Taking it to the street

 

Last weekend I got to join some friends from Warsaw, and we hit the streets of Skoczów, Poland for evangelism. Skoczów is about 17km (or about 10 miles) from Ciesyzn, and it was great to support their efforts. I really loved to watch my friends preach the gospel, sing original music, and reach out to the people in the town. Poland, which is predominantly Catholic, was somewhat preserved from the bombardment of the American gospel due to the iron curtain. The iron curtain kept many things out, good and bad. So having a group of young people preaching the gospel in the streets, is not necessarily a phenomenon, but it isn't as common as it is in the U.S. In the U.S., this is a fairly old technique, and at times may work. It's just that America has been saturated with this type of evangelism since the 1700's, and it doesn't really work for 21st century Americans. Even though the people in Skoczów may have seen this before, it was probably a shock that it was happening in their sleepy little town. People were walking about eating lody (ice cream), carrying their groceries, or walking with friends. The people who did stop to listen were approached, and even prayed for. I watched as some people really allowed these young adults to speak into their lives, or even pray for them.

I was asked to preach, and I had some interesting things happen. First I played a song I wrote called, "Breaking Through the Crowd." It was an instant crowd drawing technique, because I was American. My song was actually Christian, but it sounded as American as can be. That was great, because people in Poland really like America, and they probably didn't understand what I was singing. I bet these people were like, "what is this American girl doing in our town? It's interesting that these group of young people are preaching, but an American?" Then when I finished up, I began to preach the gospel of the Kingdom, and not the gospel of dying and going to heaven. I spoke on living and not dying, and how God wants to do you good! I addressed the issues of what happened with the war, and with communism. How they were free, but on the inside they needed real freedom. The only one who could truly free them was Jesus, and he was ready to do it now (teraz)! During my sermon I had some random guy try to interrupt me, he was distracted by our security guy, and I kept preaching. Then I noticed on the edge of the square, the police were talking with Pastor Roman, the one in charge of this event. He had all the legal stuff in place (I believe), and was dealing with that distraction. I kept preaching. Then someone was either messing with the sound, or (Bill Gilpin would love this) the sound demons started to manifest. The sound went off completely, my interpreter (Gabby) and I kept preaching. I didn't miss a beat, I began yelling like I was at a George Whitefield revival service. My interpreter followed my lead, and we kept preaching. As soon as the sound kicked back on I finished, and began to look for the softest person on the street I could find.

I had seen this 23 year old guy sitting on a bench, and he was the there the entire time listening. He had on dark sunglasses, and headphones. I could tell he wasn't listening to music, he was listening to what we were saying. I normally don't prefer to single guys out without another guy, but I didn't have time to go there. I grabbed my friend Natalia T., and explained what I felt we needed to do. I felt on the inside we needed to pray for him. So we walked over there, and began to talk with him. I didn't use any religious words, but treated him like a human being. Jesus did the same thing when he spoke with the woman at the well (John 4). I introduced myself, and began to ask questions about him. He told me his name, that he was from Skoczów, and that he used to go to church. He got hurt in church, and you know the rest. His heart was very soft, and he was touched by what had been spoken. I asked if we could pray for him, and he said yes. He took off his sunglasses, and stared me down. I took off my sunglasses, and stared right back. Then I began to pray with power, and watched God begin to touch this young man. I prayed over his finances, his family, and asked God to fill him with life. I don't think he was expecting in a million years for this to happen in his life. I didn't lay a finger on him, but was very careful in every aspect. I invited him to come visit either Pastor Roman's church, or ours in Ciesyzn. He was very open, and he was very touched.

Not only did I get a chance to meet this young man, but I also got a chance to meet several youth girls who happened to be walking about. Being an American in Poland is paying off in a great way, because it's natural for them to open the door to the conversation. "What are you doing in Poland?" Basically, you're not in Paris, Rome, or London...why here? That my friends is an easy open door for anyone looking to share some good news. I shared why I was in Poland, how much I love all  things Polish, and how great it was to meet them. These girls had fun talking with us, and walked away pretty happy. It was a win win sort of day, as we all worked together pushing towards the same goal: touching lives!

