be and it is measured by our relationships with God and people, whereas our workoholism is its enemy. With his intrinsic humbleness and erudition, Veniamin Peev challenged us to disarm the opponents of the Gospel by means of Christ's love. Doniy Donev acquainted the students with the ways they cоuld use Google Wave for the Lord as well as other similar means of online communication and information exchange. After considering the reasons for sharing the good news and the obstacles for doing it, Petar Valkov and Trif Trifonov encouraged the students to use unconventional, creative methods for spreading the good news at university, sharing their personal experience and that of other student movements.

Quite memorable will remain the games in groups, prepared by Vanya. Devided into 4 teams, the students were to overcome a lot of obstacles and challenges like running down a steep slope, searching for hidden objects, finding the missing words in verses from Galatians, walking blindfold, staying propped only by hands, skipping the rope simultaneously in threes and so on. Eventually, every one was tired but extremely happy because they had managed to do the things as a team.

Certainly the conference offered a lot of other memorable things such as morning prayer led by Niki, small discussion groups, praise and worship (led by a group from Varna and a Bosnia student), informal time, cultural presentations, etc. We believe that everything in the program has contributed to the building up of the students God making a real revolution in our identity and relationships.

BHSS National Conference

THEME AND PROGRAM

This year the BHSS National Conference starts with lunch on 23 October (Friday) and ends up by 4 p.m. on 25 October (Sunday). Main speaker will be Nikola Galevski (Gen Sec of Exodus Macedonia). He will speak on the Letter to the Galatians. There will be tracks on ‘Holiness’, ‘What the Full Good News Include’, ‘Choices We Make in a Pluralist World’, and ‘Ethnic/Racial Reconciliation’. Other than that, there will be small groups, a seminar on ‘What Is a Student Movement’, cultural evening, sports, etc. There will be groups of students from both Exodus Macedonia and BSKSh Albania, and possibly, other IFES movements.


FEE

The fee is 35 euro for participants from Eastern Europe and 80 euro for Western Europe. It covers two nights plus full boarding. It does not include travel to the venue. If you come from Romania, a return bus ticket from Russe to Veliko Turnovo (about 100 kms away from Russe) would cost about 10 euro. If you come from Macedonia, Greece or Serbia, a return bus ticket from Sofia to Veliko Turnovo (about 240 kms away from Sofia) would cost about 18 Euro.


TRAVEL

From Veliko Turnovo we can help with the transportation to the venue in Liaskovets (Liaskovets is 6 kms away from Veliko Tarnovo). The participants will be accommodated in a nice hotel, so you don’t need to bring sleeping bags or bed sheets. Things you will need: Bible, pen and textbook, comfortable clothes and shoes, items to present your culture with and openness to meet with people from other IFES movements. Main expositions will be given in English. There will be English interpreters provided for the seminars and the small groups.


HOW TO APPLY

Your application can be send via email and should include your first and family name, university name, year at university, name of your organization (IFES movement), city address, country of residence, email address, and telephone number. Please, send your questions and applications to Trif & Vanya Trifonovs, trifvanya@mbox.contact.bg . In case you need visa for Bulgaria, contact your National Movement or email the BHSS National Office (office@bhss-org.com ) in Sofia so we might send a letter of invitation.