Dear Friend of Eurasia,
Popasnaya was once a peaceful town in eastern Ukraine. Life for its 22,000 people went by much as it had for generations.
Then the war came.
In 2014, Popasnaya—and most of eastern Ukraine—became a battleground between the Ukrainian government and those who opposed it. Danger replaced routine. Uncertainty replaced tradition. The presence of armed soldiers, frequent shellings, and the risk of land mines became the new normal.
By March 2015, Popasnaya’s retail district had reportedly dwindled to two stores and one pharmacy. The majority of its residents had to rely on food distributions from humanitarian groups for survival. Across eastern Ukraine the story was the same.
Even today tensions remain high. Parents fear for their children’s safety. They worry about providing for their families. They wonder what the future holds.
They long for peace.
Yet within this desperate scene, a spark of hope is burning. People are opening their hearts to the gospel. They are eager to know the truth.
In Popasnaya, a group of believers now meets together for prayer and fellowship. In other villages, believers are searching out locations for churches.
But there is a problem. Many of these churches have no one to lead them—YET.
To address this tremendous need, the Ukrainian Pentecostal fellowship has set a goal to plant 400 churches over the next five years. Some of these will be in war-torn areas.
Evangel Theological Seminary in Kiev, Ukraine’s capital city, is participating in this goal by offering a four-month church planting program to help prepare qualified young people for ministry in unreached areas.
The program consists of 10 courses that will help students gain the basic tools of church planting. Students completing the program will be sent in teams of two to various locations where the church does not exist. Their goal is to build relationships and establish a church.
The entire four-month program costs $450 per student. That’s only $45 a course!
Every effort has been made to keep costs as low as possible. But even at $45 per course, the amount is beyond the reach of most young church planters.
Villages across Ukraine are begging for churches. Students are ready and eager to go. The only thing lacking is the finances to train them.
Would you consider providing the $450 cost to train one church planter for ministry? Or perhaps you could give $900 to prepare a team of two to plant a church in a village with no gospel witness.
Even a gift of $45 would pay for one course for a student. When combined with other gifts, the cost of one student’s expenses would soon be reached.
Whatever you can do to help plant the church in Ukraine would be deeply appreciated.
Please combine your gift with prayer that God will begin a wave of church planting throughout Ukraine as His people preach peace in the midst of war.
P.S. Newly trained church planters now have an unprecedented opportunity for evangelism!
This year marks the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. To commemorate the occasion, Ukraine’s president is planning a series of celebrations, festivals and ceremonies throughout the year.
“The government is asking us to help with the celebrations by showcasing who we are and what we stand for,” says Vasiliy Voytovich, president of Evangel Theological Seminary. “We have permission to go into cities, villages and schools across Ukraine to share the gospel.”
We must not miss this wide-open door of opportunity to share the gospel! Your gift to assist young church planters—whether $45 for one training class, $450 for the entire four- month course, or $900 to launch a two-person church planting team—will help provide a church in an area where the gospel is not known.