A Faithful Presence in Prague

At St. Bartholomew, our Mission & Outreach ministry believes that sharing the Gospel often begins long before a conversation about faith. Sometimes, it begins around a table, in a classroom, through movement, over a cup of coffee, or simply by being present in someone’s life long enough for trust to grow.

That is at the heart of the ministry of Josh and Anna Hayden, longtime St. B’s mission partners serving in Prague, Czech Republic, through Global Scholars.  Global Scholars equips Christian professors to have a redemptive influence among their students, colleagues, university, and academic disciplines.  

In one of the most secular regions of Europe, the Haydens are building genuine relationships with university students, families, colleagues, and neighbors from around the world. Their ministry is rooted in faithful presence, hospitality, education, mentoring, worship, and the belief that people should be known and loved before anything is expected of them.

Ministry Through Relationships and Hospitality

Josh serves within a secular international university community, teaching, mentoring, and building relationships with students from more than 38 countries.

For most of these students, Christianity may be unfamiliar, misunderstood, or rarely encountered through a trusted relationship. Josh and Anna create space for honest questions, thoughtful conversation, mentorship, friendship, and hospitality without pressure.  Their ministry also extends to faculty colleagues, many of whom come from post–Christian societies.  

Their home is an important part of that ministry. Around their table, students and friends gather to share meals, celebrate, talk, ask questions, and experience genuine Christian community.

Because many students eventually return home or continue their lives in other parts of the world, the relationships formed in Prague can have influence far beyond the Czech Republic. A conversation begun in a classroom or a friendship formed around a table can travel into families, workplaces, communities, and countries Josh and Anna themselves may never enter.

Worship Through Movement and Christian Education

Anna’s ministry brings another beautiful dimension to their work.

She teaches at a Christian school in Prague, where she has the opportunity to invest in students from over 30 nations through education, encouragement, and faith-centered community. One-third of the student body comes from the 10/40 window.  Alongside that work, her background in classical ballet allows her to use dance as a way of building relationships and teaching worship through movement.

Dance becomes more than performance. It becomes an expression of faith, beauty, prayer, and worship. Her ministry has also impacted Ukrainian families displaced by war, offering healing through the arts, relationship, and community during seasons of profound transition. Through teaching, movement, hospitality, and presence, Anna helps create spaces where people can experience something of the beauty, hope, and love of God.

Small Moments. Far-Reaching Impact.

Much of the Haydens’ ministry happens through things that can appear simple from the outside: Meals. Conversations. Teaching. Mentoring. Dance. Worship. Friendship. Showing up again. But the impact is anything but small. Their ministry reflects the words of Romans 10:15: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” For Josh and Anna, bringing the Good News does not always begin with a sermon. It may begin with a student who knows someone genuinely cares, a family finding community in an unfamiliar place, a meal shared around a table, or movement offered as worship. This is Romans 10:15 in action: faithfully carrying the Good News into the places God has already put them and trusting Him with how far those relationships may travel. We may never know how far one faithful relationship will travel.

Why This Matters to St. B’s

The Haydens’ ministry reflects something we value deeply at St. Bartholomew’s: the Gospel is shared not only in what we say, but also in how faithfully we live among others. Through our partnership with Josh and Anna, St. B’s participates in ministry within an international university community and among people from many nations and backgrounds. Their work reminds us that faithful presence in one place can have an impact far beyond that place.