United in Christ: Learning and fellowship in Poland

Europe One Team leadership, Luke and Jennifer Wolfgramm, very kindly invited me to join them and 13 other confessional Lutheran pastors and teachers from sister churches across Europe for a five-day training workshop in Warsaw, Poland. The workshop provided an opportunity to develop our approach to adult Christian education, but it also became a wonderful reminder of the unity and encouragement we share as brothers and sisters in Christ.

There are two WELS pastors serving in Europe. Rev. Mike Hartmann serves as the WELS World Missions called missionary in London, and I am still undergoing pastoral training through the WELS Pastoral Studies Institute (PSI) program while serving a congregation in England. The work can sometimes feel like a lonely path, particularly when the inevitable challenges of ministry arise.

Before the workshop, I had never met any of the European brothers and sisters who would be attending. Most of the pastors have many years of ministry experience, and I wondered how I would be received and whether the training would prove valuable.

As it turned out, I need not have worried on either count!

The workshop was on dialogue education, an approach to adult learning that places learners at the center, and encourages active participation and discussion, to make better learning experiences. We explored how we could use dialogue education to prepare adult Bible studies and devotions, to enable people to engage more deeply with God’s Word.

Although some of us initially had reservations about this approach, by the end of the workshop there was a shared enthusiasm for what we had learned. The teaching was valuable, but so was the opportunity to learn from one another’s experience. We left with fresh ideas and a renewed desire to consider how we can best serve those entrusted to our care through the teaching of Scripture.

There were two special highlights for me:

Putting learning into practice
On the final day, we each designed and delivered a seven-minute lesson, putting into practice the principles we had learned throughout the workshop. Although we had all received the same training, each person chose a unique subject and brought their own gifts, experience, and teaching style to the lesson. It was a practical demonstration of how much we can learn from one another.

Finding family in Christ

More than this, though, the greatest highlight for me was the fellowship.

Within 20 minutes of meeting everyone on the first day, I already felt part of a very special family, united in our love for Christ and his gospel. I have rarely experienced such warmth, generosity, and Christian love.

The pastors and teachers who attended serve congregations that are all in fellowship with WELS. Although we come from different countries and ministry settings, we share the same precious gospel and the same confession of faith. Meeting these fellow servants of the Lord made that unity real in a way I will never forget.

I was particularly humbled by their quiet confidence and joy in serving Christ, even while facing the very real challenges of ministry in their own countries. Their humility, openness, and grace reminded me that, although our work may sometimes feel lonely, we are never alone in the work of the gospel.

I came to Warsaw wondering whether I would fit in and whether four days of training would make a meaningful difference to my ministry. I left with practical ideas to improve my teaching, but, more importantly, with gratitude to God for the brothers and sisters with whom I share this work.

I am sincerely thankful to Luke and Jennifer Wolfgramm for their kindness in making this opportunity possible, to Professor Ken Cherney for leading the workshop so skillfully, and to my European brother pastors and fellow sister teachers for their wisdom, encouragement, and love.

As Paul reminds us:

“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body” (Colossians 3:14–15, ESV).

Written by Lawrence McCatty, pastor in training and member at Holy Word Lutheran Church in Wolverhampton, England