Once upon a time there were two churches…
They were both located in western Ukraine. They were only about 15 kilometers away from each other. But they did not have any connection or partnership. The only thing they had in common was that they both worshipped the Risen Lord Jesus on Sunday mornings.
They were not affiliated with the same denomination or faith group. One identifies as ‘Non-denominational,’ while the other simply identifies as ‘Evangelical.’
But then a tragedy occurred on the other side of their nation.
And with a tragedy always comes an opportunity. In the famous words of Mister Rogers, ‘look for the helpers.’ See link HERE.
Their communities became overrun with ‘refugees’ (more accurately ‘internally-displaced people’), fleeing their homes in the east. Some of these people came from Church of God congregations in eastern Ukraine. Some came from different faith backgrounds. Some came from totally irreligious backgrounds.
But they all came with very real needs.
Needs for Shelter. Needs for Food. Needs for friendship and community.
These two congregations began doing what they could to care for these new ‘neighbors.’ And in time, they got to know about one another’s responses to the critical needs all around them.
And they began a partnership.
They have theological and liturgical differences, yes. But what matters is they share “one Lord, one faith, one baptism…”
What an amazing illustration of Unity!
What an amazing testimony to the suffering world all around them of God’s Love in action!
What an amazing testimony to the peace of Christ!
In subsequent articles, I will share more individualized stories from our collective experiences these past several months. You will hear first-hand from some of the people that they are helping. Note: Specific names and locations will consistently be withheld for security purposes.
I would ask for you to do two things in response:
1.) Pray for all involved. Pray for God to continue to meet their needs, especially as winter is right around the corner.
2.) Please consider giving! Giving to the Church of God Disaster Relief fund is an easy way for you to make a tangible difference. Please click on this link and mark ‘Ukraine’ in the comments.