Church

Christian Life Church, Kharkiv

Our family is part of Christian Life Church. The church was born some 17 years ago by the joined efforts of Team Expansion missionaries and Evangelical Baptist Union of Ukraine.

            Part of my life story and my way to God is related to that work.

It was very cold and windy evening of 1993. When a student of Kharkiv Polytechnic University I was walking over swinging bridge above Kharkiv River to apply for a two year courses of English. I was aiming to become English proficient to have the doors opened to success in life. Now I am sure that God has already been working in my life because He knows the desires of man’s heart. In the book of proverbs we read: “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” (Prov.16:9). 

Old bridge over Kharkiv River

These days I consider my desire to master English language quite amazing because I did not want to learn it at all. It was God who completely changed my perspective. At school I had hard time to graduate and after graduation my desire to hear something in English equaled absolutely to zero. I always had problems with English, since my first grade and there was no one who would be interested in helping me or at least encouraging.

But in Polytechnic, there was one teacher during my second year, who simply said: “You can do it!” It made me think on my life. I bought some books on her recommendation, studied on my own at first and later saw advertisement of two year English courses. The desire to study captured my mind and heart. I walked over the bridge to the mysterious and unknown. There is a lot to tell but to make a long story short I found new friends, new interests and walked the swinging bridge many times when once I met an American who invited my friends and me to his home to study a bible. At first it was a bible but with time I became more familiar with words and content of it. It was presented to me by a Team Expansion missionary – Student Bible, NIV. I was so happy to be able to read it in English and soon I discovered my own need to repent and find salvation in Jesus Christ. As I progressed deeper with my reading of the English Bible I started reading the Bible in Russian language and in 1996 joined the church of Evangelical Christians – Christian Life Church and was baptized. With time I understood that God has called me to ministry and in the year of 2000 became a student of TCM international institute in Austria and started a family. God has been so good to us all these years and it is a great privilege to be His servant and experience Him in our daily walk.

It is rather interesting to notice that as God was growing faith in me during these years the bridge over Kharkiv River has gone under serious reconstruction and became significant to resemble my story and serve as a sign of bridging people to God.

New bridge over Kharkiv River

Today Christian Life Church has over 150 people and has various ministries. One of the ministries where we get involved lately is helping the mission of Crisis Pregnancy Centre of Kharkiv. Our involvement helped to serve more than 1,000 people during last year.

• 808 people came to the pregnancy centre seeking help
• 121 heard the Gospel
• 31 invited Jesus into their lives
• 689 people took classes to be better equipped for ministry
• 364 people received general counseling
• 28 women completed the class “Free and Forgiven”
• 51 mothers received financial help during the year

There were also distributed pro-life ads and big boards in student hospitals of Kharkiv.

New Testaments "a Way to Recovery" delevered to Chrisis Pregnancy Center

          Traditionally our church prepares Christmas gifts for children. This year (we celebrate Christmas on the January 7) each family in the church prepared 2 or 3 boxes which was given to poor families in the neighborhood and children in Mospanovo village. Mospanovo is the church 50 miles from Kharkiv which Christian Life Church mothered several years ago. The church meets at homes and has from 8 to 12 people at each gathering. Regularly we provide outreach and social ministry to that area.

Helping children and familes in crisis in Mospanovo

Gathering at homes