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November 30, 2022

Little Experiments

In 2020, as our Josiah Venture missionary team was quickly evolving and adapting to keep up with the wreaking havoc of COVID, our leadership team decided to try a unique experiment. What if our team was equipped to create a day event of encouragement for youth workers called “Youth Ministry Recharge”?

This little missional experiment changed the trajectory of our regional ministry in the northwest corner of the Czech Republic.

In 2020, we went all out to host our first Youth Ministry Recharge event. We eagerly anticipated what God would do and was blown away as nine incredible youth leaders walked through the aluminum doors of our concrete church. That first Recharge was powerful. We laughed together, cried together, and prayed together while realizing we were not alone in the lockdowns, quarantines, and never-ending restrictions.

In 2021, our Recharge journey continued. As our country began to climb out of its COVID coma, we decided to host another Recharge event for the youth leaders in our region. We again held our breath, hoping that the leaders from last year would return and that a few new leaders would attend. We were elated as 22 youth leaders came to encourage one another, to pray together, and to inspire one another with real-life stories of the highs and lows of youth ministry. We walked away from that day humbled with gratitude as one leader shared, “Today, I felt seen, valued, and loved.”

For that reason,  this fall, we eagerly anticipated what God might want to do during this strategic day event. As the registrations flooded in, and as we obsessed over whether or not we ordered enough food, we prayerfully planned for a roomful of leaders desiring full hearts of encouragement. That morning, as the doors opened on November 12th, we watched as, one by one,  30 incredible youth leaders from eight different churches arrived with eagerness to learn what it means to be a Messenger of Hope.

The day started with a time of prayer and worship as we readied our hearts for what was to come. Then, we launched into an inspiring video series produced by our talented JV Communications team about examining our hearts behind evangelism. One of our JV teammates, Lyubov, shared about how her name literally means “love” in Bulgarian. She challenged all of us in the room to share the meaning behind our names and to look even deeper at our identities in Christ. As the discussion groups deepened, so did the sharing, as many leaders stepped out in courage to share their hopes, dreams, fears, and hesitations around evangelism.

Then, after a delicious break filled with coffee and chocolate chip muffins, we launched back into another series of video teachings to explore our “head” in evangelism. There was a noticeable gasp in the room as one of our JV teammates, Stojce, shared how his TikTok devotional videos in Serbia have garnered more than 57,000 followers. It was almost as if his example unlocked a missional imagination about the untapped potential in how to use social media for evangelism. Then, Stojce challenged all of us, by the example of Jesus in John 4, to persevere and press through barriers (that we often set up ourselves). Rather than simply discussing the highs of evangelism, the leaders were invited to vulnerably share about a time when they turned down an opportunity to speak about Jesus.

Then, right before an epic lunch break filled with chicken jalfrezi, garlic naan, and steamed rice, we opened up the mic for the leaders to share their recent stories of evangelism. One leader humbly shared about how he started building a relationship with one of his friends from school. Each day they commuted to school by train, and this leader was able to share Jesus with him. He even invited his friend to come to a group of Christian students who gather weekly at the local university. Many were encouraged to see how the Good News thrives through deep relational connections built on trust and genuine friendship.

After lunch, we jumped into our final video series led by our JV teammate, Darius. He challenged us in the practical nature of evangelism by focusing on “our hands.” During discussion groups, the leaders did some role-playing and practiced sharing the Gospel with each other using four simple symbols.

With the final hour of time, we set up a time of reflection for the leaders to process all they experienced throughout the day. More than anything, we were praying that the learning from the day would sink deep into the leaders’ hearts to truly make that monumental shift from the head to the heart. Some leaders sat and prayed while other leaders journeyed around the room, visiting four different posters with four different questions, all pertaining to the greater theme of sharing hope with others. Then, for the final five minutes, Sarah stood up with unbridled joy and passion, thanking each of the leaders for their investment in the region. With tears in her eyes, she pointed to the hope we have in Jesus and how our Father loves bringing his kids together.

A couple of hours after we all walked away from this monumental event, one of the leaders from the region, with loads of creative skills, captured Sarah’s final words on camera, edited them into an Instagram reel, and now the video has already been viewed over 2,900 times.