I'm really proud of these guys from Warsaw, who are being sent out all over Poland to do these outreach events. They're not even doing it for themselves, nor for their own church. They sacrificed their time to support other Churches of Glory, and they did it wilth an excellent spirit. They were there early, they were organized, and they worked in unity. There was a good anointing on the event, and it went without a hitch. Yes, opposition was trying to do its thing, but nothing came of it. The group from Warsaw left town later that day, leaving a trail of goodness behind them. I walked away learning a lot about what can be done in the region I'm in. It may seem like the people are hard, due to the old Polish religion. However, I saw that people were open, and there is a harvest available.

Here are a few keys I have learned for effective evangelism that 

work in the U.S., and in Poland.

1. Use as few religious words as possible
2. Make the most of every opportunity
3. No one can refute your testimony
4. Pray in advance for discernment, and ask to be led by the Holy Spirit
5. Pray against opposition, and ask for uninterrupted opportunities with people
6. Have testimonies in the back of your head 
7. Be ready for anything (pray, sing, preach, speak, healing...whatever)
8. You're always in season...no matter what
9. At the end of the day, they are people, just strike up a conversion, and be real
10. Meet people where they are at, don't be churchy...be a real person. 
     

Weekend in Warsaw

This past weekend ended very successfully in many ways. God is doing a new thing at Church of Glory Warsaw, and we're seeing an increase of the 'fire of God' breaking out in our services. Both the Friday and Sunday morning services were marked by God's power, and presence. People are getting freer to respond to God, and allowing their hunger to be put on display. God is always attracted to those who come in hungry for him, and who draw near to him. He can't resist and hold back his presence, when his people are pursing him with all their hearts. That was very evident in our Sunday morning service. There was freedom as we began pre-service prayer (the prayer prior to service), and you could feel us soaring to a new level. Worship started off with joy and strength, and Pastor Ula did a marvelous job of exhorting the group to really give their all. I'm very proud of her, because she is allowing herself to go to new levels as a leader. Twice this past weekend she jumped off the platform to be with the people. She encouraged us Friday night to cry out for more of God, and Sunday morning she rallied us to not let the 'rocks' out praise us. This is a new thing, and a demonstration of God liberating his people to a new level. On Sunday morning, as the prayer warriors were released to set the captives free, the fire of God broke out in the room. I stood in front of a group of people, and released God's presence on the spot...just like I've seen Pastor Kathy Gray. Sure enough, the presence of God swept over the group like a wave. At one point Pastor Marcin grabbed my hand, and I thought we were going to pray for a young man together, but I ended up crumbling on the floor...knocked down by God's power. 
Towards the end of the service, I was asked to come into the children's ministry to lead a few songs, and to see what God would do with the kids. The children did an amazing job of worshiping with strength, and anointing. I can say that these kids are not the same, and they too are allowing themselves to go to a new place in God. After we worshiped for a bit, God began to draw near to the kids. My friend Gabby and I went and prayed for the fire of God to touch each child. Children began to fall out in God's presence, or stood receiving his goodness. It was a powerful time, and the children were very touched.


As we continue to cry out for revival in Poland, we're asking that God start with his church first. That God begin to awaken the leaders to their full potential to lead. That both leaders and the people rally together in prayer and intercession. Also, that both the leaders and the people allow God burn in them personally. How can we have a Polish revival, if the people of God are not revived to be carriers of it? As God continues to stir things up in Warsaw, may the people begin to strike the match against their own hearts. Before we can do anything in any other city, we must (in Warsaw) allow God to strike our own hearts and lives with his holy fire. Once God has a people moving in unity, all crying out for the fire of God, it is just a matter of time, before heaven opens up, and he himself comes down. That is exactly what is missing in Poland, and what the people don't even know they need. 


