POLAND 2009 - Christian Pre-School and Coffee Shop

Tomaszów-Mazowiecki, Poland
Thursday, May 28, 2009
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Christian Pre-School
The evangelical church in Tomaszów-Mazowiecki truly is making a difference in their community (Tomaszów-Mazowiecki is a city with a population of near 70,000 and is about 30 minutes east of Piotrków-Trybunalski). Americans are used to evangelical churches running preschools, but this is something new in Poland which the church there has started. We had the opportunity to have a tour of their beautiful and bright facility, each room decorated imaginatively with creativity and an eye for the interests of young children. From the breakfast room to the gymnasium, it was obvious that that the directors and teachers put their all into everything that they do. They offer all the basics of a normal pre-school as well as extras such as English and German lessons. This preschool has been revolutionary in their community for a couple of reasons. The first is that there are few preschools for people to choose from in Tomaszów-Mazowiecki, and the church is offering a quality education for a reasonable price to parents who need it for their children. The preschool is also accomplishing something else. In a very catholic community which often looks down on evangelicals as belonging to a “sect” and doesn’t trust them, the school has opened people’s hearts. As more and more families enroll children in the school and find that the evangelicals are normal people just sharing the love of Jesus, word has spread, enrollment is growing, and they have grown to offer even first grade classes. Teachers at the school who were not believers when they began working there have been saved and families from the community have begun attending the church due to this wonderful outreach. It was such a blessing to see the believers loving their community in this practical way.

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Christian Coffee Shop
After we left the preschool we drove over to the church building (This church, called, “TOMY,” is the only evangelical church in Tomaszów-Mazowiecki). This beautiful yellow and white building used to house an old run-down movie theater which the church was able to purchase. With a lot of money and hard work the useless cinema was transformed into a beautiful facility which includes a main sanctuary, a youth room, classrooms and an elegant coffee shop. Over delicious lattes, cappuccinos, and hot chocolates we were able to enjoy fellowship with some of the believers from the church there as well as other missionaries. This coffee shop has also opened doors into the community as people from outside their church come in to enjoy coffee and they are able to chat with the believers who work there. Many people are simply curious about what has been done to this old building and want to come in and see it. As these physical doors of the coffee shop are opened to the community, God is opening the spiritual doors as well and people are hearing the message of Christ.

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