Archive for the ‘WorldVenture’ Category

25 Years of WorldVenture in Poland III

Posted: April 24, 2013 in Europe, Missions, Poland, WorldVenture
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After 14 years (and counting) of living and working in Poland, I have absorbed far more of Polish culture and attitudes than I usually realize. One characteristic of Poles is that they frequently struggle to celebrate success. It hasn’t been considered good form to praise others, lest they get a big head. Poles laugh at their own parenting proverbs like “don’t praise a child, or you’ll spoil him.” As a nation, they are realizing that praise can be a positive motivator, although there is still significant resistance to the idea. And as a nation, they are becoming a model in Europe for economic growth and other changes in a very difficult time – although many Poles would not admit to this (see above).

So, when I think about and want to celebrate WorldVenture’s 25 years in Poland, this goes through my head: “I need to be careful in case a) someone thinks I am being proud, and b) someone thinks I am comparing our organization to others to make us look good.” Of course, if I didn’t think WorldVenture and our team in Poland was the best choice for us – I wouldn’t be here. I am proud of our organization and our team. However, as I shared in the last post – there are several other amazing groups serving in Poland. I know many of those servants are just as proud of their “tribe” as I am of mine.

Am I comparing? Well, maybe sometimes. We all have that strong temptation in ministry, and it becomes one of our besetting sins. Depending on our personality, we either compare and end up feeling bad about ourselves, or compare to feel better about ourselves (pride).  For instance, my personality usually goes in the second direction – my wife’s, in the first. I don’t think the end result actually has anything to do with the real facts, but everything to do with our personality and temperament. So just by saying “we’ve been here 25 years” I can do a “one-up-man” on my friends from other organizations. (Also worded as “nah-nah-na-nah-nah”) Yes, sometimes even veteran missionaries act like junior-highers!

Seriously, though, although I love the history our organization has here in Poland, I’m thrilled any time I run into someone new who is serving here. As I said in the last post – there aren’t very many of us here. Way too few to spend much time comparing. And way too much to do to not bless one another and work together as much as possible.

So – with all those caveats above, I’m proud of the great missionaries with WorldVenture Poland for:

1. Having the courage to move into Poland in the late 1980s. (See Wojciech Szczerba’s letter in post I)

2. Having the humility to not push an American agenda, but to discover and assist in a Polish agenda.

3. Having the endurance to stay the long haul. Some of our people are among the longest serving North American missionaries in Poland.

4. Having the flexibility to develop a multi-cultural team. Long before this was a popular topic in our mission, we had a team that was made up of people from 5 countries on 3 continents. For years, at least a quarter of our team has been Polish.

5. Having the grace to forgive and build camaraderie. Our team truly has a family atmosphere.

It’s a great team!

(Applications available on the WorldVenture website) 🙂

25 Years of WorldVenture in Poland I

25 Years of WorldVenture in Poland II

 

25 Years of WorldVenture in Poland II

Posted: April 23, 2013 in Campus Crusade, Europe, Missions, Poland, WorldVenture
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“We all owe an incredible debt of gratitude to Campus Crusade.” My colleague, Dennis, was reflecting on the first years of WorldVenture in Poland. And he’s right. Although WorldVenture is one of of the oldest North American missions in Poland – I think we were second – Campus Crusade arrived ten years before we did. And Crusade personnel helped our first people get apartments, language teachers, visas, connections with church leaders, and on and on. Every mission organization in Poland owes Crusade a debt of gratitude, because most of us have continued to help one another, in a kind of “Pay It Forward” ethos.

Poland has one of the lowest percentages of evangelicals in the whole world – at 0.15%. It’s number of missionaries per capita is among the lowest in the world, as well. Wladyslaw Dwulat, president of the Evangelical Alliance of Poland, estimates the total number of missionaries at 120, out of a total population in Poland of 38.5 million. The number of missionaries is down, from a high of 180 in the early 2000’s. Perhaps these low numbers have helped all of us be more cooperative and less competitive.

In any case, our team in Poland has also experienced the rich blessing of being able to partner closely with several other organizations: TEAM, SEND International, Fellowship of Evangelical Baptists International, and Josiah Venture. In each case we have seconded or received seconded people into our team. In addition to Campus Crusade, we have been able to work closely with Greater Europe Mission, Christian Missionary Alliance, International Mission Board, Pioneers, Reach Global, European Christian Mission, International Messengers and probably several others that I never knew about.

