November 20, 2010
Dear Zion of Petroleum Valley Prayer Team,
Over the past 40 Days (or so), we have been looking at Jesus’ commands: Love God and love your neighbor. This Sunday, we will put some legs on what we have been teaching. We are collecting Walmart cards for families within Zion, food and coats for our local community, toys for families at Christmas, shoes for the Philippines, and our Celebration Offering to help continue the ministry at Zion here and around the world. Phew! Later that night, we will gather to celebrate with all three campuses meeting together. That should be fun!
Please keep praying!
• Thank God for the people at Zion. Just this last week I heard, “There is something different here” and “The people were so nice and friendly.” Buildings and programs are just fine, but people bring others into the community. I really appreciate them.
• Our Third Annual Polish Christmas Dinner is December 4. Yes, we based a dinner on a Veggie Tale song about Polish food and made it into a potluck and outreach. Pray for new faces to come. We have tons of fun (good food too: Perogi, Gaumki, Kielbasa, Bigos, etc.).
• Continue to pray for the youth of the valley. There are many who are making some strong stands. Others are making poor and harmful choices. Pray that Zion can respond and support where needed.
• We have also had a rash of injuries and surgeries.
• Our planning for 2011 has begun. We need wisdom.
The Olkowski’s are doing well and always appreciate hearing from you. Our Christmas card will include a photo, so send me an address if you’ve not received one before.
Thank you!
Pastor Joe
Zion of Petroleum Valley
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
October 2010 Prayer Letter
October 20, 2010
Dear Zion of Petroleum Valley Prayer Team,
Wow, what a great month. First, thank you for praying for Zion of Jefferson County. They are officially launched! You can see a great video explaining the morning at http://www.youtube.com/user/zionmedia#p/u/0/kJubosKyq9M. Second, our 5th Quarters after the Karns City High School football games have been successful. The students enjoyed themselves and heard a Gospel message. One young man even brought his parents to church the following Sunday (and they’ve returned). We have two more 5th Quarters (10/22 and 11/5).
But, there’s no rest in sight (I mean that in a good way!).
Please be praying for the following:
• Our 40 Day focus, Do you Love Me?, continues. We are studying the first and second great commandments Jesus explained in Matthew 22. Pray for new guests to attend as well as deeper understanding for all of Zion.
• Project Safe Kid happens on October 31. While we hand out tons of candy, we meet so many families in our area. Pray for good contacts and interest.
• At the end of the Do you Love Me? and 40 day focus, we have Celebration Sunday. This year, we plan to apply it immediately. This involves love towards one another and our community with some special projects.
• Zion has three values: Changed by God, connected in community, and committed to service. All three represent a process we are all in as Christ followers. Pray that we will be continually changed. Pray that we will be more and more connected as a church (we use something called “life groups”). Pray that we will commit to be part of what God is doing here locally and around the world.
• Our 40 Day focus, Do you Love Me?, continues. We are studying the first and second great commandments Jesus explained in Matthew 22. Pray for new guests to attend as well as deeper understanding for all of Zion.
• Project Safe Kid happens on October 31. While we hand out tons of candy, we meet so many families in our area. Pray for good contacts and interest.
• At the end of the Do you Love Me? and 40 day focus, we have Celebration Sunday. This year, we plan to apply it immediately. This involves love towards one another and our community with some special projects.
• Zion has three values: Changed by God, connected in community, and committed to service. All three represent a process we are all in as Christ followers. Pray that we will be continually changed. Pray that we will be more and more connected as a church (we use something called “life groups”). Pray that we will commit to be part of what God is doing here locally and around the world.
On the family side, we plan to do some traveling over Thanksgiving weekend. We are looking forward to some time together.
Let me know how you are doing. You can reply by email, mail, or facebook.
Thanks!
Pastor Joe
Zion of Petroleum Valley
Thursday, September 16, 2010
September 2010 ZPV Prayer Letter
September 15, 2010
Dear Zion of Petroleum Valley Prayer Team,
Dear Zion of Petroleum Valley Prayer Team,
This has been one of our busiest weekends…all good and fulfilling. However, I will start with the previous weekend just to update you on items I mentioned in last month’s letter.
• One Day on September 5. All three Zion campuses met only briefly for church and then head out into our communities. ZPV sent two teams to two nursing homes and one team to work on a youth center for an upcoming event. All three teams were fantastic! We just shared some time with the folks at the nursing homes. They were so lonely just to tell stories. At times, it felt like our ears were talked off, but it made a difference. The youth center work involved plumbing, painting, and cleaning. All done well.
