Many people in the region are accepting Jesus during evangelization campaigns, church events, and Bible studies.
UKRAINE | NATALIA LUCHAK
APRIL 7, 2023
A year has passed since the total invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops. For many people, this period has been marked by unexpected and unusual events. Those who felt the influence of the Holy Spirit and opened their hearts to the Savior Jesus Christ experienced particular changes.
In Korop, Chernihiv, evangelization meetings were organized by Pavlo Stepashko and Vitaliy Reshitko. Seven women accepted the Word of God by faith and on January 28, 2023, entered the waters of baptism that took place in Radychiv in the Desna leisure center pool. A week later, another man joined the local community by being baptized at his home.
In Obukhiv (Kiev), two people were baptized on January 31, 2023. On February 1, 2023, the Omelchenko couple from Horodnia, Chernihiv, entered into a covenant with God through baptism. On February 11, 2023, three people were baptized in Skvyra, Kyiv, where they made a vow of good conscience.
The action of the Holy Spirit in people's hearts led to a solemn service at the Dnipro Spiritual Center on February 19, 2023, where eight brothers and sisters from the city and region came to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The baptismal rite was celebrated by Pastor Oleg Gnidenko.
In Sumy, spiritual and social programs are regularly organized, and as a result, people decide to devote their lives to God. Thus, on March 4, 2023, a baptism ceremony was held in Sumy, where seven people were baptized: three sisters from the first community of Sumy, one from the second community of Sumy, two from Krasnopillya, and one from Okhtyrka.
On March 11, 2023, a solemn baptism service was held in Zhytomyr, where eight children of God dedicated their lives to their heavenly Father.
An evangelization program was organized in Poltava with the participation of evangelist Viktor Begas. 270 people participated in this program. Seven of them decided to enter into a covenant with God and made this decision on March 18, 2023.
On the same day, a solemn baptism service was held at the Podil Church in Kiev, where 12 brothers and sisters from different communities in the city were born of the water and the Spirit.
On the Sabbath of March 18, 2023, two young people were baptized in the Adventist community of Pid Vynohradiv, Berehove, Zakarpattia. For a year, Pastor Andriy Konashuk has been conducting Bible studies with young people. From March 12 to 18, 2023, a youth evangelization program was organized, under the direction of the director of the Ministry of Youth Department of the Western Ukraine Conference, Oleksandr Koropets. On March 18, 2023, Ruslana Vovchok and Ilya Konashuk, the son of Pastor Andriy, were baptized by him.
On the same day, in the community of the Eternal Gospel in Lviv, seven people made a covenant with God through water baptism, and one person joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church by profession of faith. Five of the newly baptized are from Lviv, one from Brody, one from Busk, and a sister from the Barvinok sanatorium. Among them, three are internally displaced persons, and one of the women lives in a shelter located on the church grounds. The baptism ceremony was conducted by the pastor of the community, Volodymyr Skyba.
March 18, 2023 was a day of joy for three young people from Bukovyna who made a covenant with God in the community of Nedoboivtsi. One of them belongs to the community of Grozintsi and the other two are from Nedoboivtsi.
An evangelization program was organized in Khmelnytsky, under the leadership of Viktor Voitko. Church members joined together in a common ministry, inviting their relatives, friends, and acquaintances to participate in the program. In total, about sixty people attended the meetings, including twenty regular listeners. The result of divine influence and the efforts of church members was the baptism of six people on March 19, 2023.
Since the beginning of the conflict, social support programs have been organized in Apostolove for displaced persons and all affected individuals. These people are invited to attend evangelization meetings. Bible studies have been organized with interested individuals. On March 19, 2023, two men decided to devote their lives to God and were baptized. The ministry continues in the communities of Apostolove and Zelenodolsk. Over 200 people attend weekly meetings.
The original version of this article was published in Ukrainian on the news website of the Ukrainian Union Conference. (link)
