Blog

15Mar

Prayer and Support in Ukraine

In response to the war in Ukraine, we are seeing the worldwide body of Christ step up in prayer and in acts of compassion that bear witness to the way of Jesus in the face of evil.  Read about how ABC connections are caring for refugees, encouraging Ukranian church leaders, and how we can be involved in prayer and support.

At First Baptist Church:

We will be taking a special collection for One Great Hour of Sharing – Ukraine on Sunday, March 27.  – Checks can be made out to OGHS-Ukraine.  To give online through the church, click here, and select OGHS/Ukraine from the ‘Fund’ dropdown menu.

Ukrainian Refugees Begin Arrivingin Hungary

Global Servants Amanda and Jon Good

From Becky & Larry Stanton

Update from our Ukrainian Partners

Charles Jones, International Ministries Senior Area Director for Europe, Middle East and Liberia

“As you may already know, in response to the events unfolding in Ukraine, International Ministries sent an initial grant of $15,000 for our Ukrainian Baptist partners to help supply basic provisions like food, shelter, medicine, and hygiene items. We thank you that your ongoing and generous response to our call for further donations has so far provided more than $52,000 in additional funding. Our thanks as well to the Christian Community Credit Union (CCCU) for giving a gift of $5,000 this week to provide Ukrainian women and children with relief.

The office of the Baptist Union of Ukraine has been relocated to Western Ukraine, nearer to the Polish border. Leaders and staff meet there three times a day—at 9:00AM, 1:00 and 5:00PM—for prayer and coordination. The Union president’s prayer request was for good coordination as they try to provide evacuation and humanitarian aid to people coming through or trapped—since bridges around major cities, including the capital Kyiv, have been strategically blown up to slow the advance of Russian convoys. This also limits escape routes for Ukrainian civilians. The Baptist Union’s six regions in Western Ukraine (out of twenty-five regions in the country) are seeking to serve over one million internally displaced people (IDPs) coming through. He asked for prayers for safe travels for the drivers and vehicles bringing IDPs from their towns and then returning with goods and supplies.

Our global servants in Hungary—Amanda and Jon GoodCarmella Jones, and Becky and Larry Stanton—are directly engaged in helping to provide relief for Ukrainian refugees. The Goods share a story in the journal post below, and we will share further updates as we have them through IM’s social media.

The work being done by our regional partner (the European Baptist Federation) in collaboration with national partners (Baptist Unions in Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Romania, and other European countries) and the local efforts by our global servants in Hungary can only be sustained with your generosity. You can give a gift online or by check so that relief efforts through our global servants and partners can continue. Checks should be mailed directly to International Ministries (please designate your contribution “OGHS-Ukraine Relief” in the memo line).

While our financial support will provide for physical needs, the need for prayer is paramount. Will you pray alongside our brothers and sisters? Here are some of the requests they have provided: 1) pray that the war will be stopped; 2) pray for God’s comfort for those who have lost family and their homes; 3) pray that Ukrainian Baptists are able to help those who are running from the war, particularly as it is still winter; 4) pray for a stable channel of cash flow to Ukraine so that humanitarian needs can be sustainably met; 5) pray that the power of the Holy Spirit will continue working within every Ukrainian Baptist pastor; and 6) pray for the churches in areas surrounded by Russian soldiers—for the pastors and those who have stayed, that their hearts would remain open to surrounding people with Christian love and care.

I ask that you would pray for protection and provision for those who suffer, and for peace to be restored. And for our Baptist sisters and brothers and all peace-loving people in Russia, that God will give them courage to pursue peace.

Charles H. Jones

For other updates from American Baptist International Ministries, their website is here: https://www.internationalministries.org/