Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Evangelists, Elders and Teachers Service Teams are asking you to share your compassion by praying and helping with this urgent appeal from disciples in our churches in Ukraine. Please share this appeal and video with your local church and with others and send your personal and church donations to help these churches. Instructions on how to send funds are in the article below.
From Shawn Wooten:
Twenty-two years ago this month, I boarded a train from Moscow to Kiev to plant the Church of Christ in the Ukraine! It was an amazing time, as we watched 500 people come to the first service and saw 27 baptized in the first week! God definitely had plans to add to his number! Twenty-two years later, we are just as convinced that God is with us and still has great plans! The recent events starting in November have brought many challenges to the church. We are grateful for God’s grace and His Word that has guided our hearts and continues to work powerfully in our fellowship and in the hearts of those seeking Him.
A Great Need
We send this letter at this hour, as war is happening in eastern Ukraine and Kiev has still not recovered from its violent protests. The economy and lack of stability have shaken the country. All though the number is changing from week to week, there are huge challenges:
- In some churches we are currently over 50% unemployment.
- The currency has devalued by 30% while
- The cost of gas and some other products have increased by 50%.
- For those who do have jobs, many are not receiving their salaries, or only portions of their salaries.
We want to ask individuals and churches who feel moved to help and are able to sacrifice, to take up a contribution to help support the ministry work in the Ukraine churches. Our contribution has fallen across the Ukraine. With the financial hit our members have taken, we have had to reduce the number of meetings of the body. In past years we were able to subsidize the cost of camp. This year we are unable. At this hour we have not collected enough money to hold summer camp.
How You Can Help
- If you are an individual and you would like to help, click here > to make an online donation to the International Missions Society (IMS) that will go to support the Ukraine.
- If you are a church or congregation and wish to help, you can send funds to the IMS by check or wire. Please contact Jim Blough (jim.blough@gmail.com) or myself (shawnkiev@gmail.com) with questions.
- New England and Midwest Disciples: We will be making a special announcement at church this coming Sunday, explaining how we can help provide extra support to the Ukraine.
Russian and Western Churches Unite
The world seems determined to divide Russia and the West. But in God’s kingdom the blood of Christ unites us! We are so thankful for the Russian churches, who have decided to take up financial contributions to help us weather this storm. The economy has been hit in Russia as well, but the blood of Christ and the love of the disciples have spurred them on to help out the Christians in the Ukraine! God is glorified! St. Petersburg and Moscow, have taken up contributions to help the churches in the Ukraine!
Twenty-three years ago, I became a Christian. Inspired by the examples of those who had gone before me, I dreamed and prayed to become a missionary. Nine months later, I turned down a job offer on Wall Street to move to Kiev, Ukraine. Best known in the US for the Chernobyl disaster, this nation has faced many challenges in its history. By the grace of God, the church has grown to over 2000 members, and now we are facing our toughest trial to date.
Throughout the many years of serving the church and HOPE worldwide, I have witnessed firsthand the generosity and compassionate hearts of our fellowship. This planet is not our home—we are headed to a better place. Thank you for considering this request. We pray that God will bring peace to our nation, that blood shed will stop, that the church can continue to meet, grow, and bring God glory!
Thank you for your prayers and hearts to help.
Shawn and Lena Wooten
ICOC HOT NEWS VIDEO APPEAL: Please show this to your churches, friends and family
