2019 review and plans for 2020

Small people in God's big plans.

Summary of the year.
  2019 was a hugely significant year for Equip4good. The year started with us being prompted to stop, regroup and submit afresh to God's purposes. 

  Stopping what you are doing (and find value in) is a humbling thing. Being reminded that  what we are (character) is more important to God than what we do for him out of habbit (continual industry and activity) is a good thing. It reminds us that any involement we have in his plans to reach this world with his love, is an act of grace. He includes us becuase he is gracious, not because we have anything to offer ourselves. He alone is our worth. This reassessment needs to be a regular discipline of every person who cliams to follow Jesus Christ. We live for him and not ourselves, we live for his glory (not our fulfillment), we live to say "thank you" to him for his immeasurable grace, to build his kingdom and not our own. Anything we do of worth is becuase he gives us gifts and strength.  
This period of reflection and submission was hugely profitable. The year ended with us being involved in incomparibly more projects and partnering with far more people than before; the completion of a second transition house, the purchase of a second in the North. We are praising God for many young people who have found Christ this year, multiplied involvement in the training and encouragment of pastors, evangelsists, youth workers, new / growing churches and the imeasureable priviage of partnering with the extraordinary move and work of God in Donbass War region.
 Previously our work in Ukraine was concentrated in the South, but 2019 saw our ministry of encouragement also develop and widen in the North / West and East. The work in the South multiplied in it's capacity to give a home to many new boys and girls in need. The building of 4 new homes in October was a huge answer to prayer, the gospel is being  preached  in many unreached areas, a growing number of children in both church and state orphanges are coming to Christ, areas where very few have been reached with the love of Christ are seeing churches born and grow. New partners have come on board for the  work in the South. We are so thankful to God for the timing of this - they became involved in a crisis which sadly grows in  need and but also grows wonderfully in the fruiftulness of the church as many of us work together. The work of Black sea camp continues to grow and encourage, with young people finding salvation at summer camp, and thousands encouraged and recharged to work for Christ. Accross the nation many people are coming to Christ, new gospel workers, church planters, evangelists, youth workers and pastors are and increasingly being used of God to forward mission to Ukraine, and neighbouring countries. A new army of the next generation hear the call of Christ and set off for countries that are as yet unreached by the good news, their faithfulness and fruitfulness is stunning. During the year we comitted in faith to several major new financial comitments (all of which were multiples bigger than previous years) to support these things, yet ...abosultely  all we needed was completely provided by God's goodness and through the partnership and generosity of brothers and sisters in the UK.

God is so good, and his plans and faithfulness are so glorious.  Our part is really small but by God's grace hugely profitable and immensely blessed. 

Thank you so much all of you who heard his voice and went, gave, prayed, trusted and stayed faithful to his calling and voice of grace. You did not give to us but Him, and you will reap in Him.


Our Aims:

• Equip4good exists to encourage those who seek to reach the world with the love and grace of Jesus Christ, through showing compassion, practical help, works of encouragement and biblical training.
• We aim to partner christians and churches in the Uk with many good people and fruitful gospel projects in Eastern Europe and central Asia. Our focus is on the growth of the local church in unreached, needy and crisis hit areas. 
• The nature of what we do means that not all we do can be broadcast publicly. Our web communications are now only a small part/ snapshot of what we do. We therefore aim to protect those we work with in other sensitive countries, maintaining that personal contact (often visiting your church, group or school) is our primary and best means of communication. 
• We look to support strategic works of God at critical times of gospel growth. Our financial comitment is always intentionally "short term" with a desire and action plan to see long term indigenous support supercede our help, 
• Currently much of our work is focussed on Ukraine with a desire to reach that country and the surrounding countries for Christ. We remian open to the leading of The Holy Spirit and maintain links with many countries and individuals. His clear direction, timing and equipping is critical in all we attempt and commit to. We remain comitted to existing partnerships especially in those more difficult places that we cannot share here where the majority have not yet heard the gospel.
• At the centre of our ministry is a desire not only to encourage and revitalise the church away from the UK but to be reenergised, retrained and fruitful ourselves as we return to serve the Uk church.  The UK is a postChristian mission field. To this end a vital part of what we do is encourage each other for "works of service" in the local church, wherever God has placed us to serve with renewed compassion. clarity, conviction and vigour. On our trips away we do train others... but we also train ourselves through what God is teaching us by his word, and through the worldwide local church we have the privelege of serving . We work in partnership with Uk pastors and churches, serving together in mutual accountability, submission and cooperation. This worldwide partnership equips us to better understand the call of God and make us more fruitful in the UK.
• All who come out on our teams do so under the accountability of their local church leadership. Together (through references, conversations and orayer) we seek to encourage gifts in each other that will benifit the church and grow his kingdom wherever he sends us.
•  There are 3 strands of our work...
• 1) Encouragement through building and practical help for local churches. These include:
•  building transition houses for children and teenagers, street kids, and the institutionally unloved - any in need of a loving Christian home.
•  building conference or training facilities for the church where there are no other facilities, clothes for the winter in the name of Christ,
• Support in crisis areas: bakery facilities to support gospel work. basics for those in poverty, food for those who struggle to eat on a daily basis.

