Prayer Letter (2004) and Financial Needs

Warsaw, July 22, 2004

Warm greetings from Poland. Thank you again for your prayers and financial contributions in the past. I would like to share with you, through this letter, some of the ways that your giving has changed the work of the Warsaw Baptist Theological Seminary (WBST) and how important you continuing involvement in our work is.

1. We have been able to serve the Baptist family in Poland and elsewhere for the last 10 years. In the past it was impossible to do the kind of activities that we are doing today. Since the collapse of ‘the iron curtain’ we have had more freedom. However with the new freedoms come new responsibilities and challenges such as secularization, relativism and post-modern thinking. All are increasingly popular among the young people of Eastern Europe today.
   
   
2. Baptists are very much still a minority group in Poland. Evangelical Christians only make up less than 1% of a population now of some 40 million people. The polish Baptist Union has only some 5000 believers in all. This places Poland very near the top or is it bottom? – of the most un-evangelical nations in the world. Ours is a country ready to receive the Good News, and yet finances for the provision of evangelical theological education are very limited. Until, then, there is a bigger percentage of evangelicals, we will remain dependent on the support of good people like you from within and beyond Poland.
   
   
3. We believe that we have been faithful in our mission and vision, and we continue to affirm and stand up for Baptist doctrines and principles. Over recent years, we have worked hard to gain a good reputation here in Poland. We train students from several other evangelical groups. Also the academic degree course that we offer is fully recognized by the Polish government. We are actively working alongside evangelical churches in mission and witness to the Polish people.
   
   
4. The Seminary continues to serve the growing Baptist Church in Poland. Our seminary programs, various institutes, summer camps and conferences all offer essential practical help to local Baptist Churches. At the moment in Poland there are 78 Baptist Churches, 14 of which were planted in the past 5 years, and 21 mission points. In the near future, 10 more mission points are planned. All our professors here at WBTS are actively involved in the work of local churches, including myself. From the 1st September I will be pasturing a new church in Szczecin alongside a continuing teaching ministry here at Radosc.
   
   
5. We hope and pray that the studies and spiritual formation we offer, will prepare our students for their fruitful ministry in the mission field here – both in Baptist and other Evangelical Churches across Poland. We see this evangelical education as a life investment. This is why I am currently planning to start a new mentoring program for all our graduates involved in Christian work called CEL. (eng. GOAL) C – Stands for Christ centered; E – stands for Educational evangelism; L – stands for better Leadership. This will focus on development of leadership skills and personal integrity through Christ-centeredness. The aim will be life-long discipleship enabling all trained here to continue to carry out their individual ministries with Christ’s heart.

Please do continue to pray for us here at the Baptist Seminary as we continue to focus on reaching out to the people of Poland. Our scholarship fund needs $25,000 to enable our seminary students to focus their energies on their studies and on serving the Church program w will also need $30,000 for the first two year course.

Donations can be sent through the KBF (Kentucky Baptist Federation) scholarship fund #886 or the Billy Graham Chair of Evangelism fund #931 REV at the Kentucky Baptist Foundation, P.O. Box 436389 Louisville, KY 40253-6389 (CEL program) or (in the UK) Barclays Bank, CARDIFF, P.O. Box 69, Cardiff, CF1 1SG, UK Sort code 20-18-15. Fiends of Radosc account.

Thank you again for your friendship and support of our work for God here in Poland.

Yours in His Service,
Gustaw Cieslar