Monthly open lectures

The last School year we continued series of monthly open lectures on Saturdays. We call the series: “How to think and live in God’s World? We had meetings about:

- Predestination and free will

- Homeschooling in Poland

- What is Christian education?

- Creationism vs. Evolutionism. The title was: “How the science and the Scripture deny evolution theory?

- Ressurection of Christ.

- Christian family – what does it mean in practice?

Usually we had 20-30 visitors. After each of the lectures we had Questions and Answers time. Some people stayed longer for conversation. Some of this lectures we published on youtube: HERE and HERE.

Open letter to popular Polish weekly magazine

At the beginning of September one of the most popular conservative weekly magazines in Poland published an article about homeschooling as an alternative for educational revolution in Polish public schools. We have debate about sexual education, promotion of gender ideology in Polish school, books and that article encouraged to thinking about homeschooling as a serious alternative for public education.

There was just one sentence which I didn’t like. The author, who is a Catholic activist, wrote that the biggest group in Poland that educate their children at home because of their  faith and worldview are “fundamentalist protestant cults”. So you can see why a lot Catholics in Poland think that we are cults.

In reaction to that, I wrote an Open Letter to that Magazine and the author of the article, I expressed my gratitude for seeing positive aspect of that education but as a pastor and a parent I had to correct that mistake. I was surprised when magazine published my letter which wasn’t short and the author wrote a public apology under that letter.

We started with our Mission Station 2013

We started with our Mission Station 2013 in the center of Gdansk.
On the picture: "What is the way to heaven?" 
"Bibles for free!"

“Mystery of sex” in Gdansk

24^th of May as Biblical Creational Association we made (with my friend from Baptist Church) a conference “Mystery of sex”. The speaker was dr. Geoff Barnard (University in Cambridge, microbiologist). In the lecture he proved impossibility of spontaneous appearance of the two sexes. 

After the lecture we had discussion (Q & A). Frequency was over our expectations. We had 150 people. A lot of them took of our biulletins and filled in surveys and left contact. We want to start with them Bible Study "In the beginning..." (from Genesis 1-3). dr Barnard finished his lecture with the sentence:  "Charles Darwin is almost dead".  It looks he's right, especially in sceintific circles. 

We thank for that opportunity and good fruits of that work.

A visit to the hospital

One of men which found us thanks to evangelism with Chorale Gaudete – CREC choir – has been in psychiatric hospital with depression for 2 months. When I visited him two ladies (65 and 35) joined us in discussion and asked a lot of question about our beliefs, the church. During the next visit they invited 2-3 more people and we discussed in a small group in one of their rooms. I am conscious of their emotional problems but they are not disabled people, I would say that their problem is also spiritual and they are spiritual hungry people.

 I visit them twice a week, we talk about their challenges, problems, they promised me to visit our church after leaving but the biggest encouragement is praying with these people at the end of every visit. During the first prayer they asked me how to pray? They heard my prayer and then every person said: Maybe I could try. Now it’s your turn. One of them prayed: “Father, I ask you that I can leave this place so I could do a lot of funny but good things and that I can bring chocolate and cigarettes for my friends here”.

:-)

Short Summary of 2012

Last year we had a lot of opportunities for preaching the Gospel, fellowship, witnessing by showing far reaching and practical ramification of the Gospel. The Church is growing slowly but is growing.

Poland is still a very difficult mission field for two reasons:

-         impact of secularism from Western Europe

-         still a strong position of the Roman Catholic Church (95% of Polish people are Catholics)

Summary of 2012

We are grateful to the Lord Jesus for everything which we experienced. Among the many challenges I would like to share with you most important events of last year:

- We continued to homeschool  3 our children (Zuzia 9, Janek 7, Maja 5 years old)

- We changed a few things in our liturgy: lifting up hands during singing Gloria Parti and Lord’s Prayer, singing Doxology after Benediction, three readings instead of two, recitation 1-2 questions and answers from Heidelberg Catechism after Apostle’s (or Nicene) Creed, new melody of singing Psalms in responsive way

- We held regular meetings in Coffee Shops titled “Worldviews among us” (we had a lot of discussions after each presentation)

- Open concerts of our Christian music band

- We held regular open lectures on Reformation and Five Solas at the University of Gdansk

- Summer evangelism at the Old Town where we had our church’s stand ("sketchboard", two tables with free literature, invitations and opportunity for a lot of conversations with people)

- Family Camp in May in the mountains

- Creationism vs Evolutionism Conference (“What Darvin didn’t know?”) with British scientist Andy McIntosh. We had over 80 people attend (besides the people from our church).