• Fifth Quarter started on September 10. We opened up the main room of ZPV for dodgeball after the Karns City Varsity football game. It gave students something to do, a chance for us to present the gospel, and an opportunity to build relationships with them. We had 62 students in all.
• Save a Life on September 11. Our numbers are not confirmed, but we think about 250-300 students attended this community event which included area churches, groups, and individuals who want to communicate that there is hope instead suicide. The one man volleyball team, Bob Holmes, played about six games. He also spoke twice. We were able to establish contact with those students who may need help too.
So, what’s on the horizon?
• FUEL, our student Bible study group, starts on Thursday, September 16. We hope our previous contact with students yields some who want to go deeper.
• Zion’s third campus, Zion of Jefferson County, starts 10-10-10!
• I am also starting some new community contacts in the coming weeks. Furthermore, I have been praying about some new (possibly out of the box) ways for Zion to reach our valley. Please pray for wisdom and boldness.
Some of you know that I wrecked our van last week. After hitting a deer, I lost control, slid on the driver’s side, and popped back up again. The our now totaled van served the Olkowski’s well (222K miles!). But, we need a new vehicle and wisdom on what to buy (yes, I’m ok).
It means so much to know you are praying for us! Drop us an email (joe@zionlife.com) or find me on Facebook to let us know.
Thanks!
Pastor Joe
Zion of Petroleum Valley
Thursday, August 19, 2010
ZPV August Prayer Letter
August 19, 2010
Dear Zion of Petroleum Valley Prayer Team,
Thank you for all the prayers and support for Jessyca and me as we made our trip to Prague. Our team did well. This is a closed hearted place, so career missionaries spend months (even years) building relationships to see fruit. We will send out a report letter soon; let me know if you want one (you will automatically receive it if you responded to our initial prayer letter).
Another summer is coming to a close. With school starting, let’s focus on students:
• While the situation has improved, we may not start school on time (Sept. 1) due to labor negotiations. Pray for final contract issues to be resolved.
• 5th Quarters start on Sept. 10. ZPV is a fourth mile from the high school, so we open up the building after home varsity football games for fun, food, friendship, and some Bible. We build relationship with students by giving them something to do after the game.
• FUEL starts on Sept. 16. This is our small group study with students.
• Save a Life! If you recall, last spring I reported that a teen, whose mom attends Zion, committed suicide. It was a difficult time. But, our God raises amazing things from ashes. Save a Life starts as an event on 9/11 at the Petroleum Valley Youth Center – not far from ZPV. This is a community wide event with several organizations and churches involved. The goal is to provide students hope in Christ and life resources that they may not turn to suicide. Please be praying for the students to hear!
• I hear good things from students. Many reported stories to me of what God accomplished in their lives over the summer. They made commitments to living godly lives, making a difference on their campus, abandoning hypocrisy, sharing their faith, and considering the ministry as a career option. God is working in our next generation.
And, please pray for One Day on Sept. 5. All three Zion campuses will be out of the buildings and into the communities serving where we can. This includes projects for communities & individuals as well as visiting nursing homes.
One more…Zion of Jefferson County launches 10-10-10!
Feel free to send me a note of how I can pray for you at joe@zionlife.com or snail mail to the address below. Thank you for supporting Zion!
In Christ,
Pastor Joe
Zion of Petroleum Valley
Dear Zion of Petroleum Valley Prayer Team,
Thank you for all the prayers and support for Jessyca and me as we made our trip to Prague. Our team did well. This is a closed hearted place, so career missionaries spend months (even years) building relationships to see fruit. We will send out a report letter soon; let me know if you want one (you will automatically receive it if you responded to our initial prayer letter).
Another summer is coming to a close. With school starting, let’s focus on students:
• While the situation has improved, we may not start school on time (Sept. 1) due to labor negotiations. Pray for final contract issues to be resolved.
• 5th Quarters start on Sept. 10. ZPV is a fourth mile from the high school, so we open up the building after home varsity football games for fun, food, friendship, and some Bible. We build relationship with students by giving them something to do after the game.
• FUEL starts on Sept. 16. This is our small group study with students.
