The Polish Reformed Church was founded in 1551 in Southern Poland.  After World War II it was reorganized as the Polish Evangelical Reformed Church which continues today the rich tradition of Polish Reformed Christianity.  There are no precise statistics about church membership but there are approximately 4,000 members spread across 17 places of worship in Poland.  Parishes vary greatly in size from Warsaw (about 400 members), to Łódź with about 120 members, to Pstrążna with 14 members.  Members of the Polish Evangelical Reformed Church are a tiny minority in a population of 38 million Poles.  Global Ministries is in partnership with the Evangelical Reformed Church and missionaries Doug and Liz Searles are located in Łódź.

Year 2009 is the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, a significant, recognized and celebrated date in the churches of Europe.  Publication of "What Do We Believe?" is scheduled to coincide with this year-long celebration.  This undertaking is a high priority for the Evangelical Reformed Church in Poland.   All of the work of translation and commentary – everything it takes to produce the compendium – is being donated.   The church is left to prioritize available financial resources for the printing, which is very expensive there – and this a denomination whose pastors are paid a half-time salary.   Yet this resource is Critical Presence for the church in Poland at this time.

In-kind donations are also helpful to the ministries of the Evangelical Reformed Church in Poland.  The Searles have provided the following list of items which would be helpful:

• Copies of a favorite anthem or song your choir sang in worship recently
• Easy good arrangements for organ preludes, offertories, postludes
• Copies of the Bible in Today's English Version, which is a good version for non-native English speakers in ESL Bible Study
• A few copies of "The Message" (the Peterson translation) for gifts to pastors
• Photos of your church sanctuary, preferably with people in the photo
• Photos of banners you use in your church
• Gently used banners (please send photo first) to brighten churches

If you or your church is ready to ship such items to Poland, please contact Global Ministries Resource Development at gifts@dom.disciples.org for shipping guidelines and address.   Or, you are welcome to send financial gifts for these items to be purchased by the Evangelical Reformed Church in Poland itself.