This year on September 23 in Kiev, the second time was Thanksgiving (the Day Podaci — Ukr.) This festival has become the most anticipated and a massive annual event for Evangelical Christians of Ukraine. Also this event is a wonderful opportunity for Evangelical churches to emerge from the shadows and tell us about your large-scale social work and the importance of Christian values for every Ukrainian.
Before the start of the morning service in front of the Kiev city hall, center filled with tens of thousands of Christians. Here people from all regions of Ukraine, some of the Church moved the time of holding their meetings, so that everyone could be here.
“This is the second event that indicates that the Christianity of Ukraine is moving in the right direction. It says that the Ukrainian people are awakening and seeking answers to many questions. But these answers are all in the faith, in the Bible and in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We this shows and want the thanksgiving Holiday was proclaimed at the Ukrainian government level,” said Mykhailo Panochko, senior Bishop of the Church of Christians of Evangelical faith of Ukraine.
“I expect that this tradition will become a part not only of Church life but also the public. Because I believe that people who learn gratitude, will change the atmosphere and society. And to us it is necessary, — says the first Deputy of the senior Bishop of the Church of Christians of Evangelical faith of Ukraine Anatoliy Kozachok. — Therefore, this holiday is to popularize a new way of thinking: we are grateful to God for all the good that we have.”
“We expect that these activities will give rise to a mass movement of unity, accountability and credibility of Evangelical churches of Ukraine”, — said the Bishop of the Union of Evangelical churches “Ukrainian missionary Church” Valery Reshetinskaya.
“It’s amazing, when you have dozens or maybe in the evening, and hundreds of thousands of people gather together to thank the Lord because He blesses! — not holding back emotions the first Deputy Bishop of the Union of Evangelical Christians of Lithuania, President of the theological College (Vilnius) Ivan Alkalis. And although in your country to war, blood shed, more than 10 thousand dead Is a tragedy, but at the same time, there is something to thank! What you have – this freedom, this Evangelical Christian movement — we have this, but we also freedom”.
Along the main street of Ukraine stretched the tent city. There are presentations Christian ministries, educational projects and social initiatives.
“We represent the chaplaincy, which, unfortunately, in our time of war, relevant in Ukraine. His Ministry we are in the East of Ukraine, in the trenches with the guys. And we thank the Lord for what He is doing incredible miracles, saves their lives under incredible circumstances. And that It opens their hearts to the Word of God,” says a military chaplain Alexander Bondar. He adds that last year he couldn’t come to Thanksgiving because it was just served on the front lines.
In one of the tents lined up in a long queue. Ministers of the project “Mobile eye clinic” (“Clearer bacana”) free check eyesight everyone and giving away glasses.
“Our goal here, of course, is the preaching of the gospel. Not just to tell people about love, but to show that love in the form of good deeds. We are now able to check people’s eyesight and for free to present to everyone glasses. But, of course, to witness about God’s love and to give a New Testament or any other Christian literature to people left and remembered Who he loves and Who need to go back,” says Ruslan Belokon, the head of Ministry “Clearer bacana”.
Thanksgiving was attended by dozens of foreign guests — including actor Stephen Baldwin, motivational speaker Nick hall, and ex-leader of the band “Delirious” by Martin Smith were the stars of the evening celebration. Having people around the world have come here to tell Ukrainians about Christ that changed their lives.
In turn, the organizers of the Day Podaci — the leaders of the Ukrainian Evangelical Christian — announced the creation of a new social movement churches, public and religious organizations of Ukraine.
“Today really had a very important event, when they came to the leaders of all the Protestant denominations of Ukraine, the decision to begin the process of creating a broad public Association of churches, religious and public organizations, — said at a press conference to journalists of the Ukrainian politician and statesman, Secretary of the national security Council and defense of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov. — What is the goal? To provide a Christian path of development of our state. We are all convinced that only eternal Foundation of the gospel values, you can build the greatness and power of our country.”
Nationwide rewriting of the Bible, thrilling stunts missionary skateboarders out of the service “Untitled Skateboards” (USA), contests and songs for children from “Superbook”, a flash mob is to deploy a 250-meter flag of Ukraine — this day will be remembered for many events. But most importantly — thanks to this celebration of ordinary Ukrainians, bystanders could feel the concern of Christians, and Christians — to experience a special spiritual unity and to see the beauty of Christ’s Church in all its diversity. And for someone this holiday became an opportunity for the first time to hear about salvation.