In the student cities of the Czech and Slovak Republic, the Adventist youth initiative INRI Road offers increasingly popular student services. They are regularly held in the Community Centre Londynska in Prague, as well as in SDA churches in Bratislava, Brno, Ostrava, Olomouc and Pardubice
On Thursday 24th April, the Prague centre will already be hosting its 6th student service, now themed 'Bible stories in films'. The guest speaker is the script editor of Czech national television Petr Siska. The seating capacity of the Community centre is usually completely filled up. "For many of us, it is one of the few opportunities where we can invite our friends and classmates, so each time we see more and more new faces. We regularly hang the invites and posters at our schools, but we know from our own experience that a personal invitation works best," comments one of the organizers of the meetings Martin Pavlik. After an approximately hour-long service, there is a possibility to chat or discuss the topic in the adjacent café.
The INRI Road community in Bratislava has gradually developed from a small student study group, who had held regular meetings in the Bratislava Community Centre UNIK since the autumn of 2012. While studying the book of Acts, the students came up with an idea to ask other students to join as well, to offer them the venue and the community, where they could have some spiritual and social environment to complement their academic life.
After several preparatory and prayer meetings, the young Adventists organized for the first time a public student service. Pastor František Kolesár spoke on the topic "Spring cleaning". Two more meetings were held until the end of the academic year, in May and in June. The students continued with the initiative again after the summer holiday. The guests at the meetings included Juraj Turóci from the missionary association Maranatha, the cardiac surgeon and theologician Matej Ondrušek or one of the INRI Road members Martin Majer.
The students in Bratislava also meet irregularly on Friday nights to celebrate the beginning of Sabbath. Apart from holding common services, they also organize weekend trips and outdoor events, as well as continue with the regular Bible study groups in the community centre UNIK, where they also have movie nights and various other activities and meetings. In cooperation with the humanitarian organization ADRA, Bratislava students further regularly visit the emergency centre for children and youth on the Petržalka estate. A new experience for everyone was organization of a March academic conference 'Amicus: Christian and war', asking what is worth fighting for.
In Brno, students have also already hosted 6 student services this academic year. The initiative is led by the local student preacher Jan Havelka and the guest speakers included the theologician Oldřich Svoboda or one of the key initiators of the Pošli to dál (Pay it forward) movement Jakub Chýlek.
On 15th April, a one year anniversary of the first student service was celebrated in Ostrava. The student services are there held monthly, led by pastor and musician Dan Kašlík. Each of the past eleven meetings was visited by about seventy young people.
The students of Pardubice meet every Monday evening. Since last October, they have organized three student services. Their guests included pastors Petr Staš, Roman Buchtel and Stanislav Land. For the weekend 25th-27th April, they are preparing a programme, which asks 'What does it mean to love?'. Olomouc students hold their student services every month. Each service is by managed by two of them, assisted by the local pastor Tomáš Harastej.