- I was involved in an internet public polemic about childrearing with a famous Polish TV star (the program is called: Supernanny). There were almost 600 comments and survey where 65% of people supported necessity of physical discipline (in some situations)

- I wrote an article about homeschooling to a nation wide Polish magazine

- As family we also participate in Royal Rangers ministry. My wife is one of the leaders in Gdansk.

- I was a speaker at the conference for fathers at the Pentecostal Church.

-My blog ministry is bringing a lot of fruit. I have an average of 150 daily readers. It seems that it became one of the more influential “arms” of sharing biblical (reformed) view on reality.

Mission Poland – Photo Documentary Book

I would like to encourage you to buy this book. It's an album with pictures and stories from evangelism in Poland (Poznan, Gdansk) in July 2011. Miwaza Jemimah and Peter Mahar made great job!

Mission Poland - Promo from Miwaza Jemimah on Vimeo.

240 pages
Full color
$32
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/291931

Evangelos Productions
Capture, Expose and Magnify His Glory
evangelos.in

Executive Producer
Peter Mahar
petermahar.com

Photography
Peter Mahar, Miwaza Jemimah

Text
John Prescott Unger

Editing & Layout
Miwaza Jemimah
miwaza.com

Cover Design
Miwaza Jemimah

Contributors
Garry Vanderveen, Jack Phelps, Bogumil Jarmulak, Pawel Bartosik, Bethany Forster

© Evangelos Productions
All rights reserved.

Some words about evangelism

Evangelism is preaching the Gospel to the people. The Gospel is a historical fact, that Jesus came to us, died for our sins, resurrected and now He is king over all creation. The Gospel is proclamation of Kingdom of God and Jesus as King of Kings. It is Good News! The Gospel is not what WE do, it is not our response, it is what GOD did for us. Our response to the Gospel should be living faith.

We believe that all people are sinners in Adam and they need salvation. We also recognize that 95% Polish men are baptized in Roman Catholic Church We treat this baptism as valid and we begin our preaching with recognizing it. It means that: “God requires obedience from you because you are in Covenant with Him. You are in danger of being covenant breaker if you break covenant by unbelieving. The Bible says about bigger punishment for Covenant breakers than for mere atheists outside Covenant. You have to repent and convert to Jesus.” Of course we believe in God’s sovereignty in salvation, we believe in predestination but it is God’s perspective and we don’t inspect who is individually elected from eternity.

One of the best method of growing the church are godly families. God gave us the children as his seed and it is natural way of growing the church. We began evangelism from our family, friends and neighborhood. We treat our children as His children, small disciples of Christ. Healthy families are the beginning of growth of a healthy church.

Of course we go farther and we preach publicly the Gospel at the Old Town of our City (sketchboard, we print our tracts, we make public lectures in bookstore, we use our website, we joined international action “Samaritan Purse” and we gave gift for poor children etc,).

Sketchboard at the Old Town in Gdansk

The first concert

My rock band "Krotka Pilka" at the first public concert (June 16th 2011). It was the last song of our performance - "We are not alone" (Nie jestesmy sami).

Mission Poland - Trailer

Mission Poland - Trailer from Miwaza Jemimah on Vimeo.

Fruit of evangelism with CREC mission team

3-10th of July 2011 we had CREC Mission Team from the USA, Canada and Japan. h They served in Gdansk and in Poznan as ch the choir “Chorale Gaudete”, distributed free in invitations, talked with Polish people. We h had an open evangelism station at the Old o Town where we shared the Gospel with a board and paints (sketchboard), choir, singing, distribution of free literature and talks with those who were interested. Among our publications we had booklets about salvation, family, church, science, religions, abortion, Roman Catholicism, atheism, etc..

Every day in the evening American and Canadian Brothers and Sisters gave choir concerts (with short evangelistic sermon after that) in various places in Gdansk. Pastor Garry Vanderveen from Canada preached at our Sunday Service, pastor Jack Phelps (CREC Presiding minister) served during the Lord’s Supper.

More news, photos and movies from that event you can find at a wonderful website of the two of the participants of this mission – Peter Mahar and Miwaza Jemimah: www.evangelos.in

Fruits of that are 3 people who regularly visit us on Sunday. Thanks God!

CREC Mission Trip to Gdansk

Gdansk - Poland 2011 - Evangelos from Miwaza Jemimah on Vimeo.