Gospel Work Continues in War-Torn Ukraine

Suzanne Pearson • Apr 12, 2022

Two years ago, we braced ourselves for a pandemic that rocked the world and called the Church to prayer. Today, we have a new reason to go to our knees, this time in intercession for the nation and people of Ukraine. The Russian invasion which began Thursday, February 24 is the most aggressive act of war in Europe since World War II.

At the time of the Russian invasion, TEAM had two global workers in Ukraine, Maria* and Samantha*. Both were safely evacuated shortly before the onset of fighting but left behind churches, ministries, and Ukrainian believers they know and love as brothers and sisters in Christ.

As is the case with any war, the situation for these churches and believers changes almost daily. The updates shared here represent the most up-to-date information we can provide. For ongoing prayer needs and updates, please visit our prayer page for the Ukraine crisis .

Maria’s Story

Maria’s journey to Ukraine begins in 1992. The Florida church she attended began exploring opportunities to share the Gospel in areas formerly under the yoke of the Soviet Union. Maria made a life-changing trip to Ukraine shortly thereafter and then moved there for full-time ministry in 1996 after her husband passed away.

In the years that followed, Maria was a part of three church plants in Ukraine. The third is a church in Petrovka, a town near the city of Odesa, where Maria has ministered for the last several years. Maria, along with her Ukrainian co-workers are typically busy with thriving ministries for families and youth as well as outreach to the local community. The last few weeks, however, have been anything but typical.

Rumors of War

As rumors of Russia’s possible intentions began to swirl, Maria says that the Ukrainian people dismissed the idea of an invasion. “No one believed there would be a war,” she recalls. “They said, ‘We’re friends [with Russia]. It’s not going to happen.”

Despite this optimism, it soon became clear that Maria would need to leave Ukraine, at least temporarily. She departed from her home and nation of 26 years in early February. She left behind her church family, praying that somehow disaster might be averted. However, the inescapable reality of war came to Odesa just a couple of weeks later when the Russian invasion began.

“It was very frightening for my team in Petrovka,” Maria says. “They were in shock.” At first, it seemed that all of Odesa might be the target of the early bombing raids. Thankfully the initial wave was directed only at the military bases and for the most part did not directly impact residential areas.

Maria offered up her home to co-workers as a safer location for them to stay and has continued to keep in touch with them as much as she possibly can. She says that even amid the uncertainty of each day, her Ukrainian brothers and sisters are stepping up to bring help and hope to the community.

“Some have fled,” she reports. “But many have stayed.” She says that not only are the pastor and other church leaders involved in outreach but even the youth from the church as well.

Know Us By Our Love

The greatest immediate need that the church saw was the abundance of young moms with small children home alone after their husbands and fathers were called into military service to defend their country. The women can’t get to work or to the store because it is too dangerous to venture into those areas. Children are not in school and basic living necessities of all kinds are in great demand.

And so each day the church members, including teenagers, make daily deliveries of food, toiletries and other needed items to their neighbors in need. Just 10 days into the conflict, the church had already visited and distributed supplies to over 50 families.

One example is the woman pictured below. “She lives alone and had no money for food,” Maria shares. “The day my team visited her, she was in the kitchen praying and asking God to help her. Our team gave her food, a New Testament, and prayed with her.”

Ukrainian believers in Petrovka visit their neighbors in need every day, providing tangible and spiritual care.

The outreach is making an impact, both physically and spiritually. “They’re only going to know us by our love,” Maria remarks. And the community of Petrovka is experiencing the love of Christ firsthand through these Ukrainian believers. “What I’m seeing in [the youth and leadership of the church] is that they are truly pouring out Christ’s love,” continues Maria. “They’re exhausted but they are still wanting to serve the people [of the community]. I had to leave, but they are carrying on the ministry and I’m so thankful to God for that.”

Maria is now involved in ministering to war refugees in another part of eastern Europe, wanting to stay as close to Ukraine and the people she loves as she can. As she ministers to so many broken and hurting families, she trusts that God has a purpose in all that is taking place.

“We’ve been praying [for years] for revival in Ukraine,” Maria says. “God is going to do great things. I just know it.”

