Wszystko jest nowe=Everything is New

Pastor Sławek preaching for the first time in his new church last Sunday.

Wow, I just got home from our second corporate prayer night in the new building. Everything is almost complete, and put together. People have been working day in and day out, to make sure everything is in place. We had an extra band practice to work with the new sound system, emptied out the old building, and the children's rooms were finally completed. Plus, behind the scenes several of us are working on things for the Real Life youth/young adult event, that is happening this Saturday. Let's just say things have been a bit busy this week, and it has been so satisfying. I love watching the people of this church work together in unity, and each person is worth their weight in gold. Even the street that I live on was repaved, and it needed it badly. Wszystko jest nowe=Everything is New! This is a season of newness, and of harvest! After being in the trenches, and praying for increase...this was worth it all. When we gathered tonight, Pastor Gosia was there early preparing to help lead prayer, and the rest of us started band practice. Earlier this week I was busy updating the worship books, and that is a project. I have deep respect for those who do that kind of ministry, because having a worship book in order is a big deal. I added new songs, updated old ones, and put everything in sync. As we went through the songs, with the updated worship books, you could feel that tonight was going to be different. There was a feeling of freedom, depth, and newness. As people began to arrive, the new five minute countdown played on the big screen. The room was filled with anticipation, as we waited for the service to begin. With everything being so new, it feels that nothing is impossible for us. I guess it is because we are on God's side, and He is on ours. If He is for us, then truly nothing is impossible.

I got up to the piano, felt the atmosphere, and knew my first song wasn't going to work. Something had shifted, and we needed to go to a different place in prayer. Pastor Sławek grabbed the mic, and began to get us focused. As worship started, immediately people began to press into God's presence. New inspired songs came forth, new melodies, new freedom, and new strength filled the night. I saw a year's worth of training kick into high gear all night long. The people pushed with all their strength, moved in the power of all, and dug deep. I also saw the pastors enjoying themselves, going deeper, and stepping into a new level of freedom. Both of them helped lead prayer tonight, and both of them prayed with a new authority. I could feel them arising, and I could feel them going to a higher level. The response of the people to prayer was also outstanding. The people were able to sense where God was moving, and followed his lead. When it was time to go to war, they arose with strength. When it was time to cry out for more, they got on their face.

As we head into the weekend, we have two groups coming to join us. We have a group of youth coming from Tarnów, Poland, and a group from the Warsaw church. Both groups are coming to attend the Real Life event on Saturday, and help with the evangelism event we are having. The evangelism event will have a drama, youth reaching out to youth, live music by the Fishing Band, and street preaching. Later on in the evening we will do Real Life, with a youth band, and yours truly preaching with Patrycja. This next week also marks my final week in Cieszyn, and eight months in Poland. Whoa, time flew this summer. I'll be transitioning back up to Warsaw next Friday, and will be joining Pastor Marcin's group until December.

Below I've included some before and after pictures of the main sanctuary. Once the children's rooms have been fully decorated, I'll post those at some point. I love before and after pictures, and yes, I'm one of those people who enjoys HGTV. There is something so special about turning something old, into something new. Or replacing something that doesn't work, with something that does. Something new brings excitement to life, and releases the power of goodness. I know that watching a building transform into something special is great, but watching it happen in a person's life is much greater. This is just the beginning, and they will see for themselves the goodness of transformed lives. You know what, it's not too far in the distance. Get ready Church of Glory, the newness is only going to increase!

To The Faithful

Yesterday morning, those who could came to the new church building to help clean. The remodeling was almost complete, and now it was time to get the room ready for a service. All day long several different crews worked around the clock. We had a team of professional technicians who were installing the brand new sound system, microphones, and wires. Did I just say new sound system? Yes! Someone gifted Church of Glory-Cieszyn with a brand new sound system. Wait, that’s not all! They were also gifted with a fancy lighting system that makes the stage look like you’re at a rock concert. So that group of guys, worked extremely hard on setting up all the technical things. Those lights you see hanging (from the pictures I provided), were taken down, and replaced by brand new tube lighting. There was new carpeting, new drapes, a new stage, and the loft was remodeled as well. The projector was set, and the computer was hooked up. Upstairs, there was a contractor team remodeling the children’s rooms. I got to walk through, and soon those rooms will be filled with the Light Kids ministry. Then there were the gardeners and the cleaners!!! 

