Polygamy "is next logical step"

Polygamy "is next logical step", says Dutch same-sex marriages campaigner. More HERE.

"Homeschooling as alternative for contemporary school" in Gdansk

On Saturday (9th of March) we had the conference "Homeschooling as alternative for contemporary school" in Gdansk. It was great time. 35-40 people participated in that but  150 people also listened and watched it online thanks live transmission.

We had 4 lectures:

Pawel Bartosik - "Homeschooling as educational opportunity in Poland"

Andrzej Polaszek - "Homeschooling in Polish law"

dr Agata Hofman - "Homeschooling in practice"

Jaroslaw Pietrzak - "Christian School as place of support for homeschoolers"

After the lectures we had 1,5 hours of discussion (Q & A).

HERE you can see more pictures.

Three Baptisms

On our Church profile on Facebook you can see the pictures from joyful event which we had last Sunday: three baptisms and membership Magda's household. If you don't have account on Facebook, please click HERE.

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”.

:-)

Summer Mission to Gdansk

Short presentation Peter Mahar's about Gdansk as mission field.

 
 Evangelos from Miwaza Jemimah on Vimeo.

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.

Public polemic with TV Supernanny

One of the famous Polish TV Show Star: “Supernanny” – Dorota Zawadzka criticized on her Facebook profile an article by  Doug Wilson about spanking which had been published on the website of our quaterly magazine “Reformacja w Polsce” and our church website (translation from Credenda Agenda). I wrote a response to that on my blog. 

The most popular web-service in Gdansk, Sopot, Gdynia (3 cities close to themselfes) published an article on their main page about the debate of “TV supernany and pasor from Gdansk”. I was surprised that most of 520 commentaries supported my view on discipline and childrearing. Alost 1600 people voted in the survey under the articles. 67% of them agreed with biblical view on spanking. Amazing.

I think it was very profitable thing because a lot of people in Poland are afraid to say what they think because of government legislation that’s been issued some months ago which defines spanking as a civil crime (violence). Thanks God it is not illegal to share publicly different worldview than Polish government. This is why that discussion was very important and necessary. 

Here is the link to that article.

Lent CREC Devotions 2013

Uri Brito informs at his blog that through the labors of Pastor Steve Hemmeke, the CREC is making available a Lenten Devotional for personal and family use. The PDF version can be found here: Lent CREC Devotions 2013 

Among contributors you can find Steve Wilkins, Todd Davis, Duane Garner, Randy Booth, Brian L. Penney, Ben House, Gregg Strawbridge.

I also wrote one of the devotionals.

 Each devotional ends with an application and/or prayer, which is often on the following page, after the name of the author. There are three devotionals for each week, and six for holy week.

About our homeschooling in popular Polish magazine

We debuted in the illustrated popular in Poland magazine for women :) It is a special edition "Moment for You". In the new issue they published an article (and pictures) about our family in the context of our homeschooling. This is actually my wife's Jola interesting story on this subject, which (according to the idea of the editor) starts with our engagement 11 years ago :-)

I published some photos below. Homeschooling in Poland is still something exotic but every year more and more families decide to live this way. In March 2013 we want to make a conference about Christian education and Christian homeschooling in the place of our Services. Please pray for that project and development of Christian education in Gdansk and in Poland.

Restoring fatherhood

Last Saturday I participated in the conference in Pentecostal Church about fatherhood and conversations went good. I had two lectures: 1." What God the Father is Like" and 2."Imitating the Father". 

There were 35-40 men, fathers, most of them between 30-50. I printed for them few articles about biblical parenting. All of them disappeared :-) It was great opportunity!

From January 2013 I want to start and develop regular monthly ministry for families in Gdansk (on the first Saturday of each month). It will be the lectures and seminars for husbands, wifes, fathers and mothers from our town (Gdansk has half million people) about: - fatherhood - motherhood - marriage - childrearing, Christian education etc. - biblical model of masculinity and femininity - masculinity and femininity in the church and in the culture.

In March 2013 we're going to make a conference (with few speakers) about Christian homeschooling and we want to invite all Christian churches from Gdansk, Sopot and Gdynia (3 cities close to themself). All of the lectures will be recorded and publish on our church website, my blog (pbartosik.pl) and youtube.

 If you have any advices, suggestions which could be helpful please feel free to share with me. I would appreciate it. I ask you for praying for that ministry. Restoring marriage and family (especially fatherhood) is big, contemporary challenge in our country.

Pictures from the conference:

We have to looking for another place for Services

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Headmaster of primary school where we have rented a chapel for 6 years told me that they don't want to give us this place for rent for the next school year. She didn't want to explain me reasons honestly ("I have no duty to say you about reasons" - probably you know that kind of excuses). A lot of signs on the sky and earth seem to say she did it because of pressure of a priest, nuns and catholic parents who don't like the presence of protestants in public school anymore. Also our conferences, my debates and articles in local websites and newspapers could "help" her to make the decision (evolutionism, childrearing etc.).

Last Sunday we met in our flat. We're going do it again next Sunday. But we are looking for another place. BTW, it is my prayer request - if you could please pray for a new, good room for our Sunday Services (for our financial capabilities with good location). Thank you.

