To the Congregation

Ukraine Crisis Response

Summary:

The Elders established a special project to create a three way partnership between local churches in Ukraine, Romania, and the USA whose goal is to meet the spiritual and physical needs of refugees and civilians who are suffering as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

Guiding Principles:

• We will share the gospel (Mark 8:36): If we provide each suffering person with every provision in the world, but neglect their eternal soul, we will fail to love them as Christ commanded.

• We will prioritize the needs of believers (Gal. 6:10): While we are called to “do good to all,” our first responsibility is to meet the needs of fellow believers. Doing good “especially to those of the household of faith” strengthens our gospel witness, since the world will know us by our love for one another.

• We will follow Biblical standards of financial accountability (2 Cor. 8:20-21): While wartime circumstances often require creative methods, principles of wise stewardship and accountability must still be practiced.

• We will partner with local churches (Mat. 16:18): While we will gratefully utilize the vital assistance provided by parachurch missions, we will strive to work as closely and directly as possible with local churches on the ground who know specific needs and have a long-term presence in their community. 

Ministry Goals:

1. Share the gospel, and meet both the spiritual and physical needs of suffering civilians in the Odessa region. All Nations Bible Church is preparing a bomb shelter in the basement of the building they are renting. Since grocery-store infrastructure is breaking down, they will likely serve meals and become a distribution center for basic necessities. Most importantly they will share the gospel and minister to the spiritual needs of the local population. This strategy may also be expanded to other churches in the area. 

2. Share the gospel and assist refugees fleeing the violence into Romania. Ukrainian churches will connect refugees with the hospitality of local churches and believers in Romania who are willing to open their homes and facilities. Ukrainian believers will minister and assist refugees on their journey to the border. Romanian believers will meet them at the border and get them settled.

3. Encourage and equip believing refugees to implement an Acts 8:4 missionary strategy. Because of the persecution of Saul, “those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.” Our goal is to encourage believers who have been displaced by the violence to follow their example. We believe the refugee crisis will become a missions movement. What man intends for evil, God will use for good. 

 How To Participate

1. Sign up for prayer and financial need updates by emailing us at: ukraine@calvarybible.org

2. To donate to this special fund simply designate on your envelope or electronic gift “Ukraine Project Fund.”

To the Congregation

Elder’s Update

The Elders held an all-day retreat on Saturday, February 12, 2022, here at Calvary.  The primary focus for the day was prayer for the Body at Calvary. The agenda included:

• A challenge from Pastor Jeff to the Elders regarding their responsibility to disciple others, using Barnabas as an example of one who used his spiritual gifts to disciple Paul and then John Mark.

• A discussion to reach out to those who have not yet returned to church for various reasons, recognizing there has been a limited response to “Church on the Porch”. This was followed by a lengthy time of prayer by each Elder. 

• A debrief of the first several weeks of “Go Groups”. More than 100 people are currently in groups and the initial reactions have been extremely encouraging, with many intentionally initiating conversations with neighbors and others they meet. A goal will be to provide an opportunity for those with small children to be included. This again was followed by a lengthy time of prayer by each Elder.

• A process to effectively care for the needs of the congregation at Calvary was discussed.

• A committee was established to study the biblical basis for membership and its application at Calvary.

The meeting was closed in prayer.