He lifts our heads, as we depend on Him.

PSALM 3:3-4

But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
    my glory, and the lifter of my head. 

 I cried aloud to the Lord,  

and he answered me from his holy hill.

Thank you friends, we are humbled by your help.

It has beeen an overwhelming joy, and so encouraging to get messages, gifts (to pass on to others) and promises of help in the demanding year ahead. We are realistic about the many challenges of the next few months, but we have much to thank God for, and every reason to move purposely forward after this month of prayer.

Perspective and Praise

 When we started this month of prayer, it was primarily  to make the most of the lockdown opportunity, and get more disciplined / serious about praying for His world. Hindsight shows however, that non of us saw the absolute battering some of our friends in gospel ministry would get during this time. In a variety of places and so many situations the message was the same, "be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand..." (Eph 6:10-11)

When tough times come, self sufficiency is not the weapon Christians have to rely on, we have someone far greater than ourselves. The biggest battle for many of us and our friends has not been covid (as massive as that is), but the unseen battle for minds and hearts. There is one who hates what is being done to communicate the overcoming, overruling grace of God. The tactic of our enemy is to tell the lie, that destruction and despair are our only future, (we might as well just live for today and ourselves). There is one in charge however, who overrules this season, and holds eternity in his hands. His hands bears the scars of His love for us, testifying to the glorious and undeniable truth. This is a love which will never ever give up on us, has conquered the power of death and secured the ending for all who trust in Him. Because he lives we can face tomorrow, and all (true) fear is gone. 

So from the wider missional family, this month of struggle was also a time of surprising success, as we came to depend more on Him. This month - youth groups started in church plants, people came to faith over zoom, people alone without hope...without a home - accepted not only a humanitarian aid visit, but also accepted Christ.  Our partnership with many friends grew, and detailed planning gathered momentum about how we could help in the future. Network friends with similar interests linked up together, people in lockdown (red zone) had really special times of fellowship. Ours is a supporting role only, but we do get a ringside view of what God is doing, which is a priceless privilege. Nothing can derail the plans of God. We are so grateful for the prompt of God to pray more earnestly, and so grateful for your mighty partnership in this.

How was lockdown for you?

 Some English friends said they'd even lost track of which day it was, a sense of the rhythm of life had dissipated, that every day has seemed to be a bit like a "blurday". All our times are in his hands (including the extraordinary and very ordinary days. Psalm 31:15, Psalm 139:16) 

Don't be fooled, this season is finite but His promises and presence are eternal. In Him we are truly freed not bound, restrained or restricted... and we have many things to praise him for at the end of this month, including the many fresh gospel opportunities before us. God has "opened up the way" (Heb 10:19-20), the way of salvation, the way for us as a team to have many more opportunities to serve. We are so encouraged! We hope you are too.

Prayer and plans

1) Thank him for the unity we have enjoyed, partners and teams in a number of countries (with a number of languages) all with one purose in Christ (even if we are now all in different tiers). 

2) Thank him that a number of unplanned exchanges and developments happened in the month that have forwarded his purposes. Whether it was prayer, property, provision, planting or pastoring, it was all by His plan, and we are thrilled at what he has done to move things forward when we've been stuck in one place. We have been confined but he hasn't, we are in one place, but he is omnipresent and so nothing of our prayers have been wasted. 

3) Thank GOD that we look to the future with a measure of confidence (in Him and not in ourselves). 

Plans and days of opportunity.

All our plans are obviously subject to change. Provisionally we need to plan for next year (and be good stewards of the next month) if we are to keep on track for making the most of the opportunities given to us.

a) Some plans will only be able to be more concrete if commitment is also concrete from a critical mass of team members. 

Pray for this please.

b) PRAY FOR SUCCESS in TEAM TRIPS:

Key Dates:

• Easter will likely mark the way opening up for us to resume team trips. 
• Easter Sunday in the UK will be April 4th. 
• Easter Sunday Ukraine will be Sunday 2nd of MAY.

Easter Ukraine will also provide the perfect opportunity for folks / churches in the UK wanting to join a team (including those who booked to come last year and were prevented).

The MAY 8th Bank Holiday (FRIDAY), means 1 less days "leave" is used to come on a trip.