We want to leave you with one final compelling question, “What ‘little experiment’ may God be inviting you into?”

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The Right Learning for the Right Person at the Right Time

Stop and think about the times in your life when you grew the most. What were you doing? What were the circumstances? What did you feel? What were you excited about, and what were you worried about? When I look back on my own life, I notice a pattern. Growth usually happens when the challenge in front of us is outside of our comfort zone or outside of our skill level. It happens when we’re stretched. I remember learning this in a very tangible way in college. I took a class called Experiential Learning, and, throughout the semester, we worked through various team-building exercises. At the end of the course, we went to a ropes course, which culminated in a challenge known as the “Pamper Pole”—a towering 10-meter telephone pole. The challenge was to climb to the top, stand on a tiny platform, and then leap to grab a trapeze bar. My professor had seen me go through most of the challenges fairly easily. Just as I was about to climb the Pamper Pole, he quietly walked up behind me, put something in my back pocket, and said, “Just in case you want a little bit bigger challenge.” I reached inside and found a blindfold. And I decided to put it on. I climbed the pole blindfolded, made it to the top, and then jumped. My hands hit the bar, but I didn’t grab it. Of course, I was strapped in, so I didn’t hit the ground, but that moment has stayed with me. Even though I didn’t “succeed” in the way I had hoped, I chose a harder pathway up, and I learned something important: growth often requires stepping into something beyond what we currently know how to do. The missionary life is a lot like that. When Brooke and I first stepped onto the mission field, we were eager and ready to say yes to whatever God put in front of us. We had vision, enthusiasm, and a desire to serve. But looking back, we didn’t realize how steep the learning curve would be or how much God still needed to form in us. Those early years were full of trial and error. We made countless mistakes and learned by trying something, realizing it didn’t work, and trying again. Over time, the Lord shaped us and grew us, but the learning curve was long. Some of the lessons we needed most came through hard seasons, and they didn’t come quickly. The Josiah Venture Winter Academy was established to help provide the resources necessary to give our staff a foundation for healthy, effective ministry that lasts, grounded in Christ’s strategy, and strengthened by shared language, practical tools, and a community that helps them grow through every season. This year, we gathered 52 Josiah Venture staff at our training center in Malenovice, Czech Republic, for a week of discussion, connection, and spiritual encouragement. Every staff member has the opportunity to participate in Winter Academy within their first year on the team (Year 1 track) and again within their second year (Year 2 track). At its core, Winter Academy is about helping our staff build a foundation that will serve them for the long haul, so they can be steady and fruitful through the ups and downs of ministry. Ministry is full of seasons. There are times of blossoming, when the work feels joyful and full of momentum, and there are times of drought, when setbacks and discouragement threaten to parch the soul. Some seasons even hold those highs and lows at the same time. Jeremiah 17:7–8 reads: “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” These verses don’t deny hardship; they assume it. But it also points us to the keys to long-term fruitfulness: staying rooted and drawing consistently from the resources we have in Christ. Winter Academy was created to help staff establish those roots early. We wanted to shorten the learning curve so that new staff would be prepared for the obstacles they would inevitably face, and so they could respond with bold faith, with wisdom drawn from best practices across the team, and with perseverance, knowing they would have a team standing with them. Year 1 focuses on the path of a growing disciple. Our first-year staff get grounded in who we are as Josiah Venture and how Christ’s strategy shapes everything we do. They also learn the Five Challenges of Christ in a way that moves beyond theory into real life and real ministry. Year 2 is focused on ministry coaching through the Five Phases. Year 2 builds on that discipleship foundation and helps our staff grow in how they serve and multiply through others. Participants learn how to evaluate ministry health and direction as well as practice coaching conversations that help leaders take meaningful next steps. 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Every culture has its own Christmas traditions. Many of us already have our Christmas trees up, have begun playing our favourite Christmas music, and are checking items off our shopping list. In most European cities, Christmas markets have taken over town squares and observe their own unique traditions for Christmas Day. For example, in Poland, families prepare an extra place at the table in case of an unexpected guest; in Bulgaria, the oldest person in the house breaks open homemade bread with a coin baked inside; and in Czechia, children hide a fish scale under their dinner plate for good luck. Traditions are a wonderful thing as long as we remind ourselves why we keep them. One tradition that has meant a lot to my family and me for many years is lighting an Advent wreath. We usually make ours out of fir branches and four white candles, sometimes adding extra decorations like dried orange slices or pinecones. Then on the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, we read from the Bible, say prayers, sing songs, and light the candles in an increasing number: first one, then two, then three, and finally four. This tradition has its origins in the sixth century, and many European churches and Christians practice it. But after such a long time, it is easy to forget what it all means. Here is some of the significance. First of all, Advent derives from the Latin word for “coming, arrival.” It denotes the beginning of the year for Christians, who prepare our hearts for the arrival of God, by both remembering Jesus’ incarnation and anticipating his second coming. The circular shape of the wreath signifies the never-ending nature of God’s love for humanity. The fir branches remind us that, even in the dead of winter, God is at work to bring forth new life. And the successive lighting of the candles signals God’s determination to send his light into the world: the incarnation of his son. We love this tradition, but, to be honest, we don’t always keep it perfectly. This year, we had to dig out some old candles to use for our wreath, we have struggled to get through the Bible readings with our young children, and we often forget to light the right candle on the right day. But God is teaching me that this is alright. The season of Advent, along with its many traditions, is not made more or less meaningful by how faithfully I keep it. The season of Advent is made most meaningful because of how faithful God is at drawing near to us. The Apostle Paul summarised it well: “But when the right time finally came, God sent his own Son… so that we might become God’s children.” (Gal. 4:4-5, GNT). This Advent, may you find renewed meaning in your traditions. And may you remember and rely on God, who is most faithful to draw near to those who need his light.
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Home

