Eastertide: Celebrating 50 days of Joy By Kim Stewart, Director of Formational Ministries A few years ago, a friend introduced me to a season in the liturgical church calendar that I wasn’t familiar with—Eastertide. Eastertide are the days between Easter Sunday and Pentecost Sunday. I was curious! Over the course of this season, I watched my friend celebrate what she was calling 50 days of joy. Each day she posted a picture of something in her day that brought her joy and ways that she was celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and her life in Christ. I was moved by the practice and the invitat ..read more

The Invitation of Lent  by Kim Stewart, Director of Formational Ministries Several years ago, I participated in a 9-month prayer journey with a small group led by my spiritual director/mentor. The 9-month journey followed the prayer experiences of Ignatius of Loyola. I was curious so I said yes. I longed to know Jesus more deeply and explore prayer in a new way. The prayer journey would follow the church calendar, which was something I didn’t know much about. This 9-month journey was what I would call a threshold of grace in my life and one of the most impactful parts was the season of Le ..read more

When we left for Ukraine a week ago, so many people expressed worry over the danger we were traveling towards. But because God is good, He answered the prayers of so many and has kept us safe. We have not worried. We have not felt fear, even when the air raid sirens went off in the night. These have been the most restful days I’ve had in a long time. We were welcomed with open arms like family. Our bellies have stayed full – often too full – with amazing food. We have worshipped with other believers, singing the same songs together like we aren’t separated by different languages. We gath ..read more

The construction team remains healthy and in awe of what God has done over the last few days. Tomorrow is our last day on the work site, and we are going to miss the guys we have been working with. God has shown us part of the larger brotherhood of Christians that exists around the world. We have been mutually encouraged through working, praying, and sharing meals together. Tomorrow night we will reunite with the Uzhhorod Ministry Team for the remainder of our time here. Continue to pray for the men and their families, that they would know God is with them. In a few days we will leave and ..read more

The last few days for the construction team have been productive, encouraging, and challenging. We are bonding well with the local team and have had a great time laughing and working alongside them. We are encouraged by their hope and perseverance in spite of difficult circumstances. Our work on the house is going well, and we have been blessed with great weather and no major injuries so far. Please pray for continued endurance and safety during our last two days with the local team. Pray also for the men we are working with, that God would provide for them and their families. Pictured is us ..read more

Why celebrate Juneteenth in church? Just as we are to bear one another’s burdens in Christ, we are also to celebrate every joy.  When the back of oppression in the natural realm is broken over any image bearer of God or ethnic group of image bearers, we celebrate! No human is to be oppressed by slavery. Freedom in the natural realm points to our ultimate freedom in the spiritual realm. Through Jesus, we see justice prevail over injustice.    As I consider the words “absolute equality” by General Granger I am drawn to the Lord’s prayer: “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in e ..read more

Identity by Gary Dietrich I am a child of God My feelings don’t dictate this The word of God says it is true I have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior Father says I am in the family I am a son forever I am now a son of God My mind can’t change the fact The devil can’t take this away The Father calls me his son Despite my short comings He won’t change his mind He decreed it and spoke it out loud It is sealed in heaven My names in the book of life I am my Father’s son Of this there is no doubt For the Father cannot lie My destiny is sealed It cannot be altered I must be my Father’s son I need not ..read more

Yesterday was Sunday, the best day of the week. Pastor Michael preached and the worship…Oh the WORSHIP! There was singing and clapping and shouting and praising so uninhibited it was as if the veil between this world and the unseen world became thinner. I’m convinced all of Heaven sang with us. There was weeping and laughing while some raised hands and others kneeled – no self-consciousness, no embarrassment, no shame. God set hearts on fire and it’s catching. Our Ukrainian family prepared a feast of traditional dishes for us before we boarded our train back to Uzhhorod. Pastor Maxim asked e ..read more

We were excited to attend the church service at Church of the Living on Sunday. The construction team and ministry teams in Uzhhorod were both able to attend. The worship was powerful!  I recognized several songs that we sing in the states, but the words were in Ukrainian. It was really uniting, singing together in worship these songs I loved. We are all children of God no matter the location and cultural differences. God loves us all. I smiled to see how kids dance on the stage; it spoke to the kind of church they have. There is a humility to Pastor Sergey and the members of the church ..read more

The Uzhhorod Ministry Team were so blessed to have the opportunity to minister to the Church of the Living God leaders during a two day retreat in the beautiful Carpathian Mountains. With multiple translators, we found that most of the leaders knew at least a little English. Many had their own ministries, some with holding orphan babies at the hospital, transitional living homes for girls who aged out of the orphanages, outreach to the Rroma community (who face discrimination) and building construction for refugees. One of the members of the church is ministering to injured soldiers in the ho ..read more