 For churches looking to partner, this would provide the ideal opportunity to see a number of ministries / activities in a short space of time, including city/ rural and regional evangelism.  For the re-building and completion of transition house,and travelling to meet partners  this would provide (hopefully) perfect conditions to have a huge "push".

Provisionally then we are looking at  

• 17th April - 16th May as a window of opportunity for working teams. 
• SCHOOL HOLIDAYS. We are mindful that for some in education timetables, holiday weeks are better, so provisionally we are asking those folks whether this Easter (2nd -10th APRIL) or Summer half term (May 31-June 4) is a better time for you to join us? 
• Any indication you could give would be appreciated as we plan.
  

4) We continue developing our help for folks in the Donbass region with investement into Church planting, sustainable support (Bread and Eggs) and Humanitarian aid. This includes the ongoing building and rennovation of two properties. Pray for a growing team and material provision for this please.

5) We continue to support an increasing network of gospel workers in various ways. Pray for the expansion of training encouragement and fruitful counsel / times in the bible both online and in person.

Please therefore continue to pray with us:

US: Pray over the next month that we will be able to increase clarity on plans for next year.

YOU: If God is prompting you indivudally / as a group to be with us on a trip next year, or support in some other way, please pray about it and (if possible) give a provisional indication by the end of the month for us to plan to make the most of our resources and steward things well.

 We want to make maximum progress on gospel initiatives, and be of maximum help to those who are doing amazing things. Any indication at all you give us will help in driving things forward to the earliest possible positive place.

Please do please pray for us as we start to prepare in earnest, for construction, rennovation, team devotions, for preaching, for training, for building, for materials needed, for provision, for pastoral care, for planting, for evangelism, for programming. 

Other news in brief...

We are praying for a number of our friends in Ternopil region...

• Volodymyr and Oksana Kostyshyn are  involved in a wonderful ministry to children (and parents of chidlren) with dissabilities.
  
  
  They have an amazing testimony of God's help and provision in their own family situation, and are currently trusting God for new provision of adapted minubus and transport aids (wheelchair ramps and snow tyres etc.) to continue growing the incredible work and witness they have. We thoroughly commend this gospel ministry, its loving impact of on the unreached and would love you to read about it here...

https://www.europeanmission.org/happy-wheels

If you would like to help and don't want to lose some of the gift through paypal, we would be happy to facilate gifts.

• Please also pray for a number of new youth initiatives have  started in Ternopil. (photos show the church where Sasha Maximov serves, currently 70% of the young people with no previous church connection. Praise God for this great opportunity, exactly what we have been praying for.)

• Please pray for a women's conference planned for this coming Saturday (5th) in Ternopil city (Church where Pastor Igor Bilorus serves) . Pray that it will obviously still go ahead despite all challenges and be a great encouragement to many in the current situation to the glory of God.  
  

May He bless you in your continued faithfulness, and provide you with every provision for doing His will.

"Salvation belongs to the Lord;
    your blessing be on your people !" 

Psalm 3:8

 

 

I've started, so I'll finish.

                                                                 

THE FRUITFUL PAIN OF A PLANTER PASTOR

                                                 Weekend Blog 

ACTS 20:23

"And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there,  except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me."

 There is a huge difference between "planting" a church and pastoring a ministry which has a rock solid authentic reputation for being good for the community, and ministering the fragrence of Christ to many. The difference is bigger than just an elapse of time, it is about intent. 

Over the last 30 years, (and especially at the turn of the century) the activity of "church planting", (starting new churches) entered something of a renaissance in the UK and USA particularly. In fact it became big industry. Networks concerned with "where to", youtubes concerned with "how to" and conferences telling you"what to", sprung up everywhere. Whilst high profilers talked as if they had discovered something (that in reality was 2000 years old), their trades suddenly hit something of a reality check, as time elapsed.

The truth is there is a world of difference between planting and ministering, between starting out of the blocks, and breaking the tape of the marathon. Some of us began to wonder whether we were reading the same new testament as some who gained prominence. The superstars talked only of success and supersize, but the apostle Paul seemed to be talking about sufferring, struggle, and scars. Ministry is about vulnerable authenticity, being and serving like Jesus, it is not a teflon coated, testosterone injected display of self fulfillment. Is it any wonder then that those who pretended to be the "iron men" of the church planting scene, have in subsequent years fallen well by the wayside. Some are so sadly in the ditch of scandal. Some have reinvented themselves in a new church businesses rebrand (in the hope that we forget previous mess), yet they leave in their wake a trail of damaged people behind them.

