Dear Friends,
It was a great privilege to be invited to speak and participate at the Empowered 21 Global Congress in Jerusalem at the end of May. Over 3,500 participants from across the world attended!
How absolutely amazing to gather together in the Jerusalem Arena to listen to the teaching from the Word of God, praise and worship, and pray together in the city where Jesus Himself walked and taught!
I was deeply moved by this time; being at the conference and in the Holy Land was a true gift from God. I participated in the Scholars’ Track at the conference where I presented a paper on the missional opportunities and challenges of the Pentecostal movement in post-communist context. That was quite a theme for a Baptist pastor! However, I see this speaking opportunity as an honor and because of our ministry investment into the evangelical leaders throughout our nation.
This invitation also came as a result of my other publications and my PhD thesis from Wales published under the title of “Transforming Mission in Post-Communist Context“. I was also recommended by the Evangelical School of Theology here in Wroclaw.
The conference was a wonderful exchange of ideas with other scholars. I also developed many significant relationships and networked with Christian leaders from all over the world.
One of the thoughts from the plenary session keeps coming to my mind:
Success is not numbers – it’s being in the center of God’s will. Success comes from being in God FIRST.”
This is a great inspirational thought in a world that is so focused on numbers, techniques and outward results. It is important to be anchored in God’s Word, His promises and presence because this is the only way we can have a spiritual impact on the world around us!
It was a great spiritual experience to visit Capernium and the Galilee area where Jesus taught the Sermon the Mountain, multiplied the bread and fish and silenced the tumultuous Sea of Galilee. When I was on the boat on the Sea of Galilee and prayed, God reminded of the book by John Ortberg, If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat.
Ortberg has a very important message to me in terms of our P2P ministry. Both Agnieskza and I clearly sense that God is taking our ministry to the next level.
This requires our taking steps of faith in obedience to Jesus’ calling in our lives. Getting out of the boat is never easy, but it’s worth it if you are to walk on water (in God’s power).
I thank God for this wonderful opportunity to visit the Holy Land and be inspired afresh in our ministry. Thank you for your loving support for us! We wouldn’t be able to do our ministry without your care, support and prayers. We are so grateful for each of you!
Blessings,
Wotjek