God’s mercy to Ukraine has been revealed during these days of revolution and is a big blessing for all of us. God is expanding the limits of our mission, giving more opportunities and allowing us to participate even more in His great work. For the future of the ministry we always need to find the followers, disciples,  and lay leaders of the small Bible study groups. We are always grateful for these people who sacrifice their personal time and interests for the ministry.

The Regional Leadership Development Conference took place

 December 10- 12 in the country near Kiev . Lay leaders from Zhitomir , Lviv, Cherkassy and Kiev came to the conference to gain new skills and knowledge, share their experiences and have a good fellowship. The main topic of the conference was  “Commitment”, a vital part of our ministry. Commitment helps us to overcome obstacles and problems and move forward in spite of them.

The training started with a session on Spiritual Gifts. Everyone had the opportunity to assess their abilities and see what God has gifted them with. Before each session there was a worship time that inspired and helped us to feel God’s presence every minute.

Most of the work at the conference was done was in small groups.  Small group discussions and Bible studies are an essential part of our ministry.  Five people, each from different cities were called upon to lead the Bible studies without advance preparation.   It was a good experience for them.

At the end of the conference everybody wrote an action plan, then all participants attended the Sunday service in the Kiev Church .

Alex Bobko from Kiev shared his impressions of the training: “I have been to three Christian conferences in my life but this one has inspired me most of all. It was special. I got a great desire to serve the Lord, give Him all my time and all my life. This conference was like a fresh air for me and I am very thankful for that”.