Hands, heads and hearts

A builder by trade, over the past couple of years Artem Fabryi has been combining his skills with his heart for mentoring by leading the Wise Carpenter workshop at the church in Denghi. Occupying a converted shipping container on the edge of the grounds, the workshop opens weekly during school term-time to host a group of boys interested in learning carpentry skills.

However, there is so much more going on than just the practical work. The purpose of the Wise Carpenter ministry – to engage hands, heads and hearts – means that every session starts and ends with prayer, and includes a time of bible study or Christian character and lifestyle lessons before any of the measuring, sawing, drilling and sanding can begin. Artem is in no doubt that the spiritual lessons are the most important aspect of the sessions. “Yes, you improve a boy’s skills, you can teach him how to work with a hammer. But if his soul is not saved, what's the point?”

The crisis of the most recent Russian invasion in 2022 followed by the long continuing conflict - “the grey everyday life of war”, as one Ukrainian priest describes it – has thrown into sharp focus the need for ministries such as Wise Carpenter. “Half of the boys here, they don't have father at all. Many have gone to war,” Artem says. Which means, of course, that some will not come back. Artem and his team of leaders have in many ways taken on the role of father figure for these boys, offering care, support and guidance alongside hands-on training with tools. “The goal of this ministry is so that they can build themselves as men,” Artem emphasises; a crucial endeavour as these boys will have to be the reliable and hard-working men Ukraine needs in the future to get the country back on its feet after the war.

One of the 12-year-olds who comes along has ongoing problem with alcohol, not unusual amongst youngsters in the rural villages. Artem understands these challenges well: the search for identity and the need to belong. When he was younger and before he was a Chirstian, he was a victim of bullying, and in response he tried to increase his physical strength by throwing himself into exercise and workouts. “But I realised that wasn’t the answer,” he says. “I still see guys from the gym and they are all very fit and muscular – but they are all addicted to something. I learned that none of that has a meaningful effect on your life, if you are not saved.”

Artem is fully committed to the ministry but happy to share that he doesn’t always find it easy, and credits his wife Anastasia with helping him to maintain the right approach. When he had struggled with feeling that the sessions weren’t working and there was no point carrying on, she didn’t let him give up but urged him to continue. Putting to use her years of experience working with children, she helped design the weekly lessons and also advised Artem on how to communicate effectively with the boys. He is so grateful that she encouraged him to persevere, to be able to serve the community in this way. He also appreciates the support of others in the church, particularly Igor, one of the young adults in the congregation. “He's growing himself as a leader,” Artem comments, reflecting the way that the ministry benefits the wider body of the church by drawing in the men, and developing their skills as mentors and trainers.

The underpinning principle of Wise Carpenter is Proverbs 22v 6: ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ It is so encouraging to see how Aetem, Igor and the team are faithfully putting this into practice in Denghi, investing in the youth in their community to give them a strong foundation for their future.