Fearfully, (and I pray humbly and gently, subject to Christ) I suggest two key distinguishing marks which may seperate the wheat from the chaff.

1) COMPASSION: True ministers of the gospel of Jesus, soon display an understated but unmistakable evidence that they are here to minister to brokenness. Helping broken, "messed up" people and situations, takes time  (sometimes life-times). It dips extensively into the emotional overdraft. You generally won't find a trail of helped people behind "celebrety saints", because this has not been their priority. Another stream of new books (or ebooks) may not be the thing the world needs most, maybe what it really needs is a pastor, a man, a faithful friend who will stick with them closer than a brother.

2) FLEXIBILITY to help a team. True ministers of the gospel build other people up rather than getting others to boost up their ministry. 

There is a world of difference between serving a team so that they grow (to be more effective and fruitful than you have ever been), and treating your team like an entourage. Beware of folks who refer to "my team", my staff" "my leadership" or "my church". Ultimately we are "HIS team". This means we as pastor / leaders, church planters and servants of the gospel are in a supporting role not a starring one. We can only be effective in long term ministry (and surely pleasing to Christ) if it is always about looking to playing second fiddle, doing yourself out of a job. It appears to me that the apostles excelled in this, yet contemporary culture seems to often ignore it. I am alarmed at the increasing bombardment of young men in gospel work being told to be more "assertive", to "step up" in the role, to "make it their own".  It would appear to me that the church has become much more synchronistic than we dare realise. 

For homework: (Acts9:28-30; 13:1-5, 13-16, 44-46; 14:1, 7, 20-21, 25; 17:1-15; 18:5-8). Consider the evangelism team Paul is part of. Scholars note at least 100 on the team. Note also how Paul often includes personal comments, footnotes / post remarks at the end of epistles illustrating the depth of multidemnsional pastoral concern. It is always about people not programs, a flexible network not a self contained infrastructure. 

The Humble Pastor - People Dynamic:

Eph 6:21-22, Phil 4:2, 18, 21-22, Col 1:1, ESPECIALLY Colossians 4:7-18 "fellow servants". 1 Thess 2:1-2. 1 Thes 2:17. 2 Thess 1:1, 2 Tim 4:9-22. Titus 3, ESPECIALLY Titus 3:12-15, PHILEMON v23-24, 

Incidently my observation is that in countries where the church is growing most, pastors are paying the primary expense through imprisonment and persecution.

Yes there are times to show leadership, to instigate, to pioneer, but  also there are times to be ready to be nothing more than be a "stand in", to support others to take the leading role (even in the areas you feel most confident). At that moment it is time for you to do the unglamorous job you find more difficult. Sitting side-stage is sometimes a painful thing to do, but the church is ultimately built by Him and not our ego. Don't mistake pain for being unprofitable. The end goal is not to build a kingdom for us, but to give away... to offer back to Him what he has given us to steward. Our role is to see others flourish. This is how His kingdom grows. In the final act of this world, the words we want to hear are not "well done, you starred all by yourself", but "well done, good and faithful servant." 

DAY 26-28 PRAY FOR VLAD AND LILYA.       

Іллінка

 In the beautiful village of Illinka, North of Odessa, near the South coast of Ukraine, are Vlad and Lilya. (Many of you will know our wonderful brother Pastor Daniel at "blogadot /Grace" Odessa, and his great music ministry through the church and seminary. Daniel is Lilya's father). They heard the call of God to share Christ in a place with many needs, demands and few resources. 

The village is a rural setting, where it is common to see goats, chickens and livestock secured to lamp posts on the main road. 

It boasts a beautiful civic centre harking back to its Soviet history...

 and a small small local store that services the entire village network from the corner of the road the church is situated on.

Sadly behind a scene of apparent tranquility lays a story of historical turmoil, sorrow, and social depravation. The original intention for the work was to plant a church with an attached orphanage. The area has many chlldren but fewer parents and multidimensional social need. A common story is a home filled with children, but no Dad or breadwinner. There is extensive skill shortage, to provide for and take care of the family in a consistently good way. 

It was not long into church planting that God challenged the assumed vision. Was the set direction merely a human one, where the team prepared to fit in with God's plans ? Was this really what the village needed ? What would serve people best here ?  What would commend Christ best here? What did GOD want here?

