Just Received! Major $20,000 Challenge Grant for the Slovakia JAC Center Renovation!

For 40 years, families in Slovakia were buried under a communist regime which left Slovak Christians unprepared for the freedom that would follow. Even though they are no longer under communist rule, new problems have emerged with democracy: materialism, secularism, divorce, domestic abuse, and alcohol and drug addiction. There is a breakdown in the moral fiber of the country, and I.N. Network Slovakia is providing ministry to men, women, and children to restore lives and families through the light of Jesus Christ.

JAC Center History

In 1993, after the fall of communism, the John Amos Comenius Center (JAC Center), which had been confiscated by the communists, was offered back to the church. I.N. Network Slovakia staff knew this was a place where lives could be transformed by the power of Christ and acquired the building with hopes of renovating it.

The JAC Center has now been under renovation for several years because of our reliance on financial support and global ministry teams to provide the labor. I have great news of a breakthrough in this long renovation journey. A $20,000 matching challenge grant will allow the JAC Center to provide:

1. increased capacity, which generates more funds to cover operating expenses
2. the leadership structure to operate a spiritually life-changing program
3. the expertise to market those services not only in Slovakia, but in the broader Centeral European countries

The Breakthrough
In February, Carpenters for Christ , a U.S. ministry that sends short term construction teams overseas, brought a group of 75 Americans to Slovakia to continue the renovation process at the JAC Center. While they were there, they recognized the importance and potential of this facility, and the Lord moved in their hearts.

The leadership of Carpenters for Christ is committed to raising a minimum of $20,000 and is challenging individuals and churches who are friends of I.N. Network to match their giving. Executive Director Pavel Sinko has shared that he will also raise an additional $20,000 in Slovakia to match the Carpenters for Christ gift. This would mean at least $60,000 for the JAC Center project.

Status of the JAC Renovation

In 2006 and 2007, the second and third floors were completed. Work teams from the United states saved on labor costs, and with the gifts of U.S. churches, materials costs were covered. We are in the final phases of the renovation. The finish the entire building it will require $300,000. What remains to be completed is the renovation of the ground floor, which includes the dining area, meeting rooms, offices, and the entry way, insulation (plaster coating) of the building exterior, and the purchase of kitchen equipment and furnishings throughout the facility.

The Challenge

Please consider investing in the Carpeters for Christ challenge of $20,000. The Lord is challenging the ministry to raise the remaining $300,000 needed to complete the project. By all of us joining together, the dream that started in 1945 with the construction of the JAC Center will be completed, enabling a new era of evangelism and discipling in Slovakia and neighboring countries. Please pray about what the Lord would have you do with this Kingdom opportunity!

To donate online, please click the "donate now" icon below and choose "Slovakia JAC Center Renovation" as your donation designation!

 I.N. Network is a 501(c)(3) charity and all donations are tax deductible.

 I.N. Network USA has been awarded Charity Navigator's Four-Star Rating for three consecutive years. Only 10% of the charities rated receive at least three consecutive four-star evaluations, indicating that I.N. Network USA outperforms most charities in America in its ability to efficiently manage and grow its finances.

John Amos Comenius (JAC) Christian Retreat Center History

The JAC Center was named after John Amos Comenius , an 17th century Moravian Evangelical pastor, Christian education pioneer, and a hero to Eastern European Christians.

Sixty years ago, the JAC Center was first constructed by Slovak church leadership to provide a place where Christians could go for spiritual renewal and ongoing ministry. In 1948, shortly after it was built, the JAC Center was confiscated by the communist regime. The communist government used the building for 40 years and it practically disintegrated into rubble as the communists desecrated its original Christian purposes for an unsupervised communist youth hostel where students were inundated with communist propaganda.

After the fall of communism, government officials offered the building back to the evangelical church in 1993. They gladly accepted, although the facility was in deplorable condition. I.N. Network is working to restore the building and use it to minister to adults and children. Even while the renovation progresses, many ministries are taking place, including seminars and conferences for married couples, theology students, lay ministers, church planters, and youth workers. Camps and retreats are offered for both Christian and public schools and people with disabilities. 

The vision is that the JAC Center will provide quality lodging food, conference facilities, and leisure services to families, individuals, and groups.

In some ways, completion and successful operation of the JAC Center is the final challenge in overcoming the communist past that inflicted so much pain upon the Slovak Evangelical church. God chose to miraculously release the JAC Center from this grave situation so it would rise from the ruins to serve as a site of hope and renewal.