Ukraine Missions

 

 

In November of 2008, our youth ministry took its first ever foreign mission trip to work with orphans in orphanages around Kiev Ukraine. Partnered with TEAR (The Evangelistic Association of Russia), our youth worked in the snow, sharing the love of Jesus with hundreds of children. We fell in love with the children and people of Ukraine. So impacted by the experience, we decided to continue the partnership.

 

In November of 2010, we returned to work with many of the same children in the Tripylla orphanage, near Kiev. While we were there, we were introduced to Obolon Baptist Church. During the day we worked in the orphanage, and at night we met with the leadership and members of Obolon church to share our hearts and see if ministry together was possible. During this time, pastors in Ukraine, asked for people trained in Sunday school to come lead churches to start Sunday schools. We followed up the first ever nationwide Sunday school conference in Kiev, with our own conference at Obolon Church. While 300 pastors attended the national conference, our follow up was more of a hands on approach with one congregation. The effort bore fruit and Sunday schools were begun in Obolon.

 

Based on that trip, we entered into partnership, through TEAR, with Obolon Church called “Local to Global.” For three years we will disciple Obolon church in everything church. What we take for granted, they don’t have (Sunday school, greeters, printed materials, AWANA, etc.). Our first discipleship trip was November of 2011. A team of 6 adults led in leadership training, youth ministry, witnessing training, women’s ministry, the book RADICAL, and other materials. As a result, Obolon church immediately began evangelism efforts that look similar to “man on the street” interviews like one sees done through “The Way of the Master.”

 

The partnership is in it’s second year now. A regular newsletter is sent to Obolon by team members over here to continue to teach and encourage our brothers and sisters in Obolon. We also hope to bring a team of leaders from Obolon church to the states in 2012, so that may see us in our context of ministry (just as we say them in their context of ministry). We hope this will help them understand us better. In 2013 we plan to return to Kiev with another team to continue the work. After that, we will re-evaluate as to whether to continue the partnership or begin another one with another church in the Ukraine.