New mission sending agency in Ukraine ready.

Ukraine (MNN) — Christians in Ukraine are ready to take advantage of their religious freedom. SEND International reports that God is working in a significant way to enable the national church to become another of God’s sending centers.

Recently 20 college-age and young professional Ukrainian believers gathered for a weekend retreat. The purpose? To consider God’s call on their lives to become cross-cultural missionaries beyond the borders of Ukraine. The event was planned by Gospel to the Nations, with input from some SEND missionaries.

Gospel to the Nations is a new Ukrainian mission, organized with the blessing of the Baptist Union. The leader is a very passionate and gifted Ukrainian who served the Lord as a missionary to Russia. He has experienced going without any help or oversight. He sees the need of a mission sending body. Those in attendance agreed.

SEND and GN have agreed to partner together to train and send missionaries from Ukraine to Russia, the ‘Stans,’ and wherever God leads them. For now GN will concentrate on the former Soviet Union and possibly the Balkans. Of course, these are areas of great opportunity and many unreached people. GN will be the sending agency.

SEND will provide training, encouragement and some start-up help for Gospel to the Nations. SEND may also provide on-field partnership and fellowship in areas where they’re working.

The training will emphasize “hands on” ministry. Each missionary candidate will be assigned to work either in a new church plant or in outreach with his/her sending church. The course work will be modular and will emphasize basic discipleship, spiritual formation, evangelism/church planting, and basic missiology. SEND will try to fashion the courses to fit needs. If someone is going to the Stans, SEND will provide Islamic training, etc. Each candidate will have a mentor. Those who enter this program must have completed Bible school or seminary. Gospel to the Nations expects to have some candidates for this program by next January.

SEND has assigned Don Parsons, to head up a team to design a training program and develop the partnership with Gospel to the Nations.