Mitt Romney in Gdansk

Look at these pictures:

http://galeria.trojmiasto.pl/-360752.html?id_news=60553&pozycja=0#foto

Mitt Romney visited our town (Gdansk). He met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Solidarity Movement leader from 80's Lech Walesa (and former Polish President) and President of Gdansk - Pawel Adamowicz. They were very close to our Evangelism Station where we had publications for Mitt about God's plan for marriage, sufficency of the Bible and application of God's law in contemporary democrats. Unfortnatelly there was no chance for sharing it with him  :) 

See also that picture from lewrockwell.com (thanks to Brian Penney for sharing it with me):

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/117046.html

Blessings,

Pawel

My biography and spiritual journey

About me and my spiritual journey

My name is Pawel Bartosik. I was born in Gorzow Wielkopolski (the city at the West of Poland, close to the German border) in 1977 where I lived for 19 years. Now I live with my wife and 8 years old daughter Zuzia, 6 year old son - Janek and Maja who is 4. From many years we live in Gdansk. I met my wife (Jola) at the Conference with pastor Dennis Tuuri (Reformation Covenant Church in Portland, OR, USA) in Lezyce (Poland) in May 2001. We have been married the 5th of October 2002.

My parents are Roman Catholics (as well as my wife's). I was baptized in infancy in Roman Catholic Church. When I was in high school I met believers of ISKCON (Hare Krishna Movement). For 2 years I visited their meetings, I was a vegetarian and I believed in reincarnation, karma and that Krishna and Yahweh are one and the same God. But thanks God I didn't decide to be a formal member of this Movement. I left the circle of these people after my visit in the Temple of Hare Krishna in Wroclaw. I met there a Guru form the USA (there are 12 Gurus in the world after the death of Srila Prabhupada and all are Americans J ). I saw idolatry and big pressure on me and all members.

After this event I became a zealous Catholic. I used to attend an evening mass 3 or 4 times a week. My neighbor and I used to go to the meetings of small charismatic group of teenagers in the Catholic Church.

When I was in the last class of high school I decided to take the entrance exams to the Academy of Catholic Theology in Warsaw. I wanted to be a teacher of Catholic religion or do something in my Church (but I didn't want to be a priest).

My conversion to Lord Jesus

I began my studies in Warsaw on the 1st of October 1996. In December on my way to play basketball I met 2 missionaries from the US. One of them preached in Polish at the street and the second one gave out tracts about salvation in Jesus Christ. I heard a the sermon of the first guy and today I remember that he said that salvation if a gift, not payment. And it is given by faith in Jesus. And that everyone who believes in the name of Jesus – can be sure of salvation. It was something new for me. As a Catholic I thought that I had to give something to God as a condition of my salvation. They encouraged me to read the Bible (Gospel of John and the Epistle to Romans) and highlight the verses where the authors say about justification and eternal life. Then I started meeting these 2 missionaries in Pizza-Hut and other restaurants and we talked about the Bible and basics of faith while drinking milk.

December '96 was the time of my conversion to Jesus. I saw my sin and consequences of it. Thanks to God's grace I saw that the only rescue is in the sacrifice of Jesus at the cross and His resurrection. He opened my eyes and He forgave my sins. I attended the church of these Americans and Polish Brethren. Some months later it appeared that Church of this missionaries is modalistic and these Americans believe not only in One God who plays three roles (heresy of Sabelianism, Modalism) but they are "King James Only" believers. In their opinion only Gdanska Bible (old Polish Bible) is inspired translation which they have read at the Services. But God used them to show me that Jesus is the only way to heaven.

Our church in Gdansk

Evangelical Reformed Church is a congregation of the Lord's people in Gdansk. We are the mission church of Evangelical Reformed Church in Wroclaw. We started our ministry from 3rd of April when all the elders from Wroclaw officially and publicly (during Sunday Service) sent me to the mission work in Gdansk. One week later we started our services (10th of April 2005).

Our congregation was a result of our studies on covenant theology. What greatly influenced our convictions were books, articles, discussions with reformed pastors and authors (Greg Bahnsen, Francis Schaeffer, Gregg Strawbridge, Douglas Wilson, Randy Booth, Ralph Smith, Larry Ball, Tim Gallant, Mark Horne, Gerry Wisz, Robert S. and G. Rayburns and Reformed pastors from Poland). 

We are a Christian Church whose Head is the Lord Jesus Christ. According to the Scripture and Apostolic Church God gathers us on the Lord's Day (Sunday) for worship and to celebrate the Lord's Victory over sin and death. Our ministry goal is to bring glory to the Triune God – The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit

As a Covenant Community we are called to submit to the Lord every area of life - our worship, life of our families, education, art, economy etc.

We believe that the Holy Scripture is the only one authority (Sola Scriptura). God says to us clearly by every word from 66 books of the Bible.

Our conviction is that the Bible teaches that we are saved by God's "grace alone" (Sola Gratia), through "faith alone" (Sola Fide), because of the finished work of "Christ alone" (Solus Christus). From beginning to end, our salvation is the result of the work of God alone (Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5).

Although our church is very young (and small) the doctrines and convictions of Evangelical Reformed Church in Gdansk are based on historic Protestant orthodoxy as best summarized in the historic Christian creeds (Apostolic, Nicene Creed, Chalcedon) and the reformed confessions (Westminster Standards, Three Forms of Unity).

By His grace and for His glory we are committed to loving one another and our neighbors at home and around the world by proclaiming the gospel to the ends of the earth, making Christian disciples of all families and nations.

We pray to our God for possibilities to preach the gospel in Gdansk and growth of His church and spreading reformed faith here.

If you would like to join us as our partner in our efforts – that would be great! Please contact with us.

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.