• Save a Life! If you recall, last spring I reported that a teen, whose mom attends Zion, committed suicide. It was a difficult time. But, our God raises amazing things from ashes. Save a Life starts as an event on 9/11 at the Petroleum Valley Youth Center – not far from ZPV. This is a community wide event with several organizations and churches involved. The goal is to provide students hope in Christ and life resources that they may not turn to suicide. Please be praying for the students to hear!
• I hear good things from students. Many reported stories to me of what God accomplished in their lives over the summer. They made commitments to living godly lives, making a difference on their campus, abandoning hypocrisy, sharing their faith, and considering the ministry as a career option. God is working in our next generation.
And, please pray for One Day on Sept. 5. All three Zion campuses will be out of the buildings and into the communities serving where we can. This includes projects for communities & individuals as well as visiting nursing homes.
One more…Zion of Jefferson County launches 10-10-10!
Feel free to send me a note of how I can pray for you at joe@zionlife.com or snail mail to the address below. Thank you for supporting Zion!
In Christ,
Pastor Joe
Zion of Petroleum Valley
Friday, August 6, 2010
Czech Log August 6
August 6, 2010
Rain put a damper on ministry opportunities today, so not much to report on that front. We visited a castle, and I did get a chance to invite the tour guide to our English classes.
We (by “we” I include us all – not just this team) can start praying now for Steve, his family, and his team. These are solid people. Beg God for his Spirit to come upon Prague. Pray for their witness and the continual building of relationships. Pray for Bridge Community as they utilize their new facility.
Zion’s Prague Team will be back in PA Saturday night. We should see you Sunday.
Thank you for supporting and praying for us!
Pastor Joe
Rain put a damper on ministry opportunities today, so not much to report on that front. We visited a castle, and I did get a chance to invite the tour guide to our English classes.
We (by “we” I include us all – not just this team) can start praying now for Steve, his family, and his team. These are solid people. Beg God for his Spirit to come upon Prague. Pray for their witness and the continual building of relationships. Pray for Bridge Community as they utilize their new facility.
Zion’s Prague Team will be back in PA Saturday night. We should see you Sunday.
Thank you for supporting and praying for us!
Pastor Joe
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Czech Log August 5
August 5, 2010
So Pilate asks Jesus, “What is truth?” Now Pilate did not know that his question would one day describe the people of Prague. We spent some time speaking with Maggie tonight as she showed us the city at night. What a beautiful place, and what a dark place! It used to be that we only had to answer the question, “What is true?” We would present the facts and apologetics of the Bible, Jesus, and creation, etc. and win the argument. Not so fast in Prague. Before we can even get to the place of figuring out what is true, we need to back up a step and convince them that truth actually exists. We can really know that we do NOT live in a computer generated matrix. Truth must become a reality before any progress can be made.
So, if this is the case in Prague (and it is), how effective is it to blitz a city with a bunch of Bible tracts and eager college students? If Prague citizens do not even accept truth, tracts and American style evangelism falls woefully short. Slowly, the blindness needs to erode away. Because of all this, I’ve learned three things this week.
1. It takes relationships. Months and years need to be invested into people here. Trust must be developed. And, you have to be happy with low levels of fruit. Many Muslim countries have higher conversion rates than Prague along with flourishing (albeit underground) churches.
2. The people of Prague have nothing. While their economic status has improved since I drove through the country in 1990, there is not even an inkling of Jesus as children grow up. No Bible stories. No Sunday schools. No prayers around the dinner table. Again, if they’ve rejected even the notion of truth, they cannot easily reach the truth of the Gospel. So, that leaves them with a whole lot of vanity: sex, humanism, materialism, hedonism. Not much hope with these idols.
3. I need to be praying for the missionaries here. Steve, his family, and his journeymen (and women!) run into this concrete wall everyday. How would you hold up as the months go by? After a week, I’m tired. All I got for my efforts is one young man saying today, “I reject Christianity.” But, God knows the hearts. When we present the survey questions, most of the respondents have never thought through them before. In the quietness of their hearts, they wonder if there is something more.
Pastor Joe
So Pilate asks Jesus, “What is truth?” Now Pilate did not know that his question would one day describe the people of Prague. We spent some time speaking with Maggie tonight as she showed us the city at night. What a beautiful place, and what a dark place! It used to be that we only had to answer the question, “What is true?” We would present the facts and apologetics of the Bible, Jesus, and creation, etc. and win the argument. Not so fast in Prague. Before we can even get to the place of figuring out what is true, we need to back up a step and convince them that truth actually exists. We can really know that we do NOT live in a computer generated matrix. Truth must become a reality before any progress can be made.
