Our Academic Team is Headed to Ukraine
Yesterday afternoon a team of educators from Soul Sanctuary, composed of Pastor Gerry Michalski, Sharon Michalski, Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht and Rick Wiebe departed to western Ukraine to lecture at Volyn National University in Lutsk. The team will spend time building relationships with the academic staff at the university and will teach and preach at a pastors conference for our eastern European missions partner, the Russian/Ukrainian Assemblies of God.
During their downtime, Pastor Gerry and Dr. Giesbrecht will spend time playing ice hockey with the local community with the intention of building relationships in preparation for our postponed hockey team trip to Ukraine.
Our mission commitment in Eastern Europe has grown in depth and breadth over the last ten years. Soul Sanctuary’s efforts in Ukraine are focused on supporting the work of the Russian/Ukrainian Assemblies of God (RUAOG) churches as they share the gospel of Jesus Christ through social projects, church planting and evangelistic ministry. What this work looks like varies dependant on the season, however our support has included:
funding renovations in local prisons where RUAOG pastors counsel and visit,
funding renovation projects on state run orphanages where RUAOG church members adopt children,
funding initiatives which seek to make RUAOG ministries financially independent,
ministering in RUAOG rehab centres that are partnered with the state judicial system,
ministering at RUAOG pastor and leader conferences,
teaching theology to pastors-in-training through the RUAOG Bible School and
teaching English to youth who are wards of the state at faith-based summer camps.
As we continue our relationship with our European partners there will be more opportunities for those from Soul Sanctuary to travel to Ukraine in service of our shared mission. At this time we ask that you’d remember our team in your daily prayers as they minister to others, seeking to bring about a glimpse of the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.