Ministries
Women’s ministry
Our women’s ministry meetings are normally held every other week and are filled with spiritual encouragement and fellowship. The ladies have worked through resources such as Jen Wilkin’s None Like Him and God of Creation, honing in on specific books and chapters of the Bible.
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In addition to learning Scripture, the women have gotten to know one another better by sharing personal experiences, both struggles and praises. As a result, they have formed strong friendships and organized events together outside the official meetings.
Our women’s ministry was also our church’s first successful ministry with a consistent attendance that even introduced some women to our church who are now members.
Discipleship
In addition to Sunday services, our church meets regularly for other ministries to build each other up with the Word of God and Christian fellowship.
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We meet weekly to discuss a topic concerning apologetics, systematic theology, or a book of Scripture. Sometimes these meetings take the form of a Bible study and at other times we gather to discuss a specific topic. The purpose of Meritum is to present and examine core Reformed building blocks and topics such as systematic theology, homiletics, apologetics, and practical theology. The classes and lectures are open to church and non-church members alike, a dynamic that’s especially made the apologetics meetings very interesting.
We meet monthly and bimonthly for other regular ministries. Every second month we hold preaching events for our ministerial candidates to practice preaching. Once a month we also have a meeting where we discuss systematic theology.
As a Reformed community, we have a high regard for Scripture and studying it in context. Though healthy hermeneutics are not to be taken for granted, our primary goal is and should always be its application in everyday life as we subject ourselves to be molded in the image of our Lord and Savior.
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12
These meetings are also a good opportunity to reflect on our trials and struggles as brothers and sisters with diverse and even contrasting backgrounds in Christ for the sake of comfort, encouragement, and ultimately spiritual growth.
Publishing ministry
There is no Reformation without a printing press. Although the Reformation started over 500 years ago, there is still a theological famine in Poland. To fight this famine, Christ the Savior Presbyterian Church founded a Reformed publishing ministry called MW Books. “MW” is the initials of Maciej Wirzbięta, a Reformed printer and an elder in the Reformed church in the 16th century Kraków. He translated, wrote, and published sound theological literature in Poland almost 500 years ago.
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MW Books sees itself as the inheritor of the mantle of Maciej Wirzbięta. To this end, we draw on the best and most faithful resources of the Church from the past to renew the Church in the present and strengthen her future.
Some of the most important Reformed works published by our ministry include: John Calvin’s Institutes, the Westminster Standards, John Knox’s collection of prayers as well as books by authors such as R.C. Sproul, Kevin DeYoung, Paul Washer, John Piper, Timothy Keller, David Murray, Nancy Guthrie, Jen Wilkin, Carl Trueman, J.C. Ryle, Dane Ortlund, and Cornelius van Til. We are currently working on the translation of the Reformation Study Bible.
In addition to publishing literature in the Polish language, we have also started a Ukrainian publishing ministry that seeks to equip the Ukrainian Church. Due to the war, they do not have the bandwidth to be engaged in publishing ministry. Their pressing needs are on the field with mercy ministries.
Ukrainian ministry
Past: Aid Work
When the war in Ukraine started, the international Christian community mobilized our local church in different ways to connect, contribute, or directly provide aid to Ukrainians through diversified means. We delivered supplies and medicine to Ukraine and we helped locally in Kraków to help refugees assimilate to their new reality.
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In addition, we secured shelters and facilitated accommodation. We coordinated weekly meal preparation, legal aid, Polish classes, women’s groups, and more.
For months we adjusted our bilingual Sunday services to become trilingual with the addition of simultaneous Ukrainian translation.
And if you’ve been following our congregation’s updates since the war started, you’d know that we hosted a 10-week-long VBS program for displaced Ukrainian children aged 6-14 during the summer of 2022.
The cross-border trips and distribution of supplies are still ongoing today.
Present: Youth Ministry
Following our 10-week-long VBS, we began a weekly youth group for Ukrainian teenagers. About a dozen people from the VBS have consistently attended the youth group. Due to interest, we organized 2-week-long VBS summer camps in 2023 and 2024. We hope and pray that God will open eyes, ears, and hearts as we continue to share the good news through our youth ministry.
Though our youth gatherings primarily consist of Ukrainians, we hope to expand this ministry to include Poles.
Sunday worship
Our Sunday services have always been the one constant throughout our church’s infant stage. These worship services have proved to serve 3 major functions:
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Most importantly, to give praise to our Lord and Savior who is worthy of all the glory
To feed the congregants by providing them with Christ-centered preaching, sacraments, and fellowship
To serve as a gateway for the lost into our growing community.
Opportunities
There is still much work to be done in our current ministries and opportunities to expand our ministries. However, we need additional personnel and resources to grow. Explore ways you can get involved.