 Yes, that would be those of us who came to get God’s house into ship shape. We washed windows, cleaned bathrooms, and were available to do just about anything. I got to do some serious gardening outside with many helpers, and the landscaping looks so much better. I took a break to work on sound checks, and the others stayed outside to tame the landscaping. At the end of the day, we sat in the sanctuary totally exhausted, but totally satisfied. We spent the entire day pouring ourselves out on the house of God, and loved every moment of it. We loved being together, and getting to know one another better. We had fun working together, and watching the building transform in a matter of hours. Everyone working in unity, peace between us, working towards one goal; the power of all in action.

 

I was about to go home to freshen up when Szymon Polok showed me it was 6pm. That meant band practice had started, and we were going to do it in our work clothes. As 7pm rolled in, so did the rest of the church members. Many of them hadn’t been in the building yet. The expressions were priceless, because they were overwhelmed by how great everything looked. The church was completely ready for our Thursday night corporate prayer service. As we took to the stage, Pastor Sławek grabbed the mic, and initiated the first service in the new building. There was a new level of freedom, and anointing. The prayer warriors took the mic, one at a time, and pushed with all their strength. At one point, I looked up towards the ceiling, and began to sing in English. “The enemy has been defeated, death couldn’t hold you down.” This was a moment of celebration for the faithful. Everything that had been thrown at us, laid behind us ineffective. Things meant for our distraction and destruction, God himself overturned. This small group of Polish warriors had proven themselves to be faithful. Faithful in giving, faithful in attending, faithful in allowing themselves to change, faithful in learning.

God is a rewarder, and boy did I see that when I went to London. So when I worked around this building yesterday, it hit me all over again. This had the same feeling of it being a reward, and answered prayer. This was a reward to the pastors and their people, and a promise of things yet to come. We prayed for increase and people for a year, and this was an answer to that. This building is such an upgrade in so many ways, and I do believe that God is going to fill it with people who are hungry. I spoke with Patrycja yesterday and she mentioned something very important. She realizes that this is very precious, and they (as a congregation) must continue to pursue revival. They must take it seriously, and guard it. I have no doubt that this group will continue to pursue God, to establish His honor in His house, and guard what He has established. To me they have proven that it is possible, and they have proven themselves faithful. This is just the beginning, and the best is yet to come.

The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hand he has rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I am not guilty of turning from my God. 22 All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.23 I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. 24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

(Psalms 18:20-24 NIV)

The Power of Answered Prayer-CIESZYN

This week marks a one year anniversary of when I very first came to Poland. So much has changed in a year, so much was done, and so much still needs to be done. It's incredible to think that the reason we have accomplished so much, is because of prayer! Yes, we physically did the leg work, we had training, we preached, we instructed during worship, we dug in, we paid a price, and we fought for what was right. I know for a fact though who really deserves a huge thanks, and that's God Himself. He has backed up this adventure from the very beginning, and I stand amazed at what He has done thus far. I know that the reason we have been able to accomplish so much, has literally been because of people praying. There is a group of friends that receive the prayer newsletter, and faithfully pray for what is happening in Poland. By the way, anyone can subscribe, it's not exclusive by any means. There is the group of children and adults, in the Firehouse elementary ministry of World Revival Church, that support us here in prayer. Many people have all been a part of pushing at some point this year in prayer for the church in Cieszyn and in Warsaw. I can say without a doubt, your prayers have made all the difference.

I come from a church culture that honors leadership, and honors pastors. That is something I've had in my heart since I was a little girl. When I came to my church in Kansas City, I met Pastor Steve who has the most incredible heart for ministry leaders. This is almost unheard of in most American churches, and sad to say in Polish churches as well. He himself had gone through hard things as a pastor, and has such a compassion for people in the ministry. Obviously, he set a standard in our church culture to be honorable towards those in the ministry. When people, such as pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and so forth come to our church, they are blown away by our treatment of leadership. Most do not receive this type of treatment in their own places of worship, though it is very biblical to do so. Of course, this is so deep in me, that I can't help but want to honor the pastors here in Poland. It is my heart that they, the pastors in Cieszyn arise in every area of their lives, and start operating in the goodness of God. I'm not preaching this to them personally, I'm simply living the lifestyle I came from. It's a different attitude, and a different standard. It is absolutely right, and living like this enables these ministry leaders to arise all the more.

