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Spring 2020 Update
This has certainly been a season like no other! We have all been challenged in numerous ways, but the Lord has been with us through it all. It has required a lot of innovation to say the least! But thankfully, no crisis can stop Jesus' work.
We'll share with you some of the happenings from this spring below. We apologize in advance for the abundance of Zoom screenshots! For many of us, another Zoom screen is the last thing we want to see—but such is life. The quarantine here in Ukraine is being lifted more slowly, so we have not gone back to live services yet, but we are certainly ready!
Please don't forget to pray for the prayer requests at the end of the newsletter. We are so blessed by all of you who partner with us in the work here through your prayers, encouragement and financial support. You are a vital part of our team! Thank you!
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Calvary Chapel Svitlovodsk
When the quarantine began here in March, we switched to livestreaming Sunday services and have been doing so for 3 whole months now. Thankfully, we have our rented hall 24/7, so we were able to use the same setup that we normally do, including the livestream. We like to think that even the familiar stage provides a sense of normalcy to our church members in a very abnormal time. I'm not sure if preaching to an empty hall is better or worse than preaching to a computer at home—but it's weird either way. Though, at this point, one begins to wonder if it'll be odd to preach to living humans again!
As many churches did, we actually saw an increase in those "attending" the first weeks of the quarantine. While we trust the Lord used it, we realize that most of that was due to novelty, non-local interest and perhaps an atmosphere of crisis. The real test of any increase will be once we go back to live services.
We switched all of our other meetings (home fellowships, women's fellowship, Jr. High group, and Sunday after-service fellowship) to Zoom. This has its own challenges, and like the rest of the world, we're all a little tired of Zoom calls. But if anything, we hope the Lord will use this time to remind us of the treasure of gathering together as the body of Christ.
The church was also able to provide material support to some of our members who lost their jobs during the strictest part of the quarantine. Thankfully, they've all gone back to work or found new jobs at this point.
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City to City Ukraine
The pandemic also had an affect on our City to City Ukraine Incubator. We have two learning cohorts, one that is halfway through the 2-year program, and the other that was supposed to have their final session in May along with a celebratory dinner. We gave both groups the option to do sessions online or postpone till later in the summer. The group still in year one chose to do the sessions online (pictured above). But it's hard to do a celebratory dinner over Zoom! So we have rescheduled the second group for August and hopefully will be able to make it happen live and in person.
It's difficult to figure out how to do church virtually, but it's even harder to wrap one's head around how to plant a new church in the middle of a quarantine! Because of this, although we extended the registration period for a 2020-2022 Incubator cohort, we did not have enough planters interested. On one hand, it's tempting to be discouraged by this, but we trust the Lord is in control. Additionally, it means that we will have more time available to run our CTC Ukraine Gospel Preaching Labs. We're already planning to run one in another key city in the fall. We would appreciate your prayers for the Lord to guide us into how to adapt to the ever changing situation.
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City to City Europe
This spring was actually a season of much growth for City to City Europe. In God's providence, we had already been planning an online program to raise up more trainers of church planters in the cities of Europe. Turns out, online was the only thing anyone could do this spring! We finished up the design stage and launched Train the Trainer Online cohorts in mid-May.
We have 27 trainer apprentices currently participating, representing 23 key European cities. 19 of these cities are not yet running CTC church planter training, but hopefully now can launch training in the near future! We are very encouraged to see this growth. Please give thanks to the Lord with us for this development and pray that as these new trainers begin offering training, that God will bring them planters and create movements of the Gospel in their cities.
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Church Planter Profile: Dima in Kyiv Metro
Meet one of our Incubator church planters,  Dima (pictured right, kneeling during his ordination just yesterday!). Dima is a first-year Incubator participant. He's plating in the Kyiv Metro area in Borispol (by the Kyiv airport). Dima shares below about how City to City Ukraine impacted him:
"There's a lot I could say about City to City Ukraine, but the most important thing for me has been the idea of Gospel-centrality. Before I began Incubator, I thought of the Gospel as just something I preach to unbelievers. Now I've come to realize it's the dynamic for my whole life as a Christian. Both the Incubator program and accompanying coaching have really been instrumental in this change."
