ERSU Students in Eastern Ukraine

When you hear of Eastern Ukraine, you may immediately think of the war still going on with Russian proxies there. But there's a more important battle going on there!  

ERSU Students from Kharkov Presbyterian Church are Leaders of the work of Intervarsity (IFES) in 5 Universities there in Eastern Ukraine. As they fight a spiritutal battle, they are seeing success! Their seasonal outreach and evangelism has been highly effective, even bringing new members into the Kharkov church.

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The Kharkov church just celebrated its 20th anniversary! Pastor Vladimir Borisovich was one of our first students! Congratulations, brothers and sisters! Let us Give thanks to God for his blessings!

Kharkov_Church

 

Several of the Ukrainian Presbyterian churches held their own summer camps for outreach this year. Two Kiev churches organized separate camps, and they sent members to southern Europe to train in church planting. The vision is catching!

MTW held their “LEAD” conference in Greece this year, with 250 leaders and national partners from all around the globe. Clay Quarterman, Jon Eide, Bob Burnham, and Doug Shepherd attended as the MTW leaders from Ukraine, and it was a great encouragement with new vistas for worldwide connections, international cooperation, and growth. We will need your help to attempt such great things for God’s glory!

ERSU Fall Session 2017 - Hebrew Class

Post from Clay: I Preached in church service in Nikolaev, Ukraine, Sunday, where ERSU Seminary graduate Zhenya Minin is pastor. Smooth overnight train ride. I’m staying a couple of days to speak in University and at city-wide celebration of the Reformation 500, where I’m a speaker. It was attended even by the state governor and a Parliament member who is a believer! It’s so exciting to see UKRAINIANS wanting to transform their country – the Reformation isn’t dead yet!

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Regarding the Conference where Clay spoke Sunday, R500 Nikolaev posted:

"A practical conference was hosted in Nikolaev which celebrated the 500th year of the Reformation, and noted its relevance in today's world.

"Special guests, politicians, scientists, and preachers focused on the Reformation’s importance for our lives. It was necessary 500 years ago, and today it has not lost its value for society.

"Pavlo Yakimovich Unguryan, chairman of the organizing committee, Member of Parliament of Ukraine, stressed that the Church needs revival, renewal, and to intensify its work in society.

"Taras Dmitrovich Kremin, Member of the Parliament of Ukraine, said that schools and a university education based on Christian upbringing is not a vestige of the past or just a whim, but a real need today, both in Ukraine and in the world at large.

"Various issues were addressed: freedom of conscience (Ludmila Alexandrovna Filipovich, PhD), the impact of the Reformation on social processes in its historical context (Maxim Balaklytsky, PhD in Communications) and how the Reformation has influence today (Clay Quarterman, PhD).

"Overall, the event was attended by over a thousand people, representatives of different faiths united for a common goal: to understand the importance of the Reformation, and that its development and impact depends on each of us."

Nikolaev R500 panel w CQ

It’s a HOT summer in Kiev this year! And there’s plenty of action:

 

The Holy Trinity Presbyterian Church of Kiev had a women’s picnic in mid-July and a men’s picnic with a study of Samson from Judges 14-16. On both occasions they had masterful preparation of borscht and shish-ka-bob (called ‘shashlik’). This is the church where Clay and Darlene attend and help, and they got to take part in the picnics! Holy Trinity also had a Korean choir visit, not only participating in worship but helping with an evangelistic outreach in the city park. Holy Trinity continues to sing new translations and adaptations of the Psalms produced by church members.

 

Grace Reformed church, where ERSU graduate Sergei Nakul serves as pastor, has had a team here from the Netherlands - Blagodat Kiev Dutch team 2016.jpg – helping them reach out to their surrounding community, in the church building they just opened a year ago. The team also helped them finish the external stucco and build a swing-set

 

Big City church and Liberty Church plant are putting on two English camps this summer with the help of teams from the UK and Texas.