Czech Congregation Day 

Since life has returned to normal in Prague, with all Covid restrictions lifted, the Evangelická církev augsburského vyznání v České republice (ECAVvČR) held a Czech congregation day on Saturday, June 18. Many of our members live up to an hour away from church, so they enjoyed having a whole day together. With so few Christians in the Czech Republic, it is also very important to foster fellowship opportunities in addition to Sunday church services.

Our church has a large garden area in back with grass and large trees. Like church picnics in America, we first gathered outside for food and fellowship. People brought fresh fruit, small open-faced sandwiches, cheese and sausage platters, and baskets of rolls and breadsticks. In addition to citrus water and fruit juice, the adults enjoyed a special “church beer.” A former pastor arranged with a local brew master to create a “jubilee” beer in small batches that is only brewed for special church events. This year they brewed two kegs, one for the church event and one for the café/bar across the street, where the beer was kept cold and served. Members had special mugs to walk over and get beer fresh from the tap. Whatever beer was left at the end of the day was a gift to the café/bar as a thank you for their service.

After an hour of fellowship and refreshments, families with children gathered in the church for a theater production. Two actors, complete with costumes and set changes, entertained the kids with a story about travels, friendship and the importance of kindness and helping each other. Some of the church kids brought their friends who were unchurched. The actors periodically stopped the performance to engage the children with questions about the play.

After the theater performance, the older kids played with bikes and balls they brought. Moms laid out blankets for the toddlers and visited while the youngest ones played.

Professor Pavol Bargár led a discussion on Christian love.

Later in the afternoon, everyone gathered for the main event of the day, a discussion about Christian love, led by Pavol Bargár, M. St., Ph. D. Bargár is a professor at the nearby Protestant Theological Faculty of Charles University, where our Czech pastor, Rev. Tomáš Živný, studied.

Bargár began with Scripture from Deuteronomy and 1 Corinthians. After 15-20 minutes of Bargár’s prepared comments, the congregation discussed the topic. People openly expressed their challenges of living as Christians and witnessing to others in their communities and in the workplace. Some expressed their appreciation for my work as a missionary to come and help them. A few parents gave heartwarming examples of how their children showed love to their classmates at school and with neighbors, and how they encouraged this behavior. At the end of the day, my heart was full.

Please continue to pray for the work to share the Gospel here, and for your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ in Prague, as they share the love of Christ with others.

This month we remember Christian love:

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

John 15:12 (ESV)

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