All of these practical helps are bridges which facilitate the faithful local church to preach the gospel and are baring much eternal fruit.

• 2) Training and Spiritual encouragement. Our pators conferences, 1:1's with evangelsists, youth workers, church team leaders and regional networks and preaching programs are partnered in ongoing prayer from the UK. These are leading to  longer term missional and training partnerships as we seek a growing church in unreached areas. It is good to see the weary not lose heart in doing such amazing things for His Glory, and his truth vibrantly equipping his church for works of service. God has brought us together for "such a time as this". Likeminded pioneers, and experienced practicioners are "found together" by Him so that "Iron sharpens Iron" and the shared work becomes focussed and fruitful. He takes all the glory, our strength is renewed as we find our joy together in Him.
• 3) Partnership support and introductions. Over time many links and partnerships of mutual interest of care and spiritual are created and nurtured. This is increasingly the case and an immense privelege as many churches in the UK are look to link up with those in other places (maybe with a church the same size in a crisis region or pinoeering missional program). This is of immeasureble benifit and encouragement to the UK Church as we seek to serve together. We thank God for this mutually benficial relationship, he is the one who has brought us together at such cost. We are one eternal and joyful family because of Him.

Highlights of 2019
 There are too many highlughts to include here and what we share is with much fear about what will be missed out. 
3 things stand out however...
1) Our new partnerships, many with the churches in Northern / Western Ukraine, are a huge  encouragement. Not only did we see the completion of the first Kremenets transition house, but were able to secure the purchase of a second house downtown and therefore the expansion of the ministry and facilities of this gospel hub. When we left in October the church finlised/ finished off the buiding to fantastic standard, the girls moving in for a very happy Christmas.

(click on the pictures for a larger view)

 















Yes it is just a building but these are doors and rooms of welcome, which say "come, just as you are, find a home here in the name of Jesus Christ"
  Infinitely more important to God than buildings though, are people. He is the true Creator, each individual made to display his likeness, love and glory. Our team was blown away by seeing God at work in this vast and unreached area through many wonderful, sacrificial, generous, brothers and sisters in Christ. Many precious folks are doing great things; 

People like Elijah, travelling many miles each week to share the gospel with orphanages, schools and young people.  

 People like Ruslan looking to plant churches in tough places, areas oppressed by the tyranny and darkness of man-driven religion and idolatory as he and his family live a life of simplicity and obedience, discipline and submission to Christ.

 Churches which welcome in young and old in desperiate need of a loving home, showing them Christ and redirecting them to live for Christ in the joy of Christ. 

Precious friends like Vlodic and Ira and their family...

 ...comitted to many, many, ministries to see the next generation won and mobilsed for Christ (youth work, transition houses, numerous camps, programs for childrens ministry  and training for new workers, evangelism, village outreach etc. etc.) They work tirelessly yet with joy. They model what it is to give their lives and energy for the gospel.