Of course, probably even more important than our cooperation with other North American missions has been our opportunity to work closely with Polish evangelical organizations. We have primarily been connected with the Polish Baptist Union, reflecting our heritage as a historically Baptist mission organization. In addition, we have worked with the Church of Evangelical Christians, the Church of Free Christians, independent fellowships, and the Evangelical Alliance itself. Our first personnel modeled a pattern of ministry that subordinated their/our agendas to the agendas of our Polish partners. Based on their model, our team worked to continue that ethos. Thankfully, we have an international structure that allows us to set strategy at the field level, and enables us to be supportive of national workers’ agendas, as opposed to finding nationals to support our agendas.

So – Paul said it best in Philippians 1:3

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you” (KJV). As we reflect on 25 years of our organization in Poland, we continually come across memories of people from other organizations and churches who have been vital in our ministry. Thank you, God for our brothers and sisters.

Hopefully, just as so many others have been helpful for us, we have been faithful in serving others.

25 Years of WorldVenture in Poland I

25 Years of WorldVenture in Poland III

25 years of WorldVenture Poland I

Posted: April 22, 2013 in Europe, Missions, Poland, WorldVenture, Wroclaw
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This year our organization celebrates 25 years of residential ministry in Poland. Although we had teachers with Biblical Education by Extension traveling from Vienna to Poland during the early 1980s, the first two families to move to Poland arrived in 1988. In the next few posts, I want to reflect on our presence here.

First, I want to post a letter to WorldVenture people from Wojciech Szczerba, the president of the Evangelical Theological Semininary of Wroclaw (EWST, in Polish).  His letter brought tears to my eyes. Of course, much of what he says does not exclusively apply to WorldVenture, but to all of us who have left family and friends to move to a different country and culture in order to faithfully incarnate the love and grace of God.

Dear World Venture Friends,

First of all I would like to send you warm greetings from Evangelical School of Theology.

 It seems amazing that World Venture celebrates this year its 25th year of operation in Poland. It’s been crucial years in the history of our country: the end of Communism and its 45 years rule over Polish nation, the beginning of our free country with Solidarity movement, the pontificate of John Paul II, the entrance of Poland into European Union structures and the European Soccer Championship last year. Amazing piece of history, tremendous changes over the last 25 years. I am sure many of you remember how it was in Poland at the end of 80’s. The poverty of the nation, grey streets in our cities, empty shelves in our stores, coupons to buy basic goods, long lines to get anything, corruption, black market and the overwhelming weariness of Polish people with the impossible situation. What made you come then to our country, destroyed, poor and wounded? How did God touch your hearts and call you here? How did you find your place here, with such a predominant role of the Catholic Church, seemingly the only opposition to the oppression of the Communists and the core of Polish soul? I would love to hear your stories. I would love to take a look at my country through the mirror of your experience. I would love to kneel with you and pray.

 I remember the beginning of Biblical Theological Seminary in Wroclaw as the student of this school in the first group of students. I remember the challenges, problems and difficulties, but also great teaching, wonderful books, ministry opportunities, thousands of people over the world praying for our school and many coming to serve our country. I was so impressed to see people leaving their countries and homes to come to us and humbly serve us. It was a very important testimony of faith for me, a young believer then, and – I am sure – for many other people in Poland. World Venture, Conservative Baptist at that time, was among the groups, which impressed me the most.

 Time has passed by very quickly, many things have changed here and our country looks different than 25 years ago, new generations have emerged with different attitudes toward reality, different values and worldviews. We are experiencing nowadays the first waves of secularism, a phenomenon unthinkable even a few years ago. We are a different country now in comparison to the end of 80’s. Still, World Venture is here and faithfully serves our God and nation. You are in various churches including Evangelical communities, traditional Protestant churches and the Catholic Church. You serve in many Christian organizations, schools like Evangelical School of Theology and social institutions. I am still impressed, chapeau bas. And I thank God for your good hearts, for your willingness to serve and for your obedience to the Almighty. You give a wonderful example to many people in Poland, you faithfully preach and live the Word of God.

 I truly regret that I cannot be present at the Celebration of World Venture. However, even though I am not physically present, I am with you spiritually. With other friends from Evangelical School of Theology we pray for you and thank God for you. You are in our hearts and our prayers. Our doors are always open to you.

 Ad maiorem Dei gloriam,

Wojciech Szczerba, President of EWST

25 Years of WorldVenture Poland II

25 Years of WorldVenture Poland III