“Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.” Psalm 37:5
Dear Friends in Christ,
Even though we recently sent out a prayer update, we wanted to specifically ask for prayer regarding three important areas.
UkraineMany of you have been following from afar what is taking place in Ukraine. For the past two months, there have been protests against President Viktor Yanukovych and his government. These protests, once limited to the capital city of Kiev, have spread throughout the country as people are tired of the political and economic situation. To understand the depth of this situation, it’s important to understand the historical, economic, and geopolitical foundations, or lack thereof, that make up this country. The opposition will not stop until the present “government” is overthrown. The question then is, what will the future leaders do? Will they actually answer the root issues that have caused the problems, which would require enormous constitutional and economic changes, or will they simply repackage the corruption of the past 20 years. Needless to say, Ukraine needs our prayers. Pray for non-violent resolution to this conflict. Pray that leadership on all sides would not seek their own glory and power, but actually deal with the real issues that have led to the situation in Ukraine. Pray also, that the churches around the country would see this as a golden opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. People want hope and peace, but only in Christ will this be realized. Pray that God’s will be done here in Ukraine. Below are a few links to articles that give a brief summary of the complex situation in Ukraine.
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| Bishop-elect Serge Maschewski |
National Church Body (DELKU)
This is a very important and historic week for our church body in Ukraine. For the first time in 20 years, a Bishop will be installed (February 15) that was elected from an actual election process by the people here of Ukraine. Please pray for true spiritual unity among this church. Pray that DELKU would be focused on Christ and His mission. Pray for the spirit of Christ to richly dwell in all people throughout these next few weeks of change. Pray for newly elected Bishop Maschewski. Pray for God to give him a humble servant heart as he seeks to serve DELKU. Pray for wisdom and guidance as he seeks to navigate through difficult issues presently and in the future. Pray also for our former Bishop Uland Spahlinger as he moves on to a new ministry in Germany. Uland has been very supportive and involved in the process of our school for which we are grateful. Pray for strength for him and his wife as they make this ministry transition.
This is a very important and historic week for our church body in Ukraine. For the first time in 20 years, a Bishop will be installed (February 15) that was elected from an actual election process by the people here of Ukraine. Please pray for true spiritual unity among this church. Pray that DELKU would be focused on Christ and His mission. Pray for the spirit of Christ to richly dwell in all people throughout these next few weeks of change. Pray for newly elected Bishop Maschewski. Pray for God to give him a humble servant heart as he seeks to serve DELKU. Pray for wisdom and guidance as he seeks to navigate through difficult issues presently and in the future. Pray also for our former Bishop Uland Spahlinger as he moves on to a new ministry in Germany. Uland has been very supportive and involved in the process of our school for which we are grateful. Pray for strength for him and his wife as they make this ministry transition.
Bible SchoolAmong all the celebrations that are taking place next week in regards to our new Bishop, there will be important meetings regarding the Bible School. Our school board will have strategic planning meetings (February 16-17) with DELKU leadership regarding the proposal of an additional year of study. These discussions will not simply approve the idea, but also set the basic purposes and goals of the direction of our Bible School. On a side note, DELKU has formed a national education commission that is to strategize, think, and propose the general and specific direction of education within our church body. I am one of the three members on this council. I am very excited about this simply because people are now beginning to speak about these crucial issues for the future of the church. Please pray for our school board and church leadership as the meet together. Pray for unity of spirit and purpose. Pray for guidance and wisdom from the Holy Spirit as they make decisions.
These are interesting times here in Ukraine. Our trust is in the Lord, who holds us in his hands. Thank you for joining us in prayer regarding these issues.
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| Coyle blog |
Andy, Monica, Moriah, Isaiah and Josiah