So, if this is the case in Prague (and it is), how effective is it to blitz a city with a bunch of Bible tracts and eager college students? If Prague citizens do not even accept truth, tracts and American style evangelism falls woefully short. Slowly, the blindness needs to erode away. Because of all this, I’ve learned three things this week.
1. It takes relationships. Months and years need to be invested into people here. Trust must be developed. And, you have to be happy with low levels of fruit. Many Muslim countries have higher conversion rates than Prague along with flourishing (albeit underground) churches.
2. The people of Prague have nothing. While their economic status has improved since I drove through the country in 1990, there is not even an inkling of Jesus as children grow up. No Bible stories. No Sunday schools. No prayers around the dinner table. Again, if they’ve rejected even the notion of truth, they cannot easily reach the truth of the Gospel. So, that leaves them with a whole lot of vanity: sex, humanism, materialism, hedonism. Not much hope with these idols.
3. I need to be praying for the missionaries here. Steve, his family, and his journeymen (and women!) run into this concrete wall everyday. How would you hold up as the months go by? After a week, I’m tired. All I got for my efforts is one young man saying today, “I reject Christianity.” But, God knows the hearts. When we present the survey questions, most of the respondents have never thought through them before. In the quietness of their hearts, they wonder if there is something more.
Pastor Joe
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Czech Log August 4
August 4, 2010
Let me tell you about the surveys. Most Czechs never give God a thought. The surveys put the thoughts in their minds by asking them their opinions about Jesus, the Bible, the church, and Christianity. There is also a section about their interest: would they like to discuss the Bible, attend a sports event, come to church, hear a lecture/debate, do something in nature? And, we ask them if they would like a Czech New Testament. Many just fill them out and hand them back. However, the key is that they start thinking about these questions. They’ve likely not done so before. Is there a God? Who is Jesus? What is the point of the church? And, what does this have to do with me? As with all people, they need to wrestle with these issues.
Here’s what happened today with the surveys.
• We completed a total of 30 (a good day!).
• One lady was in the park getting some fresh air. She wore a hospital band. She thought it was too late for her. We left her with a Bible and a promise to pray (which we did). Some tears welled up.
• A homeless man became very interested in coming to our services. He even stopped us late to make sure he had the time and date correct.
• A teen gave one of our workers a contact number to follow up with English classes.
• A man blinked in unbelief as we were able to hand him a Czech New Testament. After all, he indicated he would like one on his survey. He was excited about any volleyball games we would be playing.
• A college student from Holland wants a team to go to his home country.
• And, we distributed six Bibles…most days, no one wants one.
While we again did not have students for English classes tonight, God can work anyway he wants to work. We will hand out bottled water tomorrow as a promotion for the classes too.
Keep praying!
Pastor Joe
Let me tell you about the surveys. Most Czechs never give God a thought. The surveys put the thoughts in their minds by asking them their opinions about Jesus, the Bible, the church, and Christianity. There is also a section about their interest: would they like to discuss the Bible, attend a sports event, come to church, hear a lecture/debate, do something in nature? And, we ask them if they would like a Czech New Testament. Many just fill them out and hand them back. However, the key is that they start thinking about these questions. They’ve likely not done so before. Is there a God? Who is Jesus? What is the point of the church? And, what does this have to do with me? As with all people, they need to wrestle with these issues.
Here’s what happened today with the surveys.
• We completed a total of 30 (a good day!).
• One lady was in the park getting some fresh air. She wore a hospital band. She thought it was too late for her. We left her with a Bible and a promise to pray (which we did). Some tears welled up.
• A homeless man became very interested in coming to our services. He even stopped us late to make sure he had the time and date correct.
• A teen gave one of our workers a contact number to follow up with English classes.
• A man blinked in unbelief as we were able to hand him a Czech New Testament. After all, he indicated he would like one on his survey. He was excited about any volleyball games we would be playing.
• A college student from Holland wants a team to go to his home country.
• And, we distributed six Bibles…most days, no one wants one.
While we again did not have students for English classes tonight, God can work anyway he wants to work. We will hand out bottled water tomorrow as a promotion for the classes too.
Keep praying!
Pastor Joe
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