Missionaries in Warsaw welcome visitors, media

WARSAW, Poland — An international convention in Warsaw gave missionaries with the Outreach Program an opportunity to put a new visitors center to use, gaining visibility in the press and the community.

The World Congress of Families, a consortium of organizations that lobby lawmaking bodies in their home countries as well as international policy organizations like the United Nations, attracted 3,300 delegates to Warsaw May 11-13. A number of Latter-day Saints were among the delegates and speakers, including Elder Bruce C. Hafen of the Seventy who serves as president of the Europe Central Area.

Public affairs missionaries from Frankfurt hosted a family-themed exhibit at the congress, assisted by Warsaw resident Marcin Kulinicz, a public affairs specialist.

Outreach activities tied to the congress began with an April 21 open house emphasizing the importance the Church places on families. The open house took place in and around the Warsaw Branch meetinghouse, the only meetinghouse the Church owns in Poland.

The open house was sponsored by the Young Special Adult Outreach Program staff. Elder Marc Hall, serving as an Outreach missionary in the Poland Warsaw Mission, said the Outreach Program has seen great success in stakes across Europe since initiated in 2005.

The program is unique in Poland because it is the first established in a mission/district environment rather than in a stake.

Rooms in the Warsaw meetinghouse serve a number of important missionary functions during the week. A Family History Center that opened March 20 is used by people of other faiths.

In rooms and corridors surrounding the Family History Center, missionaries have developed a "mini visitors center" where people can view films and other displays that visitors centers use to explain the mission of the Church.

A "Man's Search for Happiness" and "The First Vision" films have been translated into Polish, and missionaries are working on Polish translations for other missionary films.

Population statistics put membership in the Roman Catholic Church in Poland at 90 percent and above; and Poland is unique among its European neighbors because 60 percent of Poles regularly attend church, compared with fewer than 5 percent elsewhere.

Elder Hall said missionaries were pleased to get news media coverage because that gave an opportunity for broader positive awareness of the Church.

One newspaper account of the open house noted Poles' unfamiliarity with the Church but quoted Church members' affirmation of the Church as a Christian faith.

Elder Hall said the Outreach Program, supported by the service hours of 12 full-time missionaries, has been successful in attracting non-members to its English language, music directing, computer skills and other classes.

The program and the open house were especially successful in bringing less-active members back into the Church. Elder Hall said eight less-active members returned to Church the Sunday after the open house and three returned the next day for the young single adult home evening.

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