When did you trust Christ?
I had a water baptism at (I think) 13 in 2002, but I still struggled to pinpoint the exact date throughout my teenage years. However, I sincerely worshipped and even had some interesting personal encounters with Jesus. In the summer of 2010, I was miraculously set free from an addiction, was filled by the Holy Spirit, and I definitively told Jesus I would follow him fully, even if it meant that I would serve him full-time in the future.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
I have had several defining moments. First, the conversion of my father while I was a small boy. Second, our family's arrival at the apostolic church in Martin, Slovakia, in 1998. I then started to be exposed to godly teaching. Third, God formed a group of 3 friends who sought Jesus together. Fourth, my father departed from faith, committed adultery, and my parents divorced. That caused a lot of questions, but by God's grace, I could fully forgive him in the end. It was a miracle. Fifth, I graduated from Bible school, found a godly wife, and started our life anew back in my hometown, ready to serve Jesus in any way possible. Sixth, becoming a husband and father forced me to grow into previously unknown levels of integrity. Seventh, I could not participate in ministry in my hometown, but, as a direct answer to a specific prayer, I was called to a different country and city to help the church over there in 2017. Eight, I became a pastor of a church in 2023.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
I hope to find opportunities for personal growth as a pastor, allowing me to serve and lead better. Also, I hope to find inspiration, knowledge, advice, or even help with our church's current situation (i.e., rebuilding phase, new leadership). Lastly, it would be nice to find new friends and grow my feeble network (as a pastor).
Within the Year-Round Mentoring group, I would appreciate some guidance on where to start, how to approach our project, valuable resources, tips, and potential issues. In particular, I would like to understand how to identify our weak areas or assess which parts of our church system are healthy and which are less so. I want to learn to formulate the desired outcome or targets after the revitalisation process - especially when broken down into specifics. I want to know how to plan for the change and how to inspire others to buy into the idea. In all of this, I want wisdom in how to stay within God's will and glorify Jesus.
What is your ministry?
In January 2023, I became a pastor of a Pentecostal church in Vyskov, a small city in South Moravia. It is a mid-size church (in our context) of 60-70 members, currently undergoing a transition phase connected with the leadership change. We are rebuilding and re-aligning everything with the Word of God and the heart of Jesus right from the roots. However, I lack experience, skills, and the support network to do it as best as possible.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
Since 2018, I have been a preacher/teacher. Since 2019, I have been an elder. Since 2023, I have been the lead pastor.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
It seems our church doesn't have many candidates for a pastor (none, to be precise). So, they may want to have as good a pastor as possible. And since 2024 will only be my 2nd year in this role, there is goodwill to allow me to grow and improve. Also, I have been willing to invest in the training of our leaders, so there is some reciprocity in this regard.