The team prayed hard, and over time clarity emerged. The greater need was for 1) Food and 2) Education, which displayed the love and compassion of Christ. Education would be a tool for, expressing, understanding  supporting and authenticating the shared gospel of Christ.

The answer (in this situation) was to turn some of the ground into a smallholding farm and school / community play area. The church itself is a beautiful design (a smaller version of grace Odessa).

The grass in front of church is great for kids to play and social gatherings. 

(Here utilised by some of our team being shown up as they try to play football with some lads). 

The desire of the the Illinka team was to make this space a haven for the community, a place where children came to be safe and enjoy.

They decided that the best way forward was to grow healhy produce for the village, and start a kindergarten school which would provide children with an opportunity to stay in their existing situation, but also recieve love, good meals, and high quality input into the foundations of their young lives. This is turn would give them an opportunity at least to enter into mainstream education and ultimately find employment. 

 

one of the lovely classrooms after "home time"

 

The team retrained to teach and offer social care, and over recent years this has transformed the village, in many dimensions. The team are here for generational work, the "long haul" and that has produced gospel fruit, with many locals, families and observers coming to Christ. 

Until relatively recently the questions were all about expansion... what next ?... but then COVID.   

Caring for many... Vlad and Lilya were one of the first to suffer with illness. Praise God that over time recovery has been full, but this extremely painful period revealed more than ever, the need for team ministry. The trouble with any pioneering mission, is that this mode cannot be the permanent state - it is not sustainable for the long term. The school was ordered to be closed under lockdown and is currently forbidden to open under government directions (which obviously impacts both mission activity and income). Many families in the village were ready to batter the door down, passionately pleading for reopening the lifeline of the village, but inside were a staff needing respite recovery, and unable to help. 

Seeing the emergency issues that impacted so many,  Dennis and Victoria (also Pastor Daniels daughter), took the Christlike step to give up their family home in Odessa, and renting it out (for income for utilities expenses at Illinka) moved into the closed school. Dennis has been using his skills to teach woodwork to the lads which has kept them out of trouble on the streets, at the same time started a boys bible class. Here they are having a discussion group meeting in the greenhouse after a bit of woodwork, whilst the house was quarentined. 

Lilya, Victoria and the family have nursed the team back to health so that  they have been ministering to the sick and taking meals, supplies, medication and care to those who have been ill. The ladies ("sisters") group have done an amazing job.

Sisters group led by Lilya lower left

 

The team have learned to do church without walls, taking people to the hospital closeby (ambulance service), supporting the local doctor, expanding their network to other villages and families (Ismail village), and generally learning to ve flexible in a huge crisis without infrastructure. Praise GOD for this team. May this in the long run increase the network of believers in many unreached villages.

There has been a huge cost to the team. Byram (our faithful brother who was previously full time assistant pastor) is currently driving a taxi for income. The local clinic is small, and to serve locals well in complex medical issues they have also been helping with travelling and medical expenses where possible. The tireless work the team does, comes out of their own pockets, the best food is shared, the best crops and stores used for the the sick.

PRAY that this act of sacrifice by the team will in time see many folks come to Christ. Pray that this sacrificial seed sown will continue to melt the hearts of the hardest, and nurture a new generation of children who understand and emulate this visable illustration of gospel character. 

We praise God for this team, and the impact of God's people on the village at Illinka and wider. WE need to pray hard for provision at this critical time. THIS WEEKEND OUR FOCUS IS ON THIS. If you would like to help, we can show you how to do so (please don't hesitate to get in touch).

We know that where there are authentic servants of Christ, there will contiue to be authentic fruit. So we pray in confidence for the future, not ignoring the very real pain and cost of ministry, but seeing in faith that in the economy of God nothing is ever wasted.

THANK GOD THAT HE IS A FINISHER NOT JUST A STARTER...

"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."        PHIL 1:6
 

THANK GOD FOR PEOPLE LIKE VLAD and LILYA who stick at the task so faithfully knowing that GOD is with them to completion. 

Pray with us for Illinka, and this faithful team.

May God bless you this weekend, wherever He has called you to serve.

With gratitude for being part of such a great team,

BLOGSKI

 

We will resume Monday, with a series on the planned way forwards into 2021.