Our Fishing youth service on Saturday went absolutely perfect! There was a great anointing on the Fishing worship team, and they are really beginning to step up. We did have a situation with some visiting teens, who had never really been to a service like ours. It put them in a crisis, and it was good for our teens to experience this. God is raising them up to be carriers of revival, and those who are burning with the fire of revival. They themselves had to make a choice, "am I going to be who I'm supposed to be...despite the fact that these other youth are being a distraction? Am I going to cower to the pressure to not worship Jesus? Or, am I going to give Jesus my best, and fight for his honor?" I'm happy to stay our bunch of youth chose to honor Jesus in his house. In the end, it wasn't the adults who pushed things that didn't belong out of the room, it was the youth themselves. To my knowledge they had never done anything like this before. They each took bold steps to honor God with their own words. They each grabbed the microphone, and fought for God. I and the other youth leaders couldn't have been more proud of the big steps they took. I spoke on "The Secret Life," and how we need to watch what we do in secret. If we do 'dark' things in secret as a Christian, it will be brought to the light. It will be brought to the light when you're not expecting it, and it can put a person in bondage. I said that it was ok to have a private life, however would our parents be ashamed if they knew some of the things we did in private/secret? When the Word had been preached, I grabbed the youth leader, Aneta and began to speak over her. I knew that God wants to raise her up to a higher level, and be an influence on the teens of Poland. Then I gave a call to respond to the message, and only one youth was able to break free from the crowd. The other youth are not yet used to being responders yet, so I boldly asked why only one person responded. Once they realized that they could respond, they did. I went for the hungriest kid I could find, a young man. At first he seemed stiff, but I prayed the word 'break' over him. That he would break and yield to the Holy Spirit. Within moments, he let his guard down, and allowed the Holy Spirit to go deep inside. Tears began to fall on his face, and in a moment he was caught up in the very presence of God. The girls and boys of the group surrendered their lives to the Holy Spirit, and began to allow God to do a deep work. In the end, the adults gathered together, and allowed God to work on us too. 


If God can set the hearts of the youth, children, and adults on fire in this church, and other churches in Poland. There is a great potential for a major move of God for this nation. I'm not talking about a few fires here and there. A revival that will shake the nation, so that it is never the same again. A revival that will set people free from the bondage of religion that doesn't work. Religion from American that has already put young people in Poland into the same bondage that is experienced in the pews/home groups of America. Sad to say, but it is true. A revival that will deal with the corruption of the government and the economic system. A revival that will deal with the leaders and the people, so that God's Kingdom reigns in his church, and not the kingdom of the world. I'm a firm believer in the church of Poland arising, and a revival that will empower the change. Based upon what I've been experiencing in Cieszyn and Warsaw, I'm seeing God breathe on his people, and he is raising up an army to get the job done. I personally would not want to be  one who saw what was happening, and decided not to be involved. 

#Wearewarriors#historymakers#nationshakers

Poland ARISE

Summer Happenings in Cieszyn

I wanted to give a quick update on life in Cieszyn, and how things are going in the church here. The church in Cieszyn is going to a very deep place in God, and it came with a price tag. They have been constantly digging in for more of God, and allowing themselves to change. In the past two weeks, I personally have been refreshed attending their services, and have seen God demonstrate his power. The worship has gone to a whole new level, and it is Pastor Gosia who is leading the way. God is doing something in this small Polish church, it is the beginnings of revival. Our next big step though is going to be outreach, and increase in every level possible. We are looking at getting into a new building shortly, and that will bring much needed change. People will be able to find the church more easily, and there will be room for growth. No more lack, no more smallness, no more limits, no more holding back. Our word and theme for the summer is INCREASE. We are believing for increase in  every level of our lives, and that is a different way of thinking here in Poland. Because of what happened in their history, and an overall defeat mentality, increase is a hard word to grasp sometimes. Fortunately that is God's will and desire not only for this church, but for the people of Poland. He wants to increase them, and raise up a new generation that walks in the fullness of prosperity.

In our situation of getting a new building, it is a faith move. Thankfully we have a faithful God who is our supplier, so depending on ourselves will not be enough. We are to depend on God, trust Him, and keep pressing forward. We are expecting more people to come, and we are making preparations. I'm excited to say that our Facebook fan page has received a lot of continual traffic, and that has been a good to get the word out about our church here. Other Churches of Glory and similar groups [associated with Church of Glory] are doing the same, and it is helping to build community amongst us. These are exciting times in Poland, because God's Kingdom is finally able to be established in the way He wants it. It's starting like a mustard seed, but eventually it will take over everything. His Kingdom knows no end, and the kingdom of darkness is fading daily in this land.

