Every year at Easter, Faith Church rallies together around one of our missionaries to raise funds in support of a special project or initiative. In years past we have sent thousands of dollars in support of camp facilities in Spain, theological education in Ukraine, disciple-making efforts in Kenya, and partner ministries right here in Indianapolis.
The Bond of Peace in a Season of War: Faith Church-Led KTS Retreat in Poland
Our Easter Offering for 2025 will focus on leadership development involving all our Strategic Seminary Partners.
Faith Church has had strong connections to Kyiv Theological Seminary in Ukraine since it opened over 25 years ago. Our last team visited in 2019, before full-scale war began three years ago. The seminary has been continuously operating all this time, and Faith Church continues to partner with KTS. We have had monthly prayer times, raised support for displaced people and done much to support the seminary, including special offerings to fund programs to equip lay leaders to pastor adults and youth and to teach and minister to children. Ukraine is the “Bible Belt” of Eastern Europe, with a strong Evangelical presence in a nation of significant religious freedom, there and in global missions. Even as many Western churches have begun to withdrawal from supporting KTS and the Ukrainian Church, KTS recognizes the consistent faithfulness of Faith Church, and is deeply grateful.
When we asked Ruslan Khmyz, the President of KTS, what would be the most meaningful way Faith could support the seminary with an in-person team, recognizing that travel into Ukraine would be incredibly difficult, he had one response: Lead a retreat for KTS leadership, faculty, and staff, outside Ukraine. Three years of war, of ever-present air raid sirens at night that mean a single night of uninterrupted sleep, outside a bomb shelter, is a rarity. Worsening damage to the electrical grid that mean lights, heat and hot water are available only randomly. The trauma of death and destruction, and of grief at the deaths of soldiers and civilians, friends and family members, pastors and church leaders. Ruslan tells us that his team is exhausted, discouraged and burned out, though they continue to faithfully minister, teach, and study. They just need a break, a renewal of purpose, if for a short while.
Faith Church has the privilege of sending a team for a retreat in Lublin, Poland, in June. This team will lead sessions to encourage and strengthen over 40 of our Ukrainian brothers and sisters. We will worship together, enjoy nature together, share testimonies, study Scripture, listen, laugh, and cry together as a faithful presence. The KTS guests will be somewhere safe, with consistent electricity, hot water, and safety from drone attacks. Another request was to have someone who could help with vision-casting for the seminary in the next 5 to 15 years. By God’s grace, the soon to be Emeritus President of our seminary partner in Bierut, Lebanon, Elie Hadaad, and his wife, Mirielle, will lead these sessions for leaders, with Pastor Jeff Schultz facilitating. And, in way of linking all three of our seminary partners in one place separate from all three, Faith’s Alyssa Dunker will use her own significant gifting and educational training (she actually got her Master’s in Biblical Counseling at KTS before earning her Doctorate in the USA!) to be available to provide trauma counseling to those in attendance.
Our vision for this trip is that it is a refreshment and encouragement to KTS, as we deepen our bond of Christian peace through a time of war and conflict (Ephesians 3:4) and “spur one another on to love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24) in Indianapolis and Kyiv. This war may end tomorrow or years from now, but the work for the church in Ukraine is massive either way. As we can be a vehicle to help in strategic planning for an uncertain future, that will empower KTS to continue important work in whatever circumstances it faces.
Our Needs primarily cover the bus transportation from Kyiv to Lublin and back, lodging in rooms that are free of air raid sirens and have consistent electricity and hot water, and meals for our Ukrainian guests, a day trip to Warsaw (for many of whom have never left Ukraine, and the expenses of our special invitees, the Hadaads and Alyssa Dunker. Since most men cannot leave Ukraine, we will have Zoom links for strategic planning meetings, and will also provide gifts for the many children who cannot attend. Our giving goal is $20,000 for those trip costs. Additional support above that goal will go to further leadership development for our seminary partners. Our team will fully provide our own support for travel, food and lodging, separate from the Easter offering. We encourage you to pray if you are called to financially support a team member apart from the cost of all described above.
Our Prayer Requests principally involve the ability of our Ukrainian guests to travel in a time of active war, and for our team to be effective at the goals we feel God has called us to meet. Pray for us to be good listeners, faithful brothers and sisters and encouragers for the hope of the Gospel. Funding for our team and for the wider retreat is a major prayer need.