Christianity Explored in Poland

Christianity Explored Update from Rico Tice from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

A series of videos recorded at the Orle Gniazdo Conference Centre near Beilsko Bala in Southern Poland during a training conference for church leaders. At the SzukajacBoga conference, Rico Tice launched the Polish edition of Christianity Explored. For more information on the Polish ministry see szukajacboga.jesus.net/

Rico Tice Launches Christianity Explored in Polish from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Rico Tice on One to One Evangelism from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Rico Tice on a Biblical Strategy for Evangelism from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

The Identity, Mission and Call of Jesus from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Szukajacboga Christianity Explored from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

The first time I visited Poland was in 1977. As a young missionary with Campus Crusade, I went to help evangelise and disciple young people through the Oaza movement (Light and Life) within the Roman Catholic church. But I was arrested within minutes of entering the country. It was dawn and as we were leaving the station at the border crossing with Czechoslovakia, I saw a beautiful steam engine. The rays of sunshine were piercing the clouds of steam. But as I extended my camera out of the open window to capture the picture, I was seen. There was a loud whistle. The train screeched to a halt. It reversed back into the station. On rushed the guards. They entered our compartment, took my passport and camera, removed the film and exposed it. I got off with a warning but it fuelled my passion to take photos of Polish trains (I took some last weekend too). The venue for that project was Beilsko Bala in Southern Poland, the very location for the launch of Christianity Explored in polish. The following year (1978) I returned for the Summer to help with the Oaza camps which by then involved thousands of young people right across Poland.

In 1984 when a curate in St Leonards, Poland came under Russian martial law. Conditions were bleak and so six of us drove three trucks of medical supplies, food and clothing to Poland via West and East Germany for distribution through churches like St Stephen’s Katowice. On that occasion we were kicked out of the country (thankfully on the way home) for not having had our documentation correctly stamped by the authorities. They thought we were working with Solidarity.