CEE Story From The Mission Field
Leaving Epaphras Behind
February 4, 2008
The Way of Life Church (Droga Zycia) in Otwock, Poland is a young and vibrant congregation that was begun three years ago by Team Warsaw, a church planting team led by Steven and Deborah Reece. Today it has 29 members, most of whom are less than 30 years of age, including five young families, five seminary graduates and three current seminary students. All together eleven Polish leaders have emerged and are actively involved in missions. With such a unique group of worshippers, this church is ready for something more, and Steven knows exactly what that is.
“What does God want to do with all of these leaders?” Steven asked. “Start new work!”
Way of Life was actually begun with the vision of having a foundational church that is able and willing to multiply itself by beginning new churches, thus reaching Warsaw with the Gospel. In October 2007 this congregation formally became a church and they have whole-heartedly embraced the vision of becoming a mother church to many new works.
From the beginning Steven knew that reaching the multitudes in Poland would be done through Polish believers. He has worked to train leaders who will take the reins in evangelizing their people through church planting.
“Everything that I have done as a missionary can be boiled down to developing leaders and equipping them for the task of planting churches as a means to expand the Kingdom of God,” Steven said. “This is the biblical pattern we have received.”
The Biblical Pattern
The Apostle Paul gives an example of this pattern in Colossians 1:7 by showing that what the congregation heard and learned, they learned from Epaphras, and not from Paul. This shows that Paul passed on leadership. The work in Colossae relied on a team effort, not on one individual.
Paul’s work was about multiplication – multiplying leaders and allowing them to lead. Based on the number of names to which he refers in his Epistles, Paul worked with a team of approximately eighty five people.
“In order to multiply leaders and churches, people must pass on training and information to others,” Steven said. “We must be like Paul and push on, leaving an ‘Epaphras’ behind as leader of the church.”
Pushing On
Steven has worked for three years to develop the members of the Otwock church so that he can pass the mantle of leadership on to his “Epaphras.” He is now preparing himself and the church for his imminent departure. In doing so, he feels like a proud father.
“As a father, I realize I must prepare “my children” to face the world and engage it with the gospel,” Steven said.”I know I must exit the work so that both I and the congregation can begin new works.”
Steven’s final step in this preparation is to teach them to multiply through small groups. Although this is a common practice in many American churches it is a new idea in Poland and there is not yet a “Polish” way to do it.
Steven is adamant in not wanting to impose an American pattern on this emerging church because it just won’t work in Poland. Therefore he’s abandoned any preconceived or packaged plans and has instead aided the Poles in forming their own.
“They–not I, must determine how to do it,” Steven said. “However, I am willing and ready to help.”
He has met regularly over the past two months with the pastor. They have discussed where the congregation is, where God is leading them and how to get there.
The bottom line is to establish a common vision that will guide whatever the church does toward starting new churches.
Steven’s work is nearly done.
“I have laid a good foundation over the past three years,” he said, “but I need to help them develop some practical tools and take some practical steps before I leave my role in the coming months.”
The Coming Months
The Way of Life Church may just be starting its life as a mother church, but already its vision is God-sized. This year alone they have plans to expand their reach into new locations around Warsaw and begin from four to seven new groups of worshippers.
Steven’s plans for Team Warsaw are just as ambitious. In addition to the work they will do with the Otwock congregation, they are also looking toward planting an additional seven to ten churches.
“We are in a critical time in our work in Warsaw,” Steven said. “We will see how God leads us in the months ahead.”
To stay informed about what is happening in Otwock and in other parts of Warsaw, go to www.teamwarsaw.blogspot.com/