Ukraine Training Center

For over 70 years,  Ukrainians suffered under oppressive Communist rulers. Churches were closed and believers were forced to go underground, always under threat of persecution by the Soviet state. That all changed with the fall of Communism. The door was opened for evangelism, but today fewer than 1% of Ukraine’s 37 million people find their home in an evangelical church.

Ukraine means borderland—strategically situated between Europe and Russia, shaped by the empires using it as a strategic gateway between East and West. Today, Russia continues to support a proxy war between Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, which presents socio-economic challenges for Ukraine. However, Ukrainians are not without hope. They are ready for change and are spiritually open to the gospel.

Once, Jesus told a story about a shepherd who left 99 of his sheep to find 1 lost sheep. For Ukraine, the story is reversed. In Ukraine, the Good Shepherd is calling us to go after his 99 lost sheep.

We Want to Find the 99

Our Josiah Venture team in Ukraine is committed to being like our Good Shepherd and seeking his lost sheep. We have 26 staff serving in Ukraine, half of which are Ukrainians. We want to see a movement of God across Ukraine that makes its home in the local church and transforms society. We do this by equipping young leaders to make disciples through the local church.

For 15 years we’ve seen God produce ministry fruit that has greatly impacted individuals and communities across Ukraine. Since 2011, we have:

• shared the gospel with over 14,000 youth at camps, concerts, tournaments, and conferences
• equipped over 150 churches in evangelism, discipleship, and ministry strategy
• trained 46 teams in planting new churches

We have hope for the future of Ukraine. God is moving and he’s calling his people to join him.

Lives Are Being Transformed, But We Have More Training to Do

For example: out of 2,262 churches in the main denomination, there are only 828 youth ministries, and only 30 of those churches (1.3%) have an ordained youth pastor. The rest of the leaders are volunteers, many in need of ministry training.

If we want to reach the next generation for Christ, we need to train more leaders to seek the 99 lost sheep.

To train more leaders, we need more space. In this post-Communist context, facilities for training are limited and difficult to access.

A Training Center for Equipping Leaders

A training center in the strategic city of Lviv will accelerate our efforts to reach the 99. We can increase our capacity to train 3-4 times the number of leaders we currently train. This won’t just be a building. It will be a place to shape young leaders, equipping them to make disciples and expand God’s kingdom.

A training center will allow us to multiply fruit in the areas of:

• Leadership Training - We’ll train more church teams.
• Evangelism - More youth will hear about Christ inside these walls.
• Church Planting - We’ll train more teams to plant more churches.
• Youth Outreach - We’ll offer more practical training in language learning, music, sports, and IT to thousands of teenagers.
• Education - We’ll train more teachers and administrators through our partnership with departments of education.
• Transforming Society - We’ll partner more creatively with the city to serve the community.
• Team Dynamics - We’ll be able to meet more and grow as a team.
• Local Church Ministry - We’ll provide more space for churches to meet.
• Cross-Cultural Missions - We’ll host and equip more short-term teams and interns.

God Has Opened the Door to Make This Dream a Reality

After years of prayer and planning, we have the opportunity to purchase land and build a training center.

This will include:

• a meeting room for 200
• conference rooms for 80 and 20
• dining space, housing, and areas for fellowship and meetings
• a third story and roof-top sports courts as sources of rental income

The total cost of the project is $1.66 million dollars:

• Phase 1: $375,000 for land and documentation
• Phase 2: $840,000 for the construction of a 3-story building
• Phase 3: $440,000 for outfitting the interior and rooftop sport courts

Would You Consider Joining Us in This Strategic Project?

First, you can partner through prayer. 

Second, you can also partner with us financially. Your investment will impact future generations and will bear fruit for eternity.

You can give a tax-deductible donation through the give button below, or mail a check to Josiah Venture with account number #430072 in the memo.

Consider giving in one of these three ways:

• A one-time donation
• An annual pledge for the next 3 years
• Monthly donations for the next 36 months

May the Lord bless you,