We are excited to announce
(drumroll please) …..”DdrrrrRRRRRRRR”
Our new partnership in Kremenets is all systems go !!!
Kremenets is a wonderful and historical city in the Northwest Ternopil region of Ukraine.
Why have we chosen this location as the base for our next project in October ? …It could’ve been for its amazing history, its beautiful architecture, or its stunningly gorgeous hills… but it wasn’t … it was for these 6 far more significant reasons.
1) This is a region in need of the gospel: Ternopil region has many, many, people who are yet to hear about the love of Jesus Christ. Whilst other regions have seen a dramatic and wonderful work of God planting churches, this region has only just started with that task. It has started… but only just!
2) Young people in need of unconditional love: Many young people when they leave state care and orphanages have but one option… to find their own way on city streets. For many young people it is at this moment that anything good they have learned, is “dumped” for the immediate need of self-preservation, or self-gratification. This world offers many things to live for but none of them deliver satisfaction or are ultimately good masters of our lives. Many stories end in tragedy, this world is a master of disappointment, sorrow and abuse.
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4) The church in this region is shining brightly as it steps out in faith to show the love of Christ to many at a critical and strategic time. A basic clothing and essential goods church ministry has blessed over 3000 children already this year alone. Many young people are seeking refuge in Churches rather than on the streets, many come to find not only a reason to live but the reason for life itself… Jesus Christ - the founder and giver of new life and new beginnings. The church is growing in amazing ways.
5) The church in this region has started to provide shelter for young people and those needing friendship and refuge in a broken and fallen world. Our October construction trip centres around such a place of refuge which is expanding due to need, and is likely to be a prototype for others. The 1stfloor is complete and in use. Those boys who were the occupants are now young men whose lives are dramatically turned around. `Sadly however, the second floor isn’t usuable– as the church doesn’t yet have all the resources it needs to accomplish the task they believe is from the heart of God. They would love it to be the home of some teenage girls. They prayed that God would provide… can you guess what happens next ?
6) We have been praying as a team very specifically that God would point us to a place where we can serve the church in a strategic and helpful way, now that our major project is complete. We have small gifts (we are like the little boy with fish and loaves) but we have an open heart to what God wants to do with us. We have some basic skills of labour/ construction, spiritual encouragement and a desire to see the church of Christ - live like Christ and honour him across the world. In his sovereign goodness he has found both parties “a perfect fit” in each other. We are a jigsaw made in heaven. On first conversation both sides of the Anglo-Ukrainian partnership were astounded at how God has gone ahead of us in every detail.
On September the 28th2019 a team will visit Kremenets and the region to do what we can to encourage this great work. We need 5 things … will you pray with us please?
1) We need a team. At the moment we have a small committed team ready and eager to go. To complete the task we need more (our next blog will give more practical details on the work and people needed for this trip), please get behind this asap - it'll make the world of difference to the effectiveness of it and impact so many.
2) We need Pastors and Churches to partner with us. This region has many different kinds of baby churches which we would love to encourage in partnership. My prayer is that we will see these churches grow to maturity as we encourage training and do life on life together. Would you like to adopt a church plant (pray with us for them, get to know their challenges and be part of the exciting story that is unfolding). This is an opportunity to loan your pastor, church leader or gifted servant to an area of the worldwide church who can benefit so much from their gift at such a critical time for church growth in the region. Whatever their strength (teaching, encouragement, evangelism, mercy ministry, counselling, music, young people, leadership training, church planting… etc etc all these gifts would be beneficial to us at this stage.)
3) We need some relational workers and servants… those who will come with us and be a friend, to those who need the ministry of encouragement and compassion. At this time we are looking for men who are able to work on a building project and encourage, and some women who will befriend the young women who come to live in the building once we have completed it. You may think your gift is limited but if you have a heart to help… it could be profoundly useful. If you can show a young person some basic life skills also .. you have hit the jackpot. (Peeling vegetables, cooking, washing, cleaning – all massively strategic at a pivotal time for young people living and caring for themselves for the first time.) If you have a TEFL qualification or have a passion to teach English as a foreign language on a short term trip we would especially love to hear from you.
4) We need people who will pray for this trip and the growing partnership that the church will grow in this region. Anything we have done of use up until now has been because we prayed, and God answered BIGTIME! We believe he is more ready to give than we are to ask – so we are expecting big things of Him and asking Him to be gracious with us as we play catchup with what he is doing.
5) We need generous givers (as we know many of you are) .We have some money for some materials to get us started but to finish floor 2 of “grace shelter” we need more – this is a very achievable project. We also need a huge amount of clothes and provisions so that many will be blessed by the church this winter in their need. Jumpers, hats, thermals, socks – you know the kind of stuff… and maybe a small gift of finance to help us get it there would be the bonus ball ! If you are up for anything however small – we’d love to hear from you and will put a system together … (maybe a facebook group??)
If you would like to come with us there are really very few boundaries to doing so. Flights are as little as £120 at the moment return, we can organise that and any insurance for you. You could come for just 1 or 2 weeks as you are able and is appropriate for your responsibilities. The only other qualification is that you are up for serving as part of the team and are able to point us in the direction of someone who could vouch for your suitability in that (Ideally a church leader… we will help with this)
Up for it ? Reply either at the bottom, on facebook or on email and be in no doubt that we will get back to you. I've typed this immediately after getting off Skype with our friends in kremenets... we are so excited that although we had never met, God has made us an answer to each others' prayers. We're so excited at what God might do and how the church may grow in this region... we hope you are too !!!
Yours excited and expectant ! BLOGSKI
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