Our hearts go out to the Ukrainian people as the horrific events in the country unfold. Many hundreds of thousands of refugees are fleeing to neighbouring countries, often women and children, leaving their husbands behind. The most important thing for God’s people here is to pray for the people of Ukraine and in particular for the Christians there. But we can also help practically, and many of the evangelical churches we work with, both in Ukraine and in neighbouring Moldova, Poland and Romania are actively helping refugees. They would deeply appreciate any support we can give them.
Initially we were looking for up to €50,000; but this target has already been met, and with the need growing we are extending the appeal.
All of the funds will be transferred to churches we support in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, and will be used entirely to support Ukrainian refugees.
EMF will ensure that 100% of the donations are passed through to those able to help, and we will only transfer funds where there is reason to believe the funds will be used well.
Because of the difficulty of getting supplies into Ukraine, we would expect much of the money to be used in neighbouring countries, but we will endeavour to make as much of the money available to people in Ukraine, if they can use funds effectively.
Our partners are already working intensively to help refugees, and to support them, EMF will immediately make funds available to these churches to expand their support.
How the funds will be used: We will endeavour to use every pound donated to this appeal to support refugees from the Ukraine crisis, via our network of churches in the area. The funds will be used for humanitarian needs including food, medicine, shelter, transport and clothing. We will also use funds for spiritual needs - in seeking to share the gospel with refugees. The funds will channeled through our missionaries and their churches, and in many cases they will involve other evangelical churches to coordinate support.
For more details about how we are working - please click here to download a more detailed report.
In January 2024 we launched our EMF 4:14 Initiative. With your help, we want to be able to partner with evangelical churches in Ukraine and beyond, to support more gospel workers.
Through our Ukraine work since March 2022, we have got to know many faithful, gospel-hearted and Bible-centred churches in the region, and we would be partnering closely with them to support indigenous workers. We would commit to supporting each worker for at least one year.
In 2024 we hoe to be able to support up to 10 Ukrainian gospel workers.
Please see this separate page for details.
Ivan leads the Light of the Reformation charity, which has been a driving force, working with the evangelical churches in Ternopil to enable them to provide effective humanitarian support to people in the area. He also organises supply trips to needy areas, most notably the Kherson area.
Volodymyr is working with other evangelical churches in the Ternopil district to support the many thousands of displaced families who have fled to Ternopil for safety. They also have a focus on supporting people and families with disability, who are in greater need since the authorities resources are more stretched.
Volodymyr has played crucial role in our Ukraine work in steering how we use the funds in the most effective way. And almost all the support we send to Volodymyr is actually channelled to other Ternopil Churches.
Zaporizhzhia continues to be one of the cities most affected by the war, as one of the main gateways from the Russian-occupied territories, and only 60km from Europe's biggest nuclear power plant. Missile attacks on the city are frequent, and the flow of refugees continues to be much higher than other cities. Evgenii is a seminary Bible teacher and deacon in the church, which has continued to serve the many displaced people in the city very sacrificially.
Zaporizhzhia continues to be one of the cities most affected by the war, as one of the main gateways from the Russian-occupied territories, and only 60km from Europe's biggest nuclear power plant. Missile attacks on the city are frequent, and the flow of refugees continues to be much higher than other cities. Evgenii is a seminary Bible teacher and deacon in the church, which has continued to serve the many displaced people in the city very sacrificially.
While Vitalii courageously ministers to soldiers fighting on the front line as an army chaplain, Liudmyla works tirelessly along with other members of the church in Kyiv supporting displaced people, war widows and families of those in the armed forces, orphans and children affected by the war, and many others. The church is led by their young pastor, Evgenii, and they have seen astonishing opportunities for the gospel, as they serve people.
We were first introduced to Anton and the Osnova church in April 2022 when they approached us for help to buy a minibus to take people to safety from their war-ravaged city and to bring supplies back from the west. We've never ceased to be impressed by their great courage and dedication to the gospel as many of the church decided to stay in the city, and minister to people there. As the area around the city was liberated, they were the first to venture into the area to take supplies to the deprived villages in the area.
In the first days of the invasion, the Irpin Bible Church provided the only organised help to people fleeing the oncoming Russian forces, as they tried to get to safety across the destroyed bridge. Since that time, they have not ceased supporting people from some of the most brutally-attacked areas, like Bucha, Borodianka and Hostomel. But now the church have planted churches in those very areas, providing both physical and spiritual support.
Since 2014, Gennadij has been taking supplies, as well as the gospel, to villages near the front line in the Donetsk region. He also acts as an army chaplain, ministering to troops on the front line. The church also provides humanitarian aid to the many displaced people who have fled there. Gennadij is often in mortal danger, and in many of the places he travels to, people are still living in basements because of the shelling.
The map below shows where EMF is channelling support, through our missionaries in Ukraine, Poland, Moldova and Romania. In some cases the supported directly by these missionaries and their churches, in other cases, it is passed onto sister evangelical churches well-known to the missionaries. Hover over, or tap on, the dot to show more detail about the work in the location.
Location 1
We have a number of ways in which you can keep in touch with regular updates on our Ukraine Emergency Appeal:
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