Ukraine

We managed to make friends with kids without bribing them with sweets or gifts…

(Yelena Vdovik, children’s ministry leader of The Risen Christ church inVinnitsa, Ukraine)

In December 2010 we had a privilege to see 12 children workers from 6 local churches of 5 Ukrainian towns come together and become one family during Connecting Course presented by Children Mission. After the course many testified that they had experienced the importance of building relationship with each other, doesn’t matter hoe old you are or where you come from. During this one week of the course the attitude was changed towards children, towards playing with them and building relationship with them. Sometimes it seemed that students rediscovered play and stories. They played with such joy and excitement that one cannot tell who is enjoying it more: adults or children.

“When a grown-up forgets about his/her age, status and position and starts playing with a child on the same level, - tells Katya Borodova, CM tutor, - that’s where relations start building up, where a child can open his heart for a grown-up and a grown-up can open up for a child. That’s the type of relationship that help generations to hear each other, see each other’s world and influence each other. That’s foundation for passing on our faith.”

This week can be also called a week of building relationship with God. Why? There are impressive testimonies about inner changes that God inspired during morning devotions and meetings with children. Students received healings, discovered new talents, broke through perplexity, fear of being in the front. Somebody for the first time in his life understood the value of a child in God’s eyes. Somebody could finally see herself from God’s perspective and experience His love and acceptance. Many realized they are capable of much more in the ministry. One of ladies decided she would pray to God to give her a team of people in the church so she can go on outreaches. Others who are part of children’s ministry teams started to think how to change their structures to make them more effective and child-friendly.

It was a special time for children, for students, for us, tutors, because we all were in God’s training process experiencing His presence in His big family.

Tatiana Kalinnik, National Coordinator for Ukraine

28 December 2010

All materials on the subject "Ukraine":

• Children Mission took part in the Annual Expo for children’s workers
• I’ve got an adult friend!
• We Are Stronger When We Are Together
• “Our lives changed, not just our ministries!”
• Module 1 in Lugansk
• We managed to make friends with kids without bribing them with sweets or gifts…