Reflecting on 100 Years —and on to Future Ministry
October 28th marks the one hundred year anniversary of the Czech and Slovak nations. And while this is a time of celebration for both countries, the last hundred years has also been wrought with struggle and oppression.
In Tyler and Lara’s most recent update, they provided a timeline of some of those more significant moments in history.
1918 -- one hundred years ago, the First Czechoslovak Republic was born, founded on the ideals of faith, truth, freedom, and dignity.
1938 -- eighty years ago, the Allies signed the "Munich Agreement", handing Czechoslovakia over to Hitler in an effort to avoid a war, devastating the Czech psyche.
1948 -- seventy years ago, following liberation after WW2, the communist party staged a coup, marking the onset of four decades of communist rule in the country.
1968 -- fifty years ago, Czechoslovakia's own allies betrayed them, as members of the Warsaw Pact invaded the country to stop liberalization reforms. This plunged the country into the most authoritarian two decades of the communist era.
Pray for healing for this nation! There are unique open doors of reflection during this year of remembrance that can lead to sharing the Gospel. JV's Czech national partner has been involved in a very cool project called "Hundred-year Roots," creating a platform to reflect on the (Christian) ideals that the nation was originally founded on.
Coming out of their tumultuous start as a nation, especially as it relates to religious restriction during the communist era, there is much need for the training and equipping of pastors and teachers. Tyler and Lara are burdened to grow opportunities for Czech nationals to receive quality theological education that frees young leaders up to serve. This vision is playing out in a new and exciting way!
For the last few years, Josiah Venture has been in communication with the ForMission College in Birmingham, England. Recently, Tyler and Lara were able to visit the campus, meet with administrators, and observe first hand the way the program runs. Returning home from their trip, they were able to announce at this year’s JV Fall Conference that they will be launching the Czech campus by the Fall of 2019. This is an incredible answer to prayer!
Praise the Lord that he is continuing to enable the Good News to go out in new and much needed ways! May the Lord bless the work of preparation for the start of the fall semester. Already there are many that have expressed interest in enrolling.
Some Ways We can be Praying:
The Patty family is staying busy! In August they partook in a Core Team Retreat for their church leadership team, seeking the Lord’s leading for their church in the coming months. They ask for prayers to implement plans for creating a culture of disciple-making, investing in key leaders, and reaching their city with the Gospel.
Tyler and Lara hosted a Preaching Workshop at their home in August. The group spent time learning how to responsibly study and effectively communicate the Word of God. We can be praying for this fall as those involved in the workshop will have opportunities to teach in the local church.
Tyler is running the Journey Internship Program. There are five Czech interns who have committed a year of their life to serve, grow, and learn through this program. Let’s be in prayer for the interns and for Tyler, Lara and Anicka as they lead the group.
Pray as they prepare for the launch of the ForMission Campus in Czech next Fall, especially as they follow up with potential students and seek the right team of teachers and mentors for the program.
Pray for their local ministry as they each seek to invest in key leaders who can invest in others.
Pray for Lara, who has begun to teach English conversation to 8th and 9th-graders once a month. Pray that she can be a bridge to their local church.
The Patty family has been battling sickness on and off for the last four weeks. Pray that the cycle would end!
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