Reflections on a visit to Poland
Jennifer Gault, a formation student in the Methodist Church in Ireland, reflects on her recent visit to the United Methodist Church in Poland.
Jennifer serving Communion in Poland.
Hello my name is Jennifer Gault and I’m a formation student for ordained ministry with the Methodist Church in Ireland (MCI). For my summer placement I embarked on an exchange trip to Kielce, Poland to spend some time experiencing what ministry and mission looks like through the United Methodist Church (UMC) in Poland. With UMC Poland’s links to MCI’s North West District, it seemed very appropriate to continue building relationships and learning from each other, as well as comparing challenges, vision and opportunities with brothers and sisters in the worldwide Methodist church. I was partnered with Pastor Damian Szczepanczyk and his wife Anna who serve in Kosciol Ewangelicko-Metodystyczny, Kielce, a city situated between Krakow and Warsaw Poland.
As a people person, I love spending time watching, talking and learning about the lives, culture and stories of others. From the minute I stepped off the plane and met with Damian, our conversations (albeit in somewhat broken English!) focused on listening, learning and discovering encounters of ministry and mission of God in this new place. I loved having conversations about ministry with Damian and Anna but also connecting with those from the church in Kielce, finding out more about what they believe and answering questions about my faith and experience in return.
Sharing in my new friends’ cultures was definitely a highlight. I never imagined I would have friends of so many different nationalities! From Poland, United States of America and Ukraine , I made connections and heard stories of God working in the lives of these people. Language was definitely a barrier in some situations. Communicating with my Middle Eastern friends was hard, for example, but Google Translate is a lifesaver! I learned new things all the time, from how we use language and how language barriers may impact our engagement with others, to the way in which small congregations such as this one has had a big impact in the community through their “Indian Village” children’s ministry. I learned about the historical context of Poland and how this influences ministry and opportunities for real witness of God’s love and forgiveness - and of course let’s not forget to mention I got to eat lots of delicious traditional food (well most of it!?).
“I was part of a larger Methodist family, but also part of God’s family in this place.”
What particularly struck me was the tremendous Methodist family welcome I experienced on the first Sunday of my trip. Walking through unfamiliar streets, in an unfamiliar city with a huge language barrier looming I felt very much alone. That was until I arrived at the church! I was invited in and despite language barriers, I was engaged and incorporated into a Methodist family and as we worshiped together, shared communion together and later celebrated a birthday together, we were one. I was part of the family and my nerves subsided. I was part of a larger Methodist family, but also part of God’s family in this place.
I met with Janna, a missionary from United States who had come for a six month short-term mission trip and now was entering her 25th year of ministering and sharing God’s love in this city, teaching English and working with women and children in various capacities. I engaged with Tamara, a local school teacher and coordinator of exchange programmes who took me to a school and shared stories and challenges around young people and discipleship. I also met a young couple settling in Kielce from Ukraine, who as students could not return to their home country and are now rebuilding their lives. I had conversations with Eugene, a language student who is exploring His own calling into ministry and planning on entering seminary and other conversations with members of the congregation during bible study, youth ministry and life-group activities.
A highlight has to have been sharing in the sacrament of holy communion and later preaching in a field (how very John Wesley!) for our community Sunday gathering. And the highly emotive visit to the war museum at Malzoleum in Michniow (Museum of martyrology of the Polish Countryside) that was home to row after row of crosses in memory of those killed during WW2 as well as very graphic and personal accounts of the brutality experienced by the Polish people.
During my visit, whilst there was plenty of time spent witnessing and experiencing ministry in all sorts of forms, I also had free time to explore the city and reflect. I spent time using the story of Daniel, and Andy Lamberton’s book, “Letters for Exiles” to help focus on what it felt like to be in a different country, surrounded by unfamiliarity, without the safety net of family, friends and connections as well as experience being the outsider with language and culture barriers. As I thought about living in a different country, and engaging with those who have had to flee or had chosen to leave their own countries, I found myself thinking: how do I witness to and share Gods love, how do I embrace what is before me despite the challenges of culture, language and unfamiliarity? How does it feel to enter a place that is unfamiliar, where I have no authority, rights or understanding; how this might feel to those whom we engage with that are unchurched, even at home? I loved the questions posed in this book and through scripture, which helped me reflect on issues such as: am I strong enough, how does my worldview differ and what impact does this have on how I think, consider and react to things? How can I be true to my Christian and Methodist roots in a world predominantly endorsed and filled with Catholicism or secularism?
I was reminded of the verse that I went with, from Proverbs 3:5-6 (taken from The Message translation):
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.
This was certainly the case during much of my experience in Poland, from trusting in taking the trip alone (much to my mother’s concern! I might have been lost or kidnapped according to her), to relying on God sending others to connect with me daily, show me the way and offer radical hospitality.
It is hard to put into just a few words the impact this trip has had on me. I have made amazing new friends, experienced living in a close Christian community in a different country in a different language, heard testimonies of how Christ is working in this place and how the Methodist church is navigating challenges of secularism, the influence and dominance of the Catholic church and providing ministry and mission in an ever changing cultural, economic and political context. I think the biggest impact and learning to take away is realizing that there is so much more God has for us all, that trust in Him helps us rise against challenges and perceptions of our own abilities. This trip has opened my eyes to possibilities and I have come back fired up to take new steps and reminded of a bigger picture and not just the narrow one that I see.
The “Indian Village” children’s camp.
The church, and Pastor Damian certainly demonstrated this with the story of the “Indian Village”. The previous pastor, having spent some time in the United States exploring spirituality’ discerned God’s calling to engage with children and young people in a ministry summer project. With a piece of land just outside the city, offered by a member of his congregation, he set up two teepee tents and with a mere 15 children held the first kids’ ministry project. That was 10 years ago, and in 2023 I was able to assist (who knew my very limited scouting skills would be put to good use?) prepare and erect 15 tepees that would cater for the 400 children from across Kielce with 150 volunteers from across Poland and the United States of American /UMC team! I could not help but ponder the Parable of the Mustard Seed, so evident in this story of mission here in Kielce and a challenge for all of us in smaller congregations to have faith and trust in the details of our great big, bold and able God!
Despite the fact that the mission would take place after I departed, conversations and plans were very much part of the experience. I began to sense questions developing about how these new found connections and friendships could be maintained and used by God. In the middle of conversations with Pastor Damian and others, I felt God asking me to consider planning and leading a team of volunteers to partner with UMC Poland and UMC United States in the Indian Village mission next summer, so that others could share in this sense of connection, experience the culture and country of Poland and serve God through children’s ministry in this way. This is something that I am really excited about, and since returning to Ireland I have begun to have conversations about creating this opportunity through MCI for anyone aged 16yrs and over next summer. So, if you are over 16, particularly from the NW District, passionate about children’s ministry and would like to experience serving others and connecting with our world Methodist family, please watch out for further information about these plans!
I personally want to thank Pastor Damian and Anna his wife for their hospitality and care as well as the church and its members in Kielce for making me feel so welcome! I also thank World Mission Partnership for helping to make the initial connections, support with organising the visit and for providing the financial support to make it possible. Thanks to the Ministries team for encouraging me to go, and of course the good people of Magherafelt and Cookstown who released me from circuit duties to undertake the trip. Thanks to my husband and family too, who fully survived without me! Finally, thank you to all who prayed for me during the trip, and I thank God for the open door and opportunity in all that He has done and will continue to do through it.
Every blessing
Jennifer x