Since first opening its doors in a rented room in Cherkasy in October 2022, Hope Church has been a growing family of believers. Sergiy and Vika Kravets, along with other leaders and a very motivated youth group, have not stopped looking for ways to reach out to the local community, to provide food, warmth and fellowship to anyone who needs it.

The rented space is mainly used for Sunday services and mid-week bible study sessions. But there are also lots of activities that happen outside the building: for example, the church family regularly goes to the city centre with a microphone and sound system to share the gospel, and to offer a listening ear and prayer ministry for members of the public. In the summer there are holiday Bible clubs for children and youth in the community, making use of the small green space in front of the building and welcoming parents to come and join the fun.

The congregation has changed quite a bit since the early days, as many internally displaced Ukrainians who were coming along have since returned to their homes. But new people have been joining and the church has celebrated several baptisms, both in the Dnieper River and in a nearby swimming pool rented specifically for the occasion. “God is good to us and the church,” testifies Sergiy.

One of the people who has become a Christian through the ministry of Hope Church is Slavik, a good friend of Sergiy’s. “I preached the gospel to him and finally he came to a service,” explains Sergiy. “He continued to come along, repented and was baptised. Now he is an active helper who ministers to the congregation.” Another is a man Sergiy was able to connect with through their common experience as soldiers. “I worked with him for a long time and this bore fruit: he repented, loved Christ and was baptized.”

Around Christmas, leadership team organised an online event for the younger church members, “to distract the youth from the war and so that they could concentrate on God and serving Him.” There was also a craft-making session in the church which yielded great results.

Looking ahead, Sergiy says, “Our prayers and vision for the church are to increase the number of new converts as well as to increase those who attend church and are assistants and ministers. To implement this vision, we hold many events for non-church people to attract them. Recently we had a retreat for women. On Sunday after the event, the grandmother of one of the teenagers came out to repent and for that we praise God. We also held a bubble show for children with their parents. We are planning many projects on the street for the summer to be a light for others and involve everyone.”

It is a joy to see the energy and motivation this group of believers has to share their faith and serve others.