Ukraine Appeal: Small Churches on the Frontline of Relief

A typical day in Eastern Ukraine lately is marked by the sounds of artillery shelling, drones, and even ballistic missiles striking their targets. By the hundreds, civilians and military alike are wounded or killed each week. Adding to this the weather is not as forgiving as last year. Winter has just started to settle in and already temperatures are reaching low 20s. Snow and frozen ground are building where shelter is scarce in war-torn cities. Combined this has created a context of decreasing morale and an increasing sense of isolation. This is precisely where the Ukrainian Evangelical Church is showing up.

Ukraine Appeal — Stories from Ukraine

In God’s providence, The Outreach Foundation has had the privilege to come alongside several ministries serving in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion. We are pleased to share some of their highlights with you.

Military Chaplains Minister on Multiple Fronts in Ukraine

Earlier this summer, The Outreach Foundation hosted Dr. Ivan Rusyn (President, Ukraine Evangelical Theological Seminary in Kyiv) for a visit to the U.S. His several updates included a major initiative to train military chaplains who are serving active-duty soldiers in Ukraine. This initiative has brought together Orthodox and Greek Catholic seminaries and UETS representing the broader Protestant traditions in Ukraine. Military chaplaincy is at the leading edge of what ministry candidates are being trained to do as they seek to fulfill their call while serving their country courageously.

Ukraine Appeal — Providing Meaningful Help to Soldiers in Ukraine

In March 2023, The Outreach Foundation visited Kyiv. Among our goals for this visit was to provide Individual First Aid Kits (IFAKs) that had been requested specifically by Dr. Ivan Rusyn of the Ukraine Evangelical Theological Seminary (UETS) during his visit with us. These are the most requested items by soldiers at every checkpoint, he told us. Thanks to Delta Airlines, the baggage fee for 600 IFAKs was waived, which meant we were able to purchase an additional 200.

Ukraine Appeal — April 2023 Update

From March 18-26, a window of opportunity opened for The Outreach Foundation to visit friends at the Ukraine Evangelical Theological Seminary (UETS) in Kyiv as well as some surrounding towns. The team was comprised of Mark Mueller (Outreach Executive Director), Tom Boone (Associate Director for Mission), and Victor Petrenko, husband of board member Amy Petrenko. Victor’s parents fled Ukraine following World War ll. Joining our team was Dr. Piotr Nowak, president of the College of Theology and Social Sciences (CTSS) in Warsaw, Poland. Dr. Ivan Rusyn of UETS was our host.

Stories From the Front in Ukraine — January 2023

In November 2022, The Outreach Foundation fielded a team of six to meet Dr. Ivan Rusyn, President of the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary (Kyiv), and Father Oleh Kindii, a priest with the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (Lviv). The team brought a few hundred pounds of relief supplies and shuttled them from Warsaw, Poland to the Medyka border with Ukraine.

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