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Church For The City In Krakow
22 April 2013
In its 20 years of mission to Europe, Next Wave International has been involved in projects and church work in many nations. Yet we've not been involved in Poland - until now.
At the end of an eight-day period in which he had lectured in three countries, Mal Fletcher made his first visit to the city of Krakow in April. He had responded to the invitation of Pastors Zibi and Magda Marzec, who lead an exciting new church known as the Church for the City (DRM).
The church is just four years old, yet it is already developing a culture that aims to impact the civic culture of the region - as it's name suggests.
Mal lectured young marketplace leaders on Saturday morning, on becoming the "City on a Hill". He then spoke to a group of invited local pastors on proactively engaging the wave of social change now emerging across Europe. Both sessions were very well received.
On Sunday morning, before returning to London, Mal preached in the church service about the long-term prospects of the church.
After his visit, Mal said: 'I'm going to be watching this church carefully and with interest. It's always fantastic for me to find churches that are already trying to pursue what I've been teaching for so long - about the church becoming the City on a Hill.'
'Krakow has a long and, of course, mixed history. It has seen fascism, communism and now capitalism all in the space of two generations.'
'So much has already changed in people's lives and their environment since the fall of communism. Yet, from what I'm told - and what I've seen so far - there is a hunger for something more substantial than empty consumerism.'
At the end of the visit, Pastor Zibi Marzec expressed his gratitude to Mal for 'investing your time, experience, knowledge and wisdom in our church'
He added: 'We will do our best to become the city on the hill and to influence the culture of Krakow and beyond.'
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