As I came back to Cieszyn in the beginning of July, I knew the word for the church there was "upgrade." Especially an upgrade for the pastors in every area of their lives.  It was my greatest desire that as they were moving forward in revival, that they would begin to enjoy the benefits of their sowing. To me it is absolutely right for those who are in the ministry to enjoy the blessings of the labor. The bible talks about 'double honor,' and that is like a foreign concept in Poland. I think people are aware of it, but it's rare to see it actually in operation. This is a piece of revival/Kingdom culture I want to cultivate here in Poland. I wanted to see the pastors in Cieszyn personally blessed, and I wanted to see them enter a breakthrough in their ministry. They have faithfully served in this area for over a decade, and have a right 'spirit.' When I heard that they landed a building in Cieszyn, and all that it came with, I was ecstatic. This was major answered prayer for them, and their ministry here in this area of Poland. It means increase, growth, and upgrade. It is exactly what they've needed for a long time, and now they are ready to start a new chapter in their lives.  They have brand new kids ministries, phenomenal corporate prayer on Thursday nights, anointed worship, original songs, and faithful people. The people of this church are treasures, and it's time for new treasures to be added to group.


It was incredible to stand on the stage, where the band will be in a few weeks. I overlooked the renovation with Pastor Gosia, and realized I was standing on answered prayer. I could only imagine what was passing through Pastor Gosia's mind as she surveyed the interior of her new church. The power of answered prayer nullifies every doubt, unbelieving thing, and every negative word. Despite the opposition we faced on a weekly basis sometimes, the victory of answered prayer overshadowed everything. It showed that there is a God in Poland, and He is on the move. If He can do this for these pastors, it's a prophecy for other pastors in Poland. It's a power that will give them hope for their ministry, and for their community. Every time there is answered prayer of any kind, it is proof that the Kingdom of God is at work. It is proof that hope, faith, the Word of God, the promises of God are for us today. It is international, and it doesn't matter how 'hard' the spiritual climate is in a particular area. So major congratulations to Senior Pastors Sławek and Gosia, and to God. Major thanks also to Pastors Steve and Kathy for allowing me to come to Poland, and witness for myself the power of answered prayer!

Standing on the platform facing the direction of the loft, and where the congregation will be seated.

The garden area outside of the church

Pastor Gosia surveying the remolding of her new church building

A view from the loft area. The media group will function from this location.

Summer Camp 2015

 I remember when I was twelve years old, and I attended my first youth camp in Northern California. It was there I had one of my first encounters with the living God, and took some big steps to breakthrough beyond my religious limitations. All during my youth I had other opportunities to attend other summer camps, and had many more encounters with God. The camps did not make me a perfect person, but what took place at those camps put a deposit in my life. It was at those camps that I discovered I was called to do something great for God. I always held onto those experiences on the inside, and never knew how exactly things would unfold. Years later I had the privilege of being a speaker at a youth camp. I knew that some of the kids were not 'Christian,' and some of them even came from very difficult home situations. This camp for them was a chance to escape from life for a week, and have their own encounter with God. Without giving a spoiler alert, I just want to say that by the time I left on Sunday, these kids were not the same.

The week started off with some 'character building' situations, and the week would (in my book) be also known as character camp. You could ask each one of the youth that came if they had a funny story from camp, and each one would have multiple stories. The group that came from Warsaw had bus 'issues,' and mechanics are closed on Sundays in Poland. Thankfully someone on the bus was a Polish MacGyver, and they rigged the bus to get it back on the road. Eventually they made it, and we were altogether at last. We found out the place where we were staying was having 'water issues,' and the water would be shut off for two nights in a row. No shower, no problem! Also, I know this is not 'significant' but I always managed to locate a place to have a real latte almost everyday. That was very important to my survival. I could go on and on about all the funny things that happened at our camp. Maybe some of my English speaking youth could notate in the comments some of their stories. Anyways, I realized that you have to be a tough American missionary to go to this youth camp. It was not for sissy's, and I'm thankful I grew up camping my whole life. We all overcame, we all had shalom, and we all had a great time!

On our first official gathering Monday morning, I took a good look at all the youth. Some I already knew from Warsaw, and had built relationship with while I lived up there. There were several new faces to the group, and I was looking forward to getting to know them better over the week. I saw kids who were never taught how to worship God, or had really even encountered him. There were kids who weren't even Christians, but their parents let them come to our camp. So overall, there was an interesting mix of personalities and levels of experience represented amongst these guys. I knew the major thing that needed to happen this week was "RELATIONSHIP BUILDING." They didn't necessarily need a sermon, they needed people to care about them and live it. Each day built upon the other, and I saw kids change right before my eyes. Each morning they received training on prayer, and got a chance to stretch themselves. I saw how each day they took deeper and deeper steps into doing things to get closer to God.  I don't even know if they realized how quickly they were changing.

