There are reasons for celebration at The Anglican Chaplaincy in Poland, as Churchwarden Tom Nolan shares with us;

'On Sunday 19th July our Lay Reader, Elizabeth Turek, was relicensed for a further three years of ministry within the Anglican Chaplaincy in Poland.  The service, led by our Chaplain, the Revd Kasta Dip, was a joyful celebration of thanksgiving to God and of gratitude for Elizabeth's faithful calling and ministry.

The Anglican Church in Poland is a widely dispersed community, gathering principally in Warsaw, Kraków and Gdańsk.  Elizabeth has particular responsibility for the Gdańsk congregation, while also travelling regularly to Warsaw and Kraków to lead worship and contribute to the wider mission and ministry of the chaplaincy.

In Gdańsk, Elizabeth provides a faithful pastoral presence, welcoming visitors from around the world, particularly during the busy summer months.  This ministry offers spiritual encouragement and hospitality to many travellers who seek an Anglican church while away from home.  In addition, Elizabeth leads a monthly Morning Prayer service at the Gdańsk University Teaching Hospital, extending the Church's pastoral ministry to staff, students, patients and their families.

The readings for the day reminded us that Christian ministry is rooted not first in what we do, but in God's faithful presence.  Jacob's encounter with God at Bethel, the assurance of Psalm 139 that we are completely known and loved, Paul's vision of patient hope in Romans, and Jesus' Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds all point to the God who journeys with his people, patiently bringing his purposes to fulfilment.  In his sermon, Fr Kasta reflected that Jesus does not simply call us to be wheat but to grow as wheat.  God is patient because he knows that growth takes time.  Our calling is to keep turning towards Christ, allowing his grace to deepen our roots, strengthen our faith and make our lives fruitful.  Elizabeth's relicensing was therefore not simply an affirmation of faithful ministry already offered, but a renewed invitation to continue growing in discipleship and service.

The Anglican presence in Gdańsk has a long and remarkable history, stretching back to the early seventeenth century, when English chaplains ministered to British diplomats and the thriving English and Scottish merchant communities of one of the Baltic's greatest trading ports.  A permanent British Chapel was established in 1707, serving worshippers according to the rites of the Church of England while also welcoming a wider Reformed community.  Although that distinct Anglican presence eventually faded, worship returned to Gdańsk in 2016 as part of the post-communist renewal of Anglicanism in Poland.

As we look to the future, we do so with deep gratitude for this remarkable inheritance.  We have received a rich legacy of faithful prayer, witness and service, laid down by those who have gone before us across many generations.  That inheritance is not simply something to preserve, but a firm foundation upon which to build.  Rooted in Christ, and trusting in God's patient grace, we pray that the Anglican witness in Gdańsk and throughout Poland will continue to grow, bearing fruit for generations to come.'

As Tom requests, let's join in prayer for the community in Gdańsk and in particular for the ministry of Elizabeth Turek.