Samantha’s Story

Samantha’s missionary journey began when she was only eight years old. “I’m an example of why missionaries should [visit] Sunday schools,” laughs Samantha. “I remember missionaries coming to talk in Sunday school and just sharing about how their friends were coming to know Jesus. I saw the excitement on their faces, and I had that same excitement as a second-grader. I knew from then on it was just a matter of timing.”

Samantha’s dream became a reality when she traveled to Ukraine first for a college internship, then for a short-term assignment, and then eventually to a long-term assignment in 2015 in Odesa where she remained until just weeks before the war. (Odesa encompasses a large area – Maria’s and Samantha’s churches are about a two-hour bus ride apart.)

Samantha’s ministry in Ukraine focuses on evangelism and discipleship in an international church in Odesa. As a part of that church, Samantha wears many hats, two of which are helping with youth ministry and being a part of the church worship team where she plays piano. She also helps equip Ukrainian believers to launch into cross-cultural missions themselves.

This cross-cultural training of Ukrainian believers is more important than ever, notes Samantha, because there are many parts of Europe that Americans can’t go to share the Gospel without being heavily watched by the government, but Ukrainians and other eastern Europeans can. Samantha has been a part of encouraging and equipping Ukrainians deployed into those regions. “It’s been cool to use what I’ve learned about cross-cultural adaptation to help them prepare and equip them for where they are now.”

A graffiti wall on the outskirts of Odesa reads “I’m with you! – God”

A New Reality in Ukraine

Leading up to the Russian invasion, Samantha’s experience was similar to Maria’s. TEAM leadership was considering exit plans, but what the two women were hearing from their Ukrainian community was very different. Because conflict has existed between Russia and portions of Ukraine since 2014, people assumed that the new threat was more of the same.

That all began to change in late January 2022. Each day Russia amassed more troops on the Ukrainian border. Then reality set in when Samantha’s ministry leader told her it was time to start preparing for evacuation. In early February, Samantha traveled to Poland, hoping to just “wait it out” for a couple of weeks and then return to her home. Friends in Ukraine asked why she was in Poland and insisted, “You’ll be back next week.”

Just days later, those same friends awoke to the sound of explosions. “They were blindsided. People just did not believe that this would happen. Ever.”

Since the invasion, Samantha has stayed in touch with her friends and church community through Facebook and other digital communications. Up to the time of this publication , Odesa has not been taken by Russian forces, and the bombing has been primarily limited to military targets rather than residential areas.

Still, Odesa is a port city on the Black Sea, making it a highly coveted area by Russia. Samantha shares an amazing story of God’s protection over Odesa in the early days of the war. “There was a huge storm [on the Black Sea] for about three days. During that time, Russian ships were spotted [off the coast of Odesa]. You could see them from the beach, but they couldn’t land because of the storm on the sea. Ukrainian Christians in Odesa prayed, ‘Lord, keep this storm going.’ The ships were never able to advance onto the beachhead.”

Despite the heavy and difficult reality of war weighing on Samantha’s mind, she sees God at work. “I’ve heard a million stories of how God is working in the midst of ‘the garbage’ as I call it. And that’s been the most encouraging part.”

God is at Work

One of those stories is about one of Samantha’s former youth group students who she discipled prior to leaving Ukraine. This young teenager and her family fled Odesa to stay with relatives as they contemplate their next move. The teen’s grandmother expressed interest in studying the Bible. This young lady is now taking her grandmother through the same discipleship process that Samantha used with her.

Samantha sums it up beautifully: “It’s just the kindness of God that He’s getting a hold of people’s hearts.”

Samantha continues to minister to people affected by the war in various ways. “The hardest part is just watching and praying, waiting, trying to be helpful, connecting friends to places that are safe, helping refugees in any way I can,” says Samantha. Still, her heart is to return to Ukraine if the Lord allows. “I know that I might not be able to go back, but my heart wants to go back. That’s my home.”

Other updates

Since the invasion, TEAM connected with and is assisting a national pastor in Ukraine whose church is located in the heart of the fighting. “Pastor E” reports that his congregation has been miraculously kept safe from harm despite heavy shelling, and 30 unbelievers in the community have come to know the Lord since the war began.

