The following is an article I wrote following my November 2024 visit to Ukraine, where I spent time with church planters in Khmelnytsky, Odessa, and Kyiv.
My phone went off with a loud siren. The voice of Mark Hamill - yes, of Luke Skywalker fame - spoke sternly: “Attention! Air Raid Alert! Proceed to the nearest shelter. Don’t be careless. Your overconfidence is your weakness.” I hastily moved to mute it and apologised. A large table full of Ukrainian men grinned back at me. “Now we can tell who is not local” one of them joked. We continued eating our pizza and talking.I was in Odesa, a port city on the Black Sea in southern Ukraine - one of two other cities I visited this past month. Every day and night brought reminders of war, as Ukraine continues to defend itself against its Russian invader almost three years into a three day fight. In Odesa, my bedtime soundtrack was the mournful cry of air raid sirens, the infernal buzzing of Russian drones, the roar of explosions, and the reassuring rat-a-tat-tat of air defence guns. This is the daily lived reality of the 38 million people who still live in Ukraine, most of whom meet the threat with a weary but collective shrug and carry on with whatever they need to do.
In the case of the 10 men eating pizza around a table in a rented space after a church service in Odessa, “whatever they need to do” is church planting. A March 2024 summit in Kyiv (https://www.e-n.org.uk/world-news/2024-05-ukraine-1000-new-churches-coming/) outlined a vision by Ukrainian Baptists to plant 1000 new churches across the nation by 2036. The objective is simply to reach more people with the good news of Jesus Christ and ensure that they are gathered locally with other believers to walk together as Christ’s disciples.
Is this really the right time? Listening to our Ukrainian brothers, you may be convinced that it is in fact the best time! “The nations rage” (Psalm 46:6), and that has real, tangible implications, but for God’s people, wherever they are, the greater truth is: “The Lord of hosts is with us” (Psalm 46:7).
But do they have sufficient funding? Church planters here are sometimes advised to have a pot of tens of thousands of pounds. These men most certainly do not have that. Many of the men around the table work other jobs to support themselves and their ministries. On the other hand, one man turned down a well paid job for a large telecommunications company that would have given him an exemption from conscription. These men are not chasing prosperity, nor are they waiting for a better economy and more money before they plant churches. While this initiative requires resourcing (and if you are interested in helping with that, contact me!), they move forward in the confidence that God will provide.
What about buildings in which to meet? Their plan is not orientated around where there is a building, but where there is a need: an upper room above a convenience store, an office in a football stadium, a community area at the bottom of a block of flats, or a boxing gym will do. I met a man who coaches a Christian football club that is doing very impressive work. They planted a church from across their teams, and use the team meeting space. Christ is exalted as his people gather in good order around his word and sacraments.
These church planters are not seeking a core of “movers and shakers” with money and influence, but welcome any people in the communities God has placed them in. If anything they prioritise ministry to the needy and the vulnerable, and regular mention was made of orphans and widows and what churches are doing to serve them. I had the privilege of preaching at a church planted through humanitarian aid work, where 70% of those gathered are not yet professing faith in Christ.
“Attention! The Air Alert is over. May the Force be with you.” Mark Hamill’s voice eventually interrupted us again. And with every such notification comes a praise of thanksgiving, and a prayer that one day the “all clear” will be given for the last time. But the men working to plant churches in Ukraine are not waiting for peace to obey their Lord. Nevermind “the Force”. Remember: “The Lord of hosts is with us.” The time is now.
Would you like to encourage or support this initiative in some way? Contact Ryan King at gracebaptistsineurope@gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment