Christmas: CITA missionaries in Ukraine held festive events

Missionaries from the Southern, Eastern and Western regions held Christmas events in churches, hospitals, prisons and villages in their respective locations. 

Mykolaiv region

15 female prisoners heard about God’s love from Mykolaiv missionaries in a local prison. They prayed with them and testified of Christ’s forgiveness. 

The missionaries held a Christmas service and shared the Word of God with the prisoners at the 93rd Colony in Novodanylivka. They served the prisoners pilaf and homemade pastries and enjoyed tea together.   

At the hospital in Mykolaiv, the wounded soldiers were visited with an evangelistic message and with sweet gifts. The soldiers received “Christ is the Answer” newspapers, New Testaments and Christian calendars. 

CITA missionaries from New Odesa held Christmas events for and with the children of the region in the villages of Stepove, Dilnyche, Mykhailivka and Arbuzynka. The Christmas events were attended by 240 children. All children received sweet gifts.

“Christmas songs, fun games, and traditionally the story of the birth of Jesus, which ended with a gift for each child. Isn’t it a joy?” said Viktor Pavlyshyn, a team leader and missionary from the Southern Region. 

According to missionary Inna Titova, she and the children, dressed as characters from the biblical story of the birth of Jesus Christ, walked through the streets of the villages of Dilnyche and Mykhailivka, singing Christmas carols and reciting poems on the theme.

People in the villages welcomed the young carolers with joy, and everyone wanted the children to visit them. 

Games and physical activities were organized for the children of Stepove village. They sang carols and told the Christmas story. In the village of Arbuzynka, in addition to games and carols, children performed a Christmas play “Hotel of My Heart”. 

In the church of New Odesa, where CITA missionaries serve, they held a Christmas service and distributed gifts. The ministry team also held an event for the third grade children of Nova Odesa Lyceum #1. 

Zaporizhzhia

According to missionary Ivan Kaliev, on Christmas Day the ministry team conducted several evangelistic events in three districts where they regularly meet with children and adults. 

They were able to reach 100 families, including internally displaced persons. Most of them received food aid. 

The missionaries held a separate holiday event for underprivileged teenagers who are registered with the relevant services. The director of one of them attended the event to express her gratitude and hope for further cooperation.  

Ternopil

The missionaries held a festive event for 50 children in their local church. The missionaries visited about 50 needy children of different ages and families in difficult circumstances (widows, orphans) to bring gifts and communicate with them. 

Rivne

Rivne missionaries of the local church “Christ is the Answer” told the Christmas story through a theatrical performance for displaced children, children of military personnel, orphans, etc. The program included games, songs, competitions and sweet gifts. 

“We saw a lot of joy, positive emotions, smiles and gratitude to God during the holidays. The most important thing is that we were able to convey the atmosphere of Christmas. We pray that the real Christmas will take place in the hearts of the children and their parents who attended the holidays,” said Taras Sen, CITA ministry director and pastor of the church in Rivne.  

Christ Is the Answer missionaries preach the Gospel to different categories of people during thematic holidays. 

CITA Ministry Press Center.