Hi friends and faithful
worldwide family. I praise God for such a family.
There are two reasons why a blog falls silent for a period of time...
A) Nothing at all is happening.
B) So much / something so big
is happening, that the timing has to be chosen correctly for appropriate communication. The latter is true for
this blog. Over the next few weeks, we will be updating on 4 things, that even in the present uncertainty (of extended covid restrictions) are now firm to communicate.
1) Our plans to train, equip and encourage gospel workers for unreached areas of Greater Europe and Asia starting 2022. Please pray for this as we work through many details, open doors and opportunities at present. God is going before us. Praise God that he orchestrates the symphony of his global gospel mission with meticulous care and beauty.
2) Our plans to continue to support the growing work amongst an army of young people through transition houses and discipleship. God is doing "immeasurably more" as many come to Christ and become ambassadors of grace, walking advertisements to the changing power of Christ and his love. Imminent plans to resume work in Kremenets on the 2nd property are integral to this, we need you to be ready to go with /support / encourage the team as soon as we have the “go ahead” and UK restrictions lift.
3) Our plans to sustainably support church planters and younger pastors coming into ministry. The growing momentum, network and "spider-like" activity is breathtakingly exciting. It is spreading daily throughout crisis regions, unreached nations (0% Christianity) and interlinks between mission minded church family in many countries. The key to this longterm will be sustainability. We have much to share on Business as Mission (note not just business FOR mission) as well as our role in encouraging the planting of churches / and planters in unreached UK.
4) Some of you will be aware of a change in my role. By God's grace I was affirmed as designate Executive Director of ACTION (UK) last month. I am overwhelmed by God's goodness, the calibre of new ACTION INTERNATIONAL friends and family, their grace and wonderful welcome, and most strikingly the forward planning and provision of God in these things. I will do a full blog on this in due course. 2 BIG Questions are often asked...
1) What will this change about what we are doing at E4G / Ukraine and 2) What will the future of ACTION (UK) look like?
In short, there is now a period of transition (6 months), to work through those questions. However, what is patently clear is that both networks have been brought together by God and are therefore highly synchronistic, mutually helpful, identically driven, have mutual prayers, passions and goals, and benefit from each other in the purposes of God. God is so good. We live by faith, and so we obey and listen humbly one day at a time, asking God for his moment-by-moment help, provision and wisdom. ACTION (UK) has the benefit of a superb network of experienced practitioners and the heritage of INGO and DORIS Abraham’s faithful leadership, example, pastoral care and administrative structures.
What will change re: Our work in Ukraine? Nothing, in terms of our priority to love the unloved, help the poorest, reach the unreached. In fact, in every dimension, we are simply helped to move forward into the plans of God and take these things to the next stage (one that he had already prepared us for). The differences will only be for the better; better provision and infrastructure for support, the greater network within which we do that, the larger group and gift base of believers who pray and work together, the larger context/ perspective through which this is viewed in God's global mission, and the wider contribution we can make throughout the world.
God has prepared for this in the growth of likeminded pastors’ networks and mutual cooperation of believers over the last 18 months (in Ukraine, UK, throughout Eastern and Greater Europe, Asia, Middle East and Americas), It really is so beautiful. It is all God's doing, and to him belongs all the appreciation. A mutual desire to send workers to the unreached drives us. Life is short, eternity is soon, many live in areas without a church or are able to hear of Christ. We build his kingdom, not our own. Tags and tribes don't matter, Christ is ALL our Glory, hope, message and treasure.
A STRATEGIC PRAYER:
Last year Covid prevented the full ministry of summer camps (for youth and children) in Ukraine. We have historically had connections with this in a variety of ways (including the building teams at the black sea camp), and our plans were to take a youth team from the UK to encourage this ministry. Praise God there will be several thousand who are able to hear of the love of Christ this season as the camps and gospel youth outreach schemes resume this month. The children who attend are often connected with other ministries / have had some contact with the gospel (church adoption and foster care, state care and boarding schools, local church outreach etc). For all children, this will be the highlight of their summer program. Some come in the context of war on their doorstep, others from a year ravaged by bereavement, covid, poverty and hunger.
Please pray that out of this years’ camp and outreach ministry, many will come to find the surpassing joy, overflowing treasure, and true hope of Christ. Never has a generation had such a testing year, never has the need for Christ in a broken world been so transparent.
PRAY FOR A HARVEST. May God grow the seed of faith, give the increase, bear fruit in young lives. May Christ be seen in those who lead and love, welcomed by those who hurt and grieve, transform those who are downtrodden and rejected. May they shine as they come to realise that Christ treasures us to the cross and makes his home amongst us in unconditional love. May an army of grace transformed leaders for the church of tomorrow emerge, ready to take grace throughout unreached Ukraine and to wherever he sends.
· Pray for those arriving at the Black Sea Camp.
·
Pray for those being reached by church family in
Ternopil region:
· Pray for those who are attending children and youth outreach in Donbass region:
· Pray for Lisa DeGrace (ACTION worker with street children and vulnerable women) who continues faithfully in city centre, Odessa. What a privilege to be part of such a family. Together we praise him for all that is past, and trust him for all that is to come.
Your Brother and Friend,
BLOGSKI
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