OC’s partner school in Prague, Czech Republic, stays on the cutting edge of global social issues through creative programs to reach the Church and community for Christ. The Evangelical Theological Seminary of Prague (ETSP) responds to contextual realities, such as drug addiction, marriage/family breakdown and corruption, through a social work/counseling program established with the Protestant Theological Faculty at Charles University in Prague. The program has seen a 50 percent increase in extension students!

In addition to church planting and evangelism projects like English and Alpha classes, the seminary holds conferences and seminars throughout the year on topics such as ethics and stewardship. In the secular Czech Republic culture, ETSP says these topics are especially important for people to become salt and light in the corrupt culture and address the “great moral vacuum” since the fall of Communism. ETSP is also looking into a Community Center partnership with other church-owned centers on their campus in order to combine services and meet multiple needs.

One creative leader for Christ is faculty member Pavel Raus, who has “pioneered Christian counseling in a culture that lacks any precedent for it,” according to ETSP. Pavel and his wife work to promote Christian marriage and family principles. He is writing a book on the biblical understanding of fatherhood. “Their ministry has touched thousands of believers and non-believers.” Before beginning the Christian counseling ministry, Pavel began an evangelical publishing company, the most successful of its kind in the Czech Republic.

Another example is graduate and ETSP professor David Novák. Using "extreme sports," he has been ministering to young people for 13 years and has reached hundreds of unbelievers for Christ. He has personally mentored a number of Christian leaders, and his annual youth conferences draw over 2,000 young adults. David’s visionary qualities have impacted the Church significantly.

Read about two graduates who are bringing “hope to people” in unique Ukraine and Belarus ministries.

As a missionary-oriented university, Donetsk Christian University (DCU) in Ukraine is one of the region’s most diverse and best-equipped interdenominational ministry training centers. Their mission is to train Christians in church leadership and other professions to creatively promote the Kingdom of God. As President Sergey Rybikov says, “The real test of graduates isn’t during their final exams but in the midst of ministry.” Here are two good examples.

Graduate Pavel Kanatush has been working with a ministry to handicapped children and adults in Belarus for several years. The goal of the ministry is to encourage the people and share the Gospel through hobby and play groups, home visitation, children’s camps and annual conferences.

Hobby group members enjoy fellowship while making crafts, watching Christian videos, playing games and having Bible studies. Home visitation is important for reaching out to the children’s parents and serving the families in practical ways. Attendance at one handicapped children’s camp reached 115, most being non-Christian children and their helpers. “It was a good chance for them to hear the Gospel and experience Christian love and care,” the university says.

Graduate Yura Grinev is the Director of Missionary Internships for Hope to People, an international Christian social mission in western Ukraine. He arranges internships for students to help pastors and missionaries in their ministries; develop newly planted churches in Ukraine, Belarus, Armenia and Russia; and organize Christian camps. Since 1999, more than 250 students from 12 Christian schools in Ukraine and Russia have served with the project, and over 300 camps have been organized. Along with a fellow graduate, Yura also provides an important link between the churches and the mission through coordinating its church plants.

Written by Abraham Najjar*, OC Europe Regional Director

After watching the popular High School Musical (HSM) movie recently with my daughter, I reflected on three issues in Central European theological education: economic issues, one’s calling to ministry and leaving a legacy for God’s glory.

First, Sharpay in HSM sings, “I need, need, need…I want everything to be fabulous for me,” reflecting a real mark of consumerism through her insistence to have more and enjoy things herself. The economic changes in Central Europe, mainly due to joining the European Union, have led people to conform to a consumer’s culture. Enormous pressures exist with the rise of unemployment, market competitions and the worldwide financial crisis. The changes also have an implication on the Church and theological education, as students might ask: What does the seminary have for me? How will theological education contribute to “everything fabulous for me?” These are important questions that OC’s Central European partner schools are aiming to address intelligently.

The answers need to be balanced with one’s calling to ministry. After much struggle, HSM’s Troy decides to follow his heart’s desire to be on stage and pursue arts studies rather than become a basketball player to fulfill his father’s dream. Central European theology students who felt God’s calling for ministry are faced with the dilemma of finding another vocation to satisfy the hunger of consumerism. The choice is not easy to make and requires strong trust in the Lord. In a recent visit to an OC partner seminary, I was excited to see enthusiastic young men and women who have made the decision to follow the Lord’s calling, even if it meant a real sacrifice in their future.

Finally in HSM, things were going in the wrong direction when the Wildcat senior basketball team was playing its final game. The coach said the team only had 16 minutes to leave a legacy on their high school days. As I think and pray for OC’s partner theological institutions in Central Europe, I praise the Lord for the spirit of cooperation that exists for God’s Kingdom. I believe it is the role of OC, its friends and partners to support and strengthen the Central European evangelical community to take advantage of their “16 minutes” in order to leave a legacy of faithfulness and fruitfulness for God’s glory.

*Name has been changed for security purposes.

OC’s final three 2008 Institutes for Excellence in Christian Leadership Development took place October 6-10 in Klang, Malaysia; October 13-17 in Taipei, Taiwan; and November 3-7 in Pune, India.

The Klang Institute gathered 24 leaders from strategic training programs in Southeast Asia, representing Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. The Taipei Institute brought together 25 leaders from programs representing Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan. The Pune Institute convened 23 leaders from programs representing Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The five-day Institutes in Klang and Pune, themed “Leadership Matters,” focused on topics designed to equip participants as more effective school leaders. The Taiwan Institute served as a forum for thinking about OC’s future involvement in Chinese-speaking Asia and was a means of networking among the institutions as it was the first time that many of these leaders had been together in a substantive way as seminary presidents.

To read more about the Klang Institute, click here; the Taipei Institute, click here; and the Pune Institute, click here.

The 2009 Institutes for Excellence will focus on “Nurturing Spiritual Formation in Seminary Students.” The first Institute will take place in March. Look for updates next year.

[See Klang and Pune Institute speaker lists in sidebar]

Please commit to pray with OC over the following Europe prayer requests:

• For good networking among theological institutions in Europe and better cooperation between institutions in Western and Central Europe
• For financial provision as thousands are under threat of losing jobs in the midst of the worldwide financial crisis, in addition to its effect on OC partner schools, such as the postponement of the Ukraine forum
• For God’s protection and guidance for the students and staff who serve in missions in countries where the threat of persecution exists; Praise God for greater religious freedom in the former Communist countries
• For the students, faculty and staff at each of OC’s 15 European partner schools and the impact that graduates have across the continent