Sajmir just wanted to belong. As the youngest son in a Muslim family of eight children, he was expected to serve everyone. Sajmir’s family was oppressed in Albania because they were dark skinned Gypsies. On top of that, during the difficult time after the revolution, his father began drinking and beating his mother. “My father never beat me,” Sajmir said, “but he never showed me love. He never hugged me or kissed me. I never saw a father figure. I was afraid of him. Also, outside in the city, people were not very close to me. I spent most of my time alone, playing soccer alone, or basketball alone.” There was only one soccer field in his village, and when Sajmir tried to join a game, the other kids would kick him out. One day, a group came toward the field and Sajmir began to back away, sure they would ask him to leave. “Will you play with us?” they asked. “You want to play with me?” Sajmir replied. For the first time in his life, someone invited him in. After the game, they invited him to church. “What is a church?” he said. Running home, he asked his parents if he could go. “Don’t go to church,” they answered sternly, “you will shame us.” But the next day was Sunday, and he snuck out when no one was looking. “When I stepped into the church, at the door, someone gave me a hug for the first time in my life,” Sajmir said. “They put me in the first row. I felt like a celebrity. Then I heard the story that someone loves you just as you are, that is, Jesus—as I was, dark skinned, rejected. But still, there is someone who died for me.” “I ran and told my family, but their response was: ’If you go one more time, we will tell your brother to beat you up.’ I went again. My brother beat me up. For three months, I was beaten every week. I was loved and accepted in church, while suffering and being beaten in my family. Then my mom said, ‘Let him go.’” Filled with joy, Sajmir fell on his knees and said, “God, I will serve you wherever you want me to.” That was 25 years ago, and today Sajmir and his family are part of our Josiah Venture team in Albania. Through youth ministry, he recently planted a church called “Mosaic,” which has grown to over 100 people. Every day, young people come after school and in the evening for tutoring, children’s meetings, youth meetings, small groups, discipleship groups, and a very lively Fusion choir. The church is open every day, from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, and there is always something happening. “Our building is a daily home for everyone; it’s a family,” says Sajmir. “I always remember what God did for me in my youth. My heart is burning to see more young people come to Christ and find that they are loved and belong.” During this Advent season, we remember how Jesus left his home to make a home for us. He was sent to find us, where we play our games alone, and to invite us into his family. He found Sajmir, and you, and me. Thanks for helping us share this good news with young people who are still without a home. Dave Patty President, Josiah Venture