Choosing the narrow road
Inspiring faith stories from those choosing to live and serve on the road less traveled. For security, we have changed the names and are not showing photos of these brave shepherds.
God at work through people
Sasha and Natalia live and minister just outside of Kyiv in town called Bucha. Their church meets in a community center on Yablunska street just a block from the scene of great destruction and a brutal massacre that killed over 300 civilians in March of 2022.
Although Sasha and Natalia were forced to flee for a short time when the city was occupied, they returned as soon as it was liberated and have been serving their community wholistically ever since. They work hard to share the Gospel and care for the many people that God is drawing to faith, but the painful experiences they face are emotionally draining and they are exhausted. Please pray that God would sustain them and fill them with His Spirit as they continue to show the love of Christ in tangible ways to their wounded community.
God at work through hands and feet
The staff of the church in Dunaivtsi (central Ukraine) was not close to the fighting, but God had been preparing them for such a time as this. When the second invasion forced hundreds of thousands of families to flee from their homes in the east, many came to the church to seek shelter and food on their way west. The staff reacted quickly to transform their facilities into a helping center and churches in the area mobilized with them to house hundreds and feed over 3,000 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) daily. It was a beautiful expression of God working through the hands and feet of His church to love and care for displaced and suffering.
Most of the IDPs have moved on and so the church is once again seeking the Lord for how help. They are developing plans to start a rehab center for wounded soldiers and offer counseling for them and their family members. Please pray for God’s leading and wisdom for pastor Anatoli and the staff of the Bethlehem church. May they continue to effectively serve the needs of their community and loving share the hope that we have in Christ.
God at work through divine intervention
Oleg and his family serve Christ in Kharkiv. When the Russian troops advanced on the city, Oleg sent his family and most of the church to western Ukraine for safety. He courageously remained as a chaplain in the Ukrainian military and to pastor those in his church and community who remained. In the evenings, he would gather in his living room with a group of men who remained to pray.
One evening they heard a giant thud that shook the house, but there was no explosion. When they moved from the living room to the kitchen to investigate, they found a missile had crashed through roof and landed on a bed where one of their friends had been sitting moments before. Miraculously, the large missile had not detonated and none of the group were injured. Sergei believes that God spared their lives to continue to be his ambassadors throughout this city, just 30 kilometers from the fighting and the frequent target of Russian missile and drone attacks. Please continue to pray for Oleg and the brave pastoral couples who continue to serve in this difficult and dangerous war zone.
God at work through the pain
The Church at Ukraine Christian Sports Academy (UCSA) meets in a small room in an amazing sports complex near Kyiv. The congregation is a mix of young families and IDPs. Some work as builders providing work and income for new arrivals. Others are Christian counselors helping the physically and emotionally wounded work through the pain of their loss and the trauma of the war. Together, they are serving the sports community and a new village next door that houses up to 2,000 IDPs from around the country. They struggle to sleep well, woken often by the air raid sirens and frequent barrage of drones and missiles. Pray for wisdom in their work and ministry so they might faithfully be witnesses of the living hope we have in Christ.
