Poland
“I was praying, ‘Who else can I tell about Jesus?’ and it hit me. There’s this group of kids in my own church that need to hear it."
ITMI's Daniel Machlowski's mind is often on this simple, but chilling fact. There are just over half a million people in his city, Poznan, Poland. About 1500 of them are evangelicals, meaning they believe in salvation through faith alone.
That means there are about 498,500 people who have some understanding of their sin, but haven't been given a way to be forgiven. They haven't been told Jesus died to pursue a personal relationship with them.
"This is heartbreaking," Daniel says, "That's why we want to get into our community in as many ways as possible."
Together with his wife, Blueberry, their goal is to equip as many believers to effectively share that information with those they know.
They want to equip as many believers so that they know for sure what God’s heart is for mission. That it's the mission of the Jesus they follow and love.
Right away when someone gets saved, Daniel begins helping them understand, "You have a new identity as a new creation in Christ. You’re His ambassador." He helps them immediately begin using their gifts to serve and testify to those around them.
Daniel also realizes that the 25 junior high students and 5 high school students of K5N Church don’t just need to hear the Good News, they need to be equipped to share it with their friends.
In many cases, they are the only ones in their whole school that are not part of the State Church. And everyone knows it. So they need to be prepared to give an answer.
"They tell us it's scary, they’re young, trying to fit in and build identity. They know they are different. They don’t want to be ostracized just because of that," Daniel says.
But they often are. Students have shared tearfully that they have only one friend because of sharing their faith and being known to be different.
“I worked with freshmen in high school and interned in student ministries for 2 years at Grace Community Church, so I was prepared for that context. I’m still learning how to apply all I learned in Arizona to youth ministry in Poland,” Daniel shared gratefully.
Daniel has recruited 3 adult helpers to lead the younger students, and he provides ongoing equipping and training to prepare them for the task.
His wife, Blueberry, is also a part of the team. She, too, has been uniquely prepared to encourage and disciple the students. Blueberry had the unique experience of growing up Evangelical in Poland. She is very familiar with the social marginalization and persecution the students face everyday.
Daniel and Blueberry on their wedding day, just over a year ago, with ITMI Director, Steve Evers.
“I understand them,” Blueberry said, “I build a relationship with them, listen to them and care about them rather than tell them, ‘do this.’ Because we are interested in them and care about them, they are very open."
When the youth gather on Sunday mornings in a coffee shop a couple doors down from where the rest of the church gathers, the time begins with small groups. Each leader has the same youth in their group - women with girls and men with boys.
The groups will discuss their past weeks, a passage and help each other plan to obey and to share what they've learned with someone else in the upcoming week. Then Daniel shares with the entire group, connecting the passage to the Gospel and inviting them to follow Christ each week.
On Friday nights, the youth have the opportunity to invite their friends to someone's house.
K5N Youth at a Friday night gathering.
But this is all more than just a place for youth to hang out, make friends and "stay out of trouble." No, this is training. Training for an important mission. The mission of God to redeem and restore his creation.
Daniel is praising God that one of the students has committed to go on the K5N mission trip to Bulgaria in July. That student, plus another student is contemplating getting baptized later this month - the same day Daniel's mother will be getting baptized!
Daniel and Blueberry are reaching people with the Good News and equipping them to turn around and do the same. Each person they reach, youth or adult, is one more of the 498,500 set free.
498,499...then 498,498...then 498,497...
And meanwhile the angels rejoice.
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