The Czech Republic, with a population of 10 million, is situated in the heart of Central Europe. While it has a rich Christian history, 40 years of communism effectively wiped faith in God from the current generation. In 2002, the United Nations issued a report listing the Czech Republic as the 2nd most atheistic country in the world. Yet deep down many are searching for meaning. The communists left another legacy: a crippled church with few trained pastors and weak lay leadership. Though a committed remnant persevered; the church remains for most Czechs an archaic and irrelevant institution. There is a great need for young, bright, national Christians to penetrate the church and society at every level with the relevant message of the living Lord.
The Strategy
Charles University, founded in 1348 by Emperor Charles IV, sprawls throughout Prague as do nine other smaller colleges and technical universities. Sixteen Christian young men recruited from a variety of denominations will live in the Prague Tyrannus Hall during their university years and participate in a high-commitment, peer-discipling community under the care of a staff family. This includes among other things participation in theological lectures, morning devotions, physical exercise, evangelism training, summer missions, shared meals, as well as responsibility for the physical and financial maintenance of the hall. The goal is to integrate faith with all aspects of life in order to equip laymen to build up the church of Jesus Christ.
The Vision
We are a relatively small mission, but we know that Jesus Christ is faithful and will build His church. As part of the body of Christ, taking seriously His claims and mandate to make disciples, THI’s vision is that this quality, multi-functional facility in the heart of Europe will be a powerful tool for training student leaders to reach the next generation for Christ and His kingdom.