During 2023 we are marking 30 years since UCM was founded by John and Janet Hendy, in collaboration with a number of Christians from the Cherkasy region of Ukraine. In celebration of all that God has done in that time we are highlighting some stories of people whose lives have been impacted through the work.
When the Hendys first started visiting Ukraine in 1993, Zolotonosha Baptist was the only church serving a large area of the Cherkasy region. “People used to walk for hours to get to the service,” John explains. “They used to walk from villages all around; at 6 in the morning you'd have a family walking several miles to get to church because they were so keen to attend.
Keep ReadingSummer activities for children have been at the heart of UCM’s ministry from the very early days. “The first youth camp was in about 1997,” Janet recalls. “There was a company in Cherkasy that Pastor Victor knew, so we visited them and they offered us some premises which in former days would have been a camp site for young communists. That place was in a dickens of a state, but we felt we could get it up together.”
Keep ReadingFather and son Yuriy and Mykhailo are forced migrants from the the city of Lysychansk, in the Luhansk region of Ukraine. At the end of April 2022, during the artillery shelling of the city, they opted to leave. Having asked advice from others who had already evacuated, they decided to travel the village of Blagodatne in the Cherkasy region. They explain what has happened since.
Keep ReadingThroughout the festive season, from December 25th through to the celebration of Orthodox Christmas on January 7th, our churches have been busy hosting events for their communities.
Many of these have focussed on the children, and as much as possible have included giving presents to them: a gift for each one to receive, to open and to enjoy at this special time of the year.
Due to constant bombing, our family was forced to leave the city of Lisichansk for Cherkasy in April. On the way here, the bus driver gave us the number of Pastor Sergiy, who had posted on the Internet an offer to accept refugees at the church in Blagodatne. I immediately called him and explained the situation, after which he gave the go-ahead for our arrival. My husband Ivan and granddaughter Alena came with me.
UCM partner Vasya, a pastor at Irpin Bible Church (IBC) and teacher of Youth Ministry at Kyiv Theological Seminary, is amongst the many Ukrainians who put the safety of their communities above their own when the conflict began. From the first day of the war and all through the occupation of their city, Vasya and his IBC colleagues provided food and shelter in their church building, and helped evacuate about 3,500 people from Irpin and the surrounding region.
Continue ReadingVasyl and Olena left Ukraine in April to come to the UK, where their daughter and her family live. Here they share their experiences of the past six months.
Reflecting on the days leading up to the invasion, they say “we felt anxious. A large country was putting a lot of their troops on the border of our small country. We had a feeling something was going to happen, but were not sure when.”
All across Ukraine, it is getting colder. Temperatures in the Cherkasy region are expected to fall below zero before the end of this month and are likely to remain low until March. As bombings and missile strikes continue to destroy crucial infrastructure, the situation grows ever more grave and the need for support with fuel, food and firewood increases.
Continue ReadingI spent the whole day in the hospital today. I was concerned with a woman, Tatyana, who came from Boryspil (near Kyiv) with her sick (disabled) mother, Nadia, and asked for help. They had no housing and asked for help. No one could accept them because her mother needed medical attention. I took them to the hospital and bought them food and medicine. They couldn’t believe that some-one would help them in this way for free. She thanked God for everything. Now they are in the hospital and are looking for an opportunity to go to Truskavets to a specialist hospital. I told them “God loves you and gave his life for you and will always help you”. They were happy and wept with happiness. They said this: "Look what a gift God gave us on March 8.”
‘Wise Carpenter’ was started by Vitaly Andriiets in 2017 as a workshop: a place where Christian men could share their experience of working with tools and studying biblical wisdom. Since then, the organisation has developed into a ministry which helps churches create similar spaces where they can disciple boys and young men.
Continue ReadingCamp MAXIMUM in Italy, organised for displaced Ukrainian children, was staffed by volunteers who are themselves displaced Ukrainians, now living scattered across Europe. Here they share their thoughts about the experience of working with youngsters deeply affected by the war.
Continue ReadingThe impact of these recent Corona virus is something we are only too familiar with hearing about these days. Ukraine is of course suffering the consequences also. The nation has been in quarantine since late March meaning schools have been closed, inter-city transport links ceased running, and meetings of more than 10 people prohibited.
Continue ReadingDespite some hesitation around quarantine and restrictions that may have been in place, we are delighted that the green light was given for churches to hold Summer Camps and Holiday Bible Clubs this summer. This is a huge part of what we do as UCM, sharing the Gospel with the young people of the villages.
Continue ReadingWould you like to send a gift to a child in Ukraine thisChristmas? 2020 has been a challenging year for us all and we would love to remind the children in Ukraine that they are not alone, that we are praying for them. You can make an enormous difference to a child’s life by sending them a unique gift, just for them.
I was born in the city of Cherkassy and lived there until God stepped into my life. As a young man I became addicted to alcohol and reached a very dark place in my life. At that time I was invited by a friend to attend a rehabilitation centre in Chapaivka (now Blagodatne). In 2005 I heard what Jesus had done for me and when I accepted Him as saviour, He set me free from addiction.
Continue ReadingEvery year we celebrate Christmas in Ukraine with a family party, and this year was no different. The team from Blagodatne Church prepared a great party; games, testimonies, a quiz and a drama performed by a very well-dressed team of amateur actors. Invitations are sent to everyone in the village and it has become a highlight of the season for many.
Continue ReadingKostya has worked at the local factory for many years. Like most men in the village, Thursday is pay day and so Thursday evenings are spent in the village bar. It is an unwritten expectation that nobody works on Fridays, they are a recovering from the night before. This is the way of life that Kostya has been a part of since he has been old enough to work. Until recently.
Continue ReadingPastors
Training
Building projects
Camp Maximum
Bible Clubs
School Support
Youth Development
Call: 07915 176759
Email: info@ucm.org.uk
117 Albert Rd
Poole
Dorset
BH12 2BX
Sign up for our newsletter we would love to keep you posted with our news, so why not sign up.
Ukraine Christian Ministries Registered Charity No 1061221