Pastors, church planters and faithful people who work persistently to advance the gospel, at the same time work in demanding secular jobs. 

All of this has been a huge encouragement and challenge to us as a team and the UK Church. We are so grateful for our partnership in Him as we see his church grow and missional momentum emerge in places where many are yet still yet to hear and are without Christ.  

2) Our small role in supporting believers in the war region though times of extraordinary challange and blessing.

 We were so pleased to help support the bakery double its daily output of bread to the Donbass region. Their act of love impacts many each day ...

In schools, war-torn villages, as the rejected and displaced receieved unconditional love and compassion. Many want to hear about Jesus due to this extraordinary and counter cultural initiative.
It was a joy to spend time with pastors and churches, regional pastors/ bishops and humanitarian workers at the forefront of what God is doing in extraordinary times. We may have been there to train and encourage others, but we came away the better informed and ignited. The way that God is blessing this ministry cannot be detailed here, but it is nothing other than extraordinary. Churches born, pastors trained, unnumbered coming to know Christ.

 In the darkest of times the church shines brightest and it was such a joy to preach the love,character, work and invitation of Christ in this place, where his people authenticate the message of grace by their actions and cooperation. The work of God's Spirit is so evident here. I will never forget the privilege of sharing the certain hope of Christ with a backdrop of; shelling, bullet holes, destruction and fear, the tears of gratitude and repentance of those who heard of Christ for the first time, the joy of those who found eternal security in the midst of perpetual daily chaos and man-made devastation.
 We pray for lasting, ongoing and eternal legacy. The maturity of many fledgling believers and churches. We look to support these things in whatever way we are directed to by Him.
3)  The growth of our work to encourage more pastors and gospel workers. Training is about information, but it is much more about supporting others in the challanges and demands they face. We are so pleased to have been of any help in small ways. What a wonderful thing to see first hand when pastors come to a conference, seminar or conversation under the cloud of seemingly impossible challanges, and then be present as they see God in his word, the one for whom nothing is impossible. God is the great physician, healing the broken hearted and downcast. What a joy then to see the best of God's people leave recharged, reenergised to take the gospel of hope, and to lead the church with clarity and God given certainty.  We are bystanders, participaters at best... not instigators in this, but we are so grateful to be part of what God is doing.

Plans for 2020

From hereon in our updates in 2020 will feature a ministry focus, some individuals and projects that you can pray for and if desired partner with. There are more trips happeneing this year than ever before.
 Some Key Dates for your diary and prayers...

•  January 29- February 5th: Ternopil region pastors conference and encouragement. 
• April 12th-26th. Start of Uk teams going out to work on "downtown Kremenets transition house", shelter and youth outreach building. 
• (booking now open - other dates around this time may also be available )
• July 19-31. Summer teams and Summer camps; Youth and outreach trips from Uk, working teams to Kremenets transition house 2nd project, encouragement of youth and support in training youth ministry. 
• (open to  those aged`16-99 with a suitable pastoral reference)
• 27th Sept - Oct 11th: Provisional dates for further Work, Training and Team trips. 

We will go into more detail in future blogs, more possibilities and expectations than we can outine here.

1) THANK YOU for those who gave, prayed, went, served and remained faithful partners in 2019. Thank you to those new churches coming on board in 2020 to help through this time of opportunity and growth.
2)  PLEASE do consider getting involved.

•  There are more opportunities for youth (during summer) , women (mentoring and encouragement) , the non-DIY'er, builders, and humble bible sharers this year than ever before.
• If you can speak English and would love to be a friend in his name, we can use you and would really value you on our team.
• If you can help us in prayer, giving of materials, clothes or finance we'd love to talk privately.
• We would love to come and share what is going on with you, your family, your church, your group or midweek get-together. We have no agenda other than serving his purposes and fitting in with Him. You don't need to be an existing partner to enjoy what he is doing, we'd love just to help you see the glory of of our God at work and give him all the praise.

 Praise him for all that is past, and trust him with us for all that is to come.
Yours with great gratitude and appreciation of your love and partnership,
BLOGSKI