Here's a prayer request Dima asked us to share:
- We're planning a youth camping trip to the Carpathian mountains this July. There will be 15 unbelievers in the group. Pray that the Gospel of will touch their hearts.
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Building Update
The building is getting closer and closer to the stage where we can start using it! All of the tile is down and most walls are prepped to paint (pictured above). If fact, we are close enough that we are even putting a time on moving in: fall 2020! Please pray for us to meet this goal.
Of course, getting the building to a we-can-begin-using-it stage is one thing. Having it finished is quite another. There will still be quite a bit left to do even after we move in (including the kitchen and all offices which we haven't even touched yet).
So please keep praying! And also please consider making a donation to help us continue working once we move in. You can do so using the button below. All donations are tax-deductible and go specifically to the building project.
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Content: When God's Sovereignty is Not Enough
I had the privilege of writing an article for City to City during the COVID-19 crisis. You can find an excerpt and link to the article below:
...One can appreciate how an unbeliever might even prefer the idea that this pandemic is the result of “random chance” to the idea that an all-powerful God is controlling it. “What kind of a God,” he or she might indignantly wonder, “would that be?” Whether God’s sovereignty over suffering is comforting or not depends entirely on the character of that God... The doctrine of God’s sovereignty might be cold comfort to those who are fearful and suffering right now if there is no assurance of God’s compassion and goodness alongside it... Read the whole article.
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Family
Tomorrow I will begin a time of academic leave to complete a number of seminary requirements that have piled up amidst everything else going on. After this, our family will take some much needed vacation time. Sadly, with all the travel restrictions, it's looking like it will be a "stay-cation". Thankfully, our city is on a huge reservoir and there are a number of beaches around (one of our new favorites pictured above).
Please also note that our sending church has changed its giving platform. So if you are interested in partnering financially with us in the work here, please make sure to read this. If you've already registered on the giving platform, you can get to our donation page quickly by clicking the button below.
We pray that the Lord would uphold you in these difficult times and give you joy in His abundant grace.
in our Papa,
Benjamin, Lena, Abby and Isaac
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Prayer Requests:
- For many to come to Christ during the coronavirus pandemic! Pray for wisdom for churches on how to serve our communities well in this time and for wise re-opening strategies.
- For Ukraine: for God’s peace and order to come, an end to bloodshed, war and systemic corruption, and for people to turn to Jesus and His Kingdom to come!
- For our church building: Praise God for getting closer to moving in. Pray He provides what's needed after we move in as well. If you would like to donate to our building fund, you can do so at: http://bit.ly/give2building
- For God to raise up more leaders in our church, especially teachers.
- For City to City Ukraine, that God would empower us to see 100 new Gospel-centered churches planted in the key cities of Ukraine by 2030. Pray for Dima and the church plant in the Kyiv metro area (details in the planter profile above).
- For the new trainers being raised up through City to City Europe, that God would bring church planters to be trained and create movements of the Gospel the cities of Europe. Pray also for a new program we're designing for the fall.
- For God's provision for our family. If you'd like to become a partner in giving, click the donation link: http://bit.ly/give2morrisons
- For the name of Jesus to be glorified and the lost to be found both in our city and across Ukraine!
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If you would prefer to donate via check, please make it out to:
“Horizon Ministries”
Leave the memo line on the check blank with a separate note enclosed: either “for the Morrisons”, or "Svitlovodsk Building Fund" depending on where you would like your donation to be directed.
Send to:
Horizon Ministries
7702 Indian Lake rd.
Indianapolis, IN 46236
All donations are tax-deductible and 100% of your donation goes to us!
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