Mateusz Polkowski
I am involved in children's ministry. Previously, I was one of the youth leaders. I am the father of 3 children, and because of this, I've changed my ministry area to children and their parents. We provide Sunday Schools and meetings for parents.
I was born and raised in a Catholic family. We attended church every Sunday. But God was not at the center of the family, and I was not a believer. I had the feeling in my heart that God loved me because I was a good person—that I could do whatever I wanted, and I would still go to heaven. Everything changed when my parents sent me to an English summer camp hosted by a Baptist church from Gdansk. At first, I was skeptical, but after a couple of days at camp, I started to ask questions. I wanted to get to know more about God. I realized that I was a sinner. I learned what Jesus had done for me, and after the summer camp, I was saved. Understanding God’s grace was the most crucial part of changing my life.
From the day of my conversion, I started living for God, reading His word, and spending time in prayer. My family wasn’t happy that I was attending a Baptist church. My parents felt like they had failed in raising me as a good Catholic. It was a challenging time for me, but God gave me the strength to be a witness to His love and mercy. When I was baptized, I invited my family to the Baptist church. That was their very first time in a Protestant church. God moved their hearts, and after I was baptized, they started to attend a Bible study group in the Baptist church! God has given me strength and love in every moment of my life as a Christian. Now, I am a husband and a father. Together with my wife, we serve in the church as youth leaders and want to serve more daily.
The European Leadership Forum is an excellent opportunity to grow as a leader in Christ. The Forum allows me to learn many things and meet people who can help me with my ministry. I look forward to returning home to implement all the good ideas I have encountered. For example, I started a meeting for fathers - we meet frequently in a group of 15-30. We prepare food and have quality conversations about parenthood challenges. We try to at least once a month.
I previously served in youth ministry at the Baptist Church in Malbork. I also served food to homeless people
I am a young person, and I spend a lot of time with our group of young people. I spend a great deal of time in the church and would like to serve the teenagers from our neighborhood better and more effectively.