TEAM is partnering with multiple organizations to provide food, medicine, and other supplies to those sheltering in Ukraine.

Several TEAM ministry areas in Europe are ministering to refugees and others affected by the war. Upcoming TEAM communications will highlight the needs of these neighboring regions.

The most up-to-date information and prayer needs, as well as opportunities to support relief efforts, can be found at team.org/ukraine .

*Names changed for security reasons.

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Exploring The Creative Power of Creative Arts Ministry

By Lorena de la Rosa • 16 May, 2024

Creative Arts Ministries focus on using the arts to provide new avenues for Gospel reach and discipleship around the world. Ever felt the urge to channel your creative talents into a higher purpose but were unsure where to start? Whether your passion lies in art, music, or another creative endeavor, God is opening doors where creativity meets ministry, where the journey of expression takes on new meaning with eternal significance. Creative Arts Ministry is all about using your creative side to share the Gospel, encourage the global Church, and build disciples all around the world. Made with a Purpose At TEAM, Creative Arts Ministry encompasses a variety of initiatives and global workers on multiple continents, all focused on using the arts to provide avenues for the Gospel. Jon Tello, TEAM’s Global Arts Ministry Coordinator is a creative person who was first called to ministry when he was in 9th grade, even though he had no idea what that meant. “I talked to my pastors, and they said, ‘Hey, this is awesome, you’re going to be a pastor. You’re going to preach and teach God’s word,’” Jon recalls. He wasn’t sure how his love and gifting for art fit into this. Yet in his heart, Jon knew, “God made me into an artist for a purpose.” Jon says his experience is not unique. Many who feel called to global missions feel that their passion for the arts must take a back seat. They are left with the question, “As an artist, how do I fit into the bigger framework of this thing that we call the global Church?” Luke, a TEAM global worker in Japan, concurs. “A lot of people get into [cross-cultural work] just adjacent to where their skill is,” says Luke. He goes on to explain a great metaphor for what happens next. “In music, there’s a term called ‘dissonance.’ It’s when there are two notes very close together, but they clash.” Being near to one’s true calling and giftedness, yet not quite able to express it can lead to frustration and burnout. For Jon, Luke, and many others in TEAM, God is helping them find a “sweet spot” where they can use their creative gifts for Kingdom work, particularly in areas where traditional church planting and direct evangelism are difficult if not impossible. A Call to Creatives In a world teeming with creativity and a growing desire for missions, many find themselves at a crossroads, wondering how to blend their artistic talents with the call to serve. Picture this: a vast landscape of possibilities, where your creativity isn't just a skill, but a powerful tool waiting to be unleashed in the mission field. Jon’s role in TEAM allows him to help global workers tap into this potential. Jon remarks that the concept of art for ministry is anything but new. During the Renaissance period, the literary rate was so low that the Church commissioned artists to create beautiful images to communicate with the people. Jon says Creative Arts ministry today works very much the same way to reach and impact believers and unbelievers alike in ways that words alone cannot. “In a sense, we are artists commissioned by the Church that are going out across the globe, doing just that: creating imagery, creating music, creating a story to tell,” Jon says. Though once a TEAM Italy global worker, Jon now works alongside other artists to help them use their skills in ministry. “They need somebody to help them embrace who God has created them to be and for what purpose,” Jon said. “And once we’re able to do that, it’s a beautiful thing to see these artists truly thrive.”

Loving Like Jesus Cross-Culturally (Part 1)

