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    The beginings of a Church

    This last Sunday marked the beginning of a new step in the work we are involved with in Kharkov, Ukraine.  Our team came to Kharkov to share the good news of life to those that do not yet know it.  We have hopes and goals that as we share this news and lives are transformed, new communities of Christians will form and grow.  Our hopes are that when our team leaves this work we will leave behind us multiple communities of believers throughout the city of Kharkov.  We want to start churches throughout the city that will be lights to their neighbors, used by God, and places of growth and strength for the weak and needy.

    Late last year our team foresaw the immediate need for a portion of our existing church to be sent off to begin another congregation and unanimously decided we were at a healthy point to do this.  The process started mid-way through last year as we took a general focus on growth and evangelism in our congregational lessons and meetings.  We took the time to discuss and converse with the local church about our team's goals of growth and church planting.  We walked through various pros and cons concerning the concept of house churches in Kharkov.   We asked for their input, advice, and participation as we moved in this direction.  Over the course of several months, the whole congregation was on board with the idea that sometime in the near future a portion of the church will go out and begin a new work. 

    The plan was at the beginning of the new year two families from our team would go and start a new church.  However, the circumstances at that time led us to believe that a little more time together would be better.  After some time we decided that a little more time together would be better.  Then a little while later we decided a little more time together would be beneficial.  Eventually we realized that "a little more time together" would always feel better initially, but we needed to stop putting it off and go and do it. 

    So now we are here.  Our team chose which two families would be best suited to begin a new church plant in the city, we gained the blessing and encouragement of the whole church, and this past Sunday it finally happened.  One congregation met in the home of Ivan and Sveta, and the other congregation met in David and Olivia's home.  It was a big step in the right direction for our work in Kharkov, but it felt really weird.  We had been meeting with our church family for the last year, sharing our Sunday evenings together, singing, encouraging each other, and this last Sunday we missed it.  This is how it should be, but it is something that we will have to get used to.

    Of course to get a clear idea of what is going on with the congregations in Kharkov you will have to come and experience it first hand, but for those that won't be able to make it I will try to describe as best as I can.  The first church we were a part of starting here in Kharkov spent the first few months meeting in the homes of the missionaries, then transitioned into meeting in the homes of the local Christians as well, then it moved to a point that seemed to meet more regularly in the homes of the Ukrainians and less in the homes of the missionaries.  Because of the locations of our apartments, as well as the location of the Ukrainians apartments we ended up meeting all over the city.  This was difficult for many of us, but especially for one Ukrainian family who had a baby born in October.  Now with the current changes, there will be an encouragement on our team's part to work towards the church meeting mainly in one region of the city, and hopefully meeting in only one or two apartments in that region. 

    The plan for our second church plant will go a little something like this....  On Sundays at 5pm we will begin a "seekers" Bible study going through the Gospel of Mark.  We will invite our friends and acquaintances to this study, including people who have recently shown signs that they are receptive as well as people we've asked before, but declined - we're hopeful their hearts are open now. This Bible study won't be the Church, but it will be a place where we directly teach and study with people about Christ in hopes they will believe and obey the Gospel.  For those who obey the gospel, we will extend an invitation to come and meet with us an hour before the Bible study to take the Lord's supper together, spend time in prayer, and encourage one another.  I'm really excited and hopeful about the future: after our friends are added to the church, we will be able to spend time together as a Body, then immediately afterward we can engage others who are seeking to know God together as a church.  Of course, we're still at the beginning.  Right now we are extending invitations to the Bible study, praying for open hearts. 

    As this new step in our work begins we are also beginning to put more focus on inter-congregational relationships.  Just because two families left one congregation to begin another does not mean that we no longer wish to fellowship with the other congregation.  Every month we will be putting together a combined assembly for the churches in Kharkov.  On May 1st our church hosted a city-wide assembly, inviting members from all the churches of Christ in Kharkov to participate in leading the assembly, and it was a huge success.  The churches were excited about it, and it was something that really helped connect people from various congregations.  We will now do that every month, leaving an invitation open to all of the congregations of Kharkov, but especially to the churches we are directly working with.  We're also taking the opportunity to advertise this event among the public as an evangelistic tool.

    We are all very excited about this new step toward some of our goals.  Though we don't know exactly what is going to happen or how it will happen, we are confident that our God is "able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus...." Ephesians 3:20-21

    • 16 June 2011
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  • The Nelson's Space

    We are a family of three who have been sent to Ukraine to plant churches. We are constantly growing and learning how to be the people God calls us to be.
    We enjoy life, and want to share with others the things that make our lives so great.

  • About The Nelson

    We are a family of three who have been sent to Ukraine to plant churches. We are constantly growing and learning how to be the people God calls us to be.
    We enjoy life, and want to share with others the things that make our lives so great.

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