Our evening services turned out to be very powerful with anointed teaching. Monday night, our leader Aneta Szuba had a great teaching on choosing life. She had a Power Point that had several well known famous people who had died in their prime. Some of them at one point had gone to church, but chose a different path for their lives. In the end, their choices caught up with them, and their lives ended tragically. You could feel God moving in the room, convicting and touching hearts. In the first call for a response to prayer, the majority of the youth responded. Some held back because they had never experienced a response to prayer. They stood and watched the others receive powerful touches from God. It was ok for them just to look, and be in the moment. As the week progressed, the ones who held back were the ones who received big breakthroughs.

Tuesday night I had the opportunity to speak, and talked about knowing God. I spoke about the difference of knowing about God, and actually knowing him. I talked about his character, and how he is a relational God. As I called people up for prayer, there was one boy who thought I was pointing at him, and bolted toward me. I was actually pointing to my catcher, and this young man was so hungry that he just ran forward. The rest of the group joined him, and a lot of them were now comfortable with becoming a responder. Even that boy I talked about, the night before had held back a bit. Something changed within twenty-four hours within him, and he was getting a new found freedom. I worked with the group with worship as well, I explained that they were created for this, and that they were warriors. They had the power to carry worship, and push darkness back as they raised their voices. Sure enough, many of them began to take major steps in worship, and for some of them it was the first time in their lives that they had ever done this. I saw kids who had their arms bolted to their sides at the beginning of the week. By Saturday, on their own, they choose to worship. I saw kids who were locked up, and not participating in the beginning of the week. By the end of the week they were totally free to chase God down in worship. They were lifting their hands, praising with strength, honoring God, and singing with everything.

One young man in particular really touched my heart. He was one of the guys that wasn't apart of the Warsaw group, and was very locked up. He wasn't just locked up during our meetings, he was locked up all day long. It didn't matter if we were at the horse ranch or doing the lines course. On Thursday or Friday I saw a major breakthrough happen in his life. I caught him lifting his hands and enjoying worshiping God. His whole countenance completely changed. I saw him smiling at breakfast the next day, and his face was all lit up. He walked around camp like a new kid, he walked around with freedom. I saw this situation also take place in a few of the girls, and some of the other young men that came too. The Warsaw group had a little advantage over the new kids, because of their Fishing meetings we've been having. They rose up like leaders, and stood their ground. They also took deeper steps in worship, and in prayer. They helped lead the way so that the other newer kids had examples to follow. I couldn't have been more prouder of them, and I believe that bigger opportunities await them.

This was such a great experience, and it was incredible to watch how God  touched these youth. Each day I saw them change and go deeper. Each day I saw them courageously push past their limitations, and push themselves right into a breakthrough. At the end the week, each of them got up and gave a testimony. They all had a great time meeting new people, going on the day trips, and getting closer to God. I think that adults too were deeply touched by what took place. There was such a peace between us, and great teamwork. Each person worked to support the mission with such care and excellence. No matter what challenge we faced in character or circumstance, we all prevailed victoriously. I'm so thankful for each of the adults that came, and how well they took care of everything. We had a great time, and we had a great time with the youth.

It was fun also to be American on this trip, and introduce some of my culture to my Polish comrades. I taught my friends Damian and Kasia about "ain't no one got time for that." You should hear Damian try to say that with his Polish accent, and try moving his head at the same time. Classic! Or teaching some of the youth how to play spoons. That was a riot, and I'm glad they picked it up so fast. We vow to have a rematch of spoons next time I'm in Warsaw.  I also taught the entire group the electric slide, because that is very important. Surprisingly, they picked up that dance very quickly, and we had a blast. I figured if we were at an American style horse ranch...we should do the electric slide. To me that makes perfect sense, even though I'm not a country music fan. Finally, one funny moment. I was at this line course...the kind where you walk on ropes a thousand feet (so it seems) in the air. I had all the gear on, climbed up this tall Polish tree, and looked down. My mistake. I was all pumped about being an ewok, and forgot how afraid of heights I was. Those twelve year olds knocked out the course like Rambo, and I just wanted to make it down the ladder to terra firma. Oh well, looks like I have some fear to overcome.

So here's to one the best summer camp experiences I've ever had!!! The youth were great, God backed us up, lives were changed, and I had a great time. We all made great memories, and I'm already looking forward to our next Fishing meeting at the end of this month.