In other news HUA, one of Pastor Kathy Gray's books is currently being translated into Polish, along with the work book that accompanies it. Plans are already being made to start the first HUA women's group this September. Pastor Gosia and some of her ladies will be leading that, and they won't be the same when it is done. I'm hoping to do a similar group up in Warsaw, with Pastor Marcin's permission. I want to do it, because it builds and strengthen's the people. It will revolutionize them, and mobilize them to a higher calling. Another project I have in the works is re-recording Kids Ablaze! Hearts on Fire in Polish!!! So, I'll be working on finishing the rest of the translations for that CD, and getting the pieces in place for that recording. I can't wait to see the looks on the faces of the kids at World Revival Church when they hear their CD in Polish!

This weekend I head up to Warsaw for another youth meeting, and I'm expecting God to move in a very powerful way. I really care about these youth, and know that God has something special in store for each of them. Please join me in praying for them, and for their service on Saturday!

Back in the saddle again-Cieszyn

Closing My Chapter in Warsaw

Here's a shout out to the Fishing Worship Team

Kamil B., Syzmon H., Szymon P., and Filip S.

My friend Jill's mom said that she had a dream, and that she saw me walking into Poland with my guns blazing. That is pretty much a good description of what I've been experiencing since I came back in December. This past week I concluded my first term in Warsaw. I saw God do a lot while I was there, and even in the past few weeks things have been intensifying. On Saturday I had my fourth youth service, and it was our best one yet. The worship team, which is all youth, did an incredible job. They are pretty much musical genius', and now it's time to draw out what has been stored on the inside. It's time for the spiritual to match the musical. These guys have grown up in Pastor Marcin's church for years, and have a lot stored in them. I know as the summer continues, they will continue to arise, and become the leaders they were always meant to be. I preached on rejection, loving the spirit of the world, and being a gatherer. That is the standard we want to set for our youth groups. We want to have a youth group where the kids actually want to be there, because they want God. They are so touched by God, that they can handle gathering others to God's presence. They are so changed by the encounter they've had with God, that they can handle gathering others into their very lives.
Another great report I wanted to share is what happened in the kids ministry on Sunday morning. While the fire of God was being released in the adult service, God was touching our children in their 'Kids in Action' ministry. For those of you who are new to Poland Arise, we raised up a new children's program on Sunday mornings for kids, ages 5-11. Kids in Action is about raising up kids to do the works of the ministry. They're being trained how to preach, speak, sing, and how to honor God in his house. How to live out being a Christian in Poland. The children in this group are amazing, and have such soft hearts. I heard about how God came down amongst these children, and how they responded to him. Some collapsed on the floor under the presence of God. Some cried tears of freedom, and some kids spoke under the anointing of God. This is now the new norm for this kids ministry, and they are taking ownership of it.

 Back with Pastor Gosia, and Michael our guitarist

Cieszyn
Tuesday I traveled down to Ciesyzn to spend the summer with this group. I hadn't seen them since I was with Pastor/Prophet Nobin Samson. Even at that trip I saw the standard had been raised incredibly, and the people took ownership of what they had been taught. When I stepped into the church this evening, there was a familiar presence I felt from the beginning. It was like stepping back into my church in Kansas City, except...it was in Poland. The worship was phenominal, and the people moved in unity. The people were completely surrendered to whatever God wanted to do, and they prayed with power. This was not the same group of people I encountered when I came to Poland. I was so impressed with every aspect of the service, and how deep the presence of God moved amongst them. They have dug for months, not relenting, and paid a price. This was not cheap for them, and they treasured the presence of God. If this was tonight's service, I can only imagine what tomorrow night is going to be like. I'm already expecting something very powerful, and can tell this is going to be a great summer. 

While in Ciesyzn I'll be finishing up several projects, and preparing for the projects I'll have up in Warsaw. I'll be doing two youth services, a youth camp, and strategizing some