Poland

Brief History

Poland, a former Eastern Bloc country, has had a tragic history. It has known wars, holocausts, and even 120 years where the people had no land to call their own. During this time, the Catholic Church provided unity and identity for the people. At one time, 97% of Poles claimed membership in the Catholic Church and a powerful allegiance to their own Polish pope – Pope John Paul II. Since the fall of Communism in 1989, Poland’s economy has advanced rapidly, welcoming in Western business cooperatives. This has led to a new level of commercialization, as well as a new set of values.

Spiritual Demographics

The population of Poland is approximately 38 million. This number, however, is constantly fluctuating. Since Poland joined the European Union in 2004, 2-3 million Poles frequently travel abroad to work. Attendance in the Catholic Church since 1989 has been decreasing, by as much as 25%. Poland’s evangelical population has grown slightly, but is still very small; all of Poland‘s 40,000 professing evangelical believers (approximately 1 out of 1,000) would fit into a large sports stadium. Denominations like the Brethren Assemblies, the Baptist Union, the Pentecostal Church, and the Evangelical Free Church are viewed by most Poles as sects.

Ministry Outlook

Today‘s young Poles live in a world their parents never imagined. At any high school or university, it is clear, however, that the God and traditions of their parents have little relevance to the daily realities faced by Polish youth. Polish young people are hungry for a real relationship with a living God. In order to reach these unsaved young people with a relevant gospel and grow them in their faith, a growing Josiah Venture team works with nationals to put on evangelistic English camps, girls’ weekend experiences, and junior-high weekend conferences. We also train leaders of youth groups and their staff. Our hope and prayer for Poland is that a new generation of leaders would rise up and infuse their country with the love of Christ, train more leaders to do the same, and build Christ’s Kingdom in Poland. Please pray for more workers in this large country while the door is open and so many youth are searching!