By Megan Lunsford • 23 Apr, 2024

When seeking to serve cross-culturally with an authentic love for others, there’s no better example for us than Jesus. If we sat around a table and threw out the question, “How do we love like Jesus?” I think we would have several commonalities as we respond. For example, Jesus loved all people right where they were. He loved those who were deemed the least, those hardest to love, or those who were His enemies. These are all beautiful realities of the heart of Jesus. When we step into relationships, it can be easier to take on the warmer, more gracious gestures of Jesus’ love, especially in cross-cultural relationships. Think about it––when doing life with those who look and act differently than us, we are already out of our comfort zones and would rather keep things as simple and familiar as possible. But there are other facets of Jesus’ heart we often overlook that can transform us and others even more into His likeness. Jesus is love because God is love. Everything Jesus did was out of love; it’s the mere definition of who He is. As followers of Jesus, He calls us to the same: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John:7-12) Every display of love we offer to others is an opportunity for them to encounter the ultimate love of the Father. That’s a pretty big deal! In this article, we’ll look at three expressions of Jesus’ love that we tend to overlook when engaging others cross-culturally. (Next month, we’ll look at three more.) 1. Jesus loved sacrificially. Everywhere Jesus went, crowds followed Him. We even see times in Scripture where Jesus had plans to step away for time alone but those who were hurting found Him and He had compassion on them and stayed with them. Can you imagine rarely having any time to yourself but, instead, constantly being surrounded by crowds of people wanting help from you? Jesus loved sacrificially. He welcomed all who came to Him with love and compassion, never turning anyone away. “When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) In the same way, we can make room in our lives for Jesus to bring sacrificial interruptions which, in His eyes, are orchestrated encounters to transfer His love to others. It can be tempting to be so “on mission” that we are full steam ahead and find ourselves frustrated when the Holy Spirit sends an interruption into our path that we feel we don’t have time for. Or, perhaps, we have scheduled a meet-up but it’s the norm in another culture to be 30 minutes or an hour late. We anxiously think through how it will affect whatever we have planned next. While it’s normal to feel a little stressed, what if the very "interruption” standing in front of you was really a divine appointment sent by God? Or what if that person running late experiences how peaceful and gracious you are in adapting to their culture and therefore, they can encounter a beautiful display of Jesus’ love? To truly represent Christ, we should remain ready and willing for each assignment the Lord sends into our path, no matter the cost or how much we will have to re-route our day. He is always a hundred steps ahead and will work all things for His glory and our good. 2. Jesus loved by discerning each situation well. Think about how many situations Jesus had to respond to on a daily basis. We read in Scripture that there were lines of people waiting to be healed by Him, talk to Him, hear His teachings, or simply touch the hem of His robe. Jesus was fully dependent on His Father to discern each situation before addressing it. “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19) Another temptation we can have when in a relationship with those God has sent us to is to think we already know the solution or what God wants to do before we’ve even asked Him. We believe we are full of knowledge, so we just pull from the bank we have stored within and go with it. However, when we access what is familiar to us as our default, we risk missing out on a God-given solution that might truly be the key to unlocking whatever challenge is in front of us. What does this look like when interacting with others? We can simply ask, “God, what is on Your heart for the person standing in front of me?” Then we listen and respond as He speaks. When we make it a daily habit to pause and hear God’s heart for each situation before responding, we are guaranteed to be effective in loving those around us. He knows the heart of every person that will cross our paths. Imagine how impactful we can be if we first lean on His wisdom and discernment before moving forward. 3. Jesus loved by speaking truth. Most of us are familiar with the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. If we are honest, this conversation makes us a bit nervous as none of us would be comfortable with Jesus calling out intimate details of our lives that we would prefer to hide. But Jesus went further than just airing her dirty laundry. He offered her the hope of the Gospel and a relationship with Him - a divine fulfillment that could never be found in an earthly relationship. Jesus modeled a powerful example of loving others well cross-culturally. He took the low place and spoke truth, truly out of love––speaking to her heart from His. Like Jesus, our goal in sharing the truths about Him and His Word is to bring hope and satisfaction through Him alone. When we speak truth from Scripture, we are calling others higher into all God has for them. The tricky part here is we should avoid speaking truth if it isn’t first fueled by compassion. If it merely comes from a place of judgment, condemnation, or self-righteousness, it will fall flat 100% of the time. But if it truly comes from love, you are likely to not only win a heart back to the Father but, like the story of the Samaritan woman, even an entire village! If you see someone living outside of God’s best for their lives, ask God to show you your heart before engaging theirs. Once your heart is properly postured, you can speak truth out of an overflow of God’s love and trust Him for a transformation in their lives.