Unshaken in War

Kharkiv Presbyterian Church (KPC) is the eastern-most Reformed church in Ukraine. Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, is not far from the frontlines of the war with Russia, so the church is heavily involved with mercy ministry. Since the beginning of the war, Come Over & Help has strongly supported this church’s mercy ministry initiatives, and by God’s grace, the church has helped more than 200,000 people through evacuation, food distribution and medical assistance. Amid daily shelling, death, suffering and destruction, the church continues to help the most vulnerable – refugees, disabled individuals, orphans and families with children. Every interaction is an opportunity to share the message of Christ and the hope found in the gospel. The church has seen not a few come to Christ and join the church as a result of these outreach activities!

Here is one such story; meet Vasily and Elena, who are from the Kharkiv region and initially lived right on the border with Russia. Until May 2024, their home remained intact despite their evacuation from Kharkiv. However, last year, the enemy reoccupied the border areas, completely destroying their house. KPC supported this family with food and other necessities during this period. As a result, they developed a strong friendship with the church and eventually turned to Christ as their Lord and Savior. Now that their home has been destroyed, they realize they can never return. For retirees, this is a significant blow. However, they remain undeterred. Vasily and Elena have decided to start a small farm in Western Ukraine, purchasing an abandoned house for $5,000. KPC bid them farewell with tears, grateful that they came to know Christ. The church was pleased to assist them in moving to their new farm and provided them with a gas cylinder, a stove, an axe, a multicooker, pans, pots, and all the essentials to start anew. Through this ministry of mercy, people experience God's love and care and come to faith in Christ. Please remember Vasily and Elena in your prayers.

But that’s not all KPC is busy with; led by Pastor Sergey Sudakov and ministry worker Mark Agarkov, there’s much more:

·       John Knox Theological School – Beginning with 15 students in 2024, the enrollment now is pushing 50 online students from over 10 countries! The goal is straightforward: equip faithful leaders for the church.

·       Reformed Press – To further equip the Ukrainian church, this publishing house was recently formed to produce books by solid Reformed authors to serve the church. The first-ever Systematic Theology textbook (by Robert Letham) in the Ukrainian language is currently in progress. They anticipate that many other seminaries and Bible schools in Ukraine, Reformed or not, will begin using this resource!

·       Church Planting – Even during the war, God is opening doors for the gospel to spread into new regions. KPC is helping two new church groups with pastoral support.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for Kharkiv Presbyterian Church:

·       Pray for peace in Ukraine; pray for the defenders who are protecting Ukraine’s freedom at the cost of their lives.

·       Pray for the work of the Gospel in Kharkiv. There is a need for ministers and missionaries.

·       Pray for blessing on mercy ministry, theological training, publishing and church planting efforts.

As the Apostle Paul wrote of in 2 Timothy 2:9, God’s word and work cannot be bound or thwarted despite difficult circumstances. Even with the horrors of war surrounding them, Kharkiv Presbyterian Church continues to hold forth the Word of Life!

Vasily and Elena