From Evangelism to the Church: CITA Ministry Expands Its Children’s Outreach in Ukraine and Beyond

“Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” — Jesus Christ (Matt. 19:14)

Missionaries from the international CITA Ministry are reaching children in Ukraine and Ethiopia. Their goal is simple: to help children come to know Jesus Christ. To that end, they organize a variety of events — from street evangelism to kids’ clubs and Sunday schools at local churches across Ukraine. In developing countries, the ministry also helps provide meals for children by partnering with local ministers.

Ukraine

CITA’s children’s ministry in Ukraine is growing in regions like Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Rivne, and Ternopil.

Street Evangelism: A First Step to Young Hearts

These events often take place as fun outdoor zones where kids play games, bounce on trampolines, ride inflatable slides, and enjoy cotton candy and popcorn.

Missionaries also organize themed celebrations for national holidays like Children’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter, Christmas, and Thanksgiving. These include games, relay races, scavenger hunts, face painting, art contests, Bible stories, skits, and outdoor movie screenings.

The main goal is to help children hear the Good News, feel God’s love, and spark a desire to grow spiritually. Afterward, kids are invited to join Sunday schools, kids’ clubs, and small groups — and eventually to attend church with their parents.

For example, every year CITA missionaries in Rivne host festive events downtown for Children’s Day and Father’s Day.

Camps: Where Children’s Hearts Find Healing

“We serve kids from low-income and displaced families — children who’ve faced grown-up problems far too early. We want them to find rest, feel God’s care, hear about Jesus, and eat well.” — Kateryna, a mentor from Zaporizhzhia.

“War brought poverty and grief, but here, the children find peace. It’s quiet here — the Lord is with us.” — Olena, a mentor from Mykolaiv region.

To create a special experience, organizers choose a new camp theme each year, tailoring decorations and Gospel presentations to reach children’s hearts.

“I loved camp — especially our mountain hike! We went rafting, laughed a lot, met new friends, and had deep conversations. One topic that stuck with me was about addiction. I realized God has the power to free us — even from phone addiction. On the last day of camp, I felt God’s touch and gave my life to Him.” — Lev Dmytrienko, displaced from Berdyansk (Zaporizhzhia region).

Orphans and displaced children are welcomed into CITA’s charity camps in the Carpathian Mountains.

Over five days in this beautiful mountain setting, children find spiritual refreshment and rest. The program includes hiking, sightseeing, evening gatherings, Bible quizzes, picnics, and campfires. Younger children also attend Sunday school sessions.

For many, these camps are the first place they experience God’s love.

“I climbed Hoverla, swam in the Lake of Youth, and played water games. Our evenings were spent around the campfire with tea and guitar music. The food was delicious — especially the meals cooked over the fire. Water volleyball was so fun — we were all soaked but laughed so much! The Carpathians are stunning — a true masterpiece of God.” — Ivanka Dybyak from Rivne, age 12, daughter of a missing soldier.

The “Childhood Without a Pause” campaign is currently raising funds to support camps in active war zones like Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv. You can join in at the link.

Clubs, Groups, and Sunday Schools: Going Deeper

These ministry formats allow for deeper discipleship and lasting friendships with mentors and peers.

In the Mykolaiv region, CITA’s children’s ministry team runs clubs, Sunday schools, and small groups weekly — even in remote villages.

Faithful mentors have invested in multiple generations of kids.

“I started attending when I was 11, and now I bring my own child — they absolutely love it! Honestly, all the kids are drawn to this ministry.” — Anya, resident of Dilnyche village

In Zaporizhzhia, CITA missionaries lead three clubs for kids and teens from low-income families: “These clubs build real friendships with kids of all ages. Eventually, we form home groups and invite families to church services in the city. Even with the ongoing shelling in Zaporizhzhia, we continue to meet — and kids keep bringing their friends.”

In Ternopil, CITA missionaries organize special events for children who have lost fathers in the war. One such program is from the international children’s ministry, OpSAFE.

After the program, coordinator Tetyana Vasenda shared:

“It was such a fruitful time. We saw how closed off the kids were at first, but slowly they opened up, started smiling, and shared their thoughts freely.”

Missionaries also use tools like Superbook and The Greatest Journey in their outreach.

After the “Superbook” program titled “Jesus is My Authority” in Rivne, CITA missionaries received encouraging feedback from parents:

“Besides sweets and games, we led Bible lessons that covered honoring parents, Jesus’s sacrificial love, and the dangers of the occult. What blessed us most was hearing from parents who noticed real changes in their kids — some even started apologizing for their mistakes. That’s what keeps us going as ministers.” — Taras Sen, pastor of Christ Is The Answer Church.

“I loved the contests and how they shared about Jesus. It helped me understand why I should obey my parents and listen to Jesus — because He’s my real authority.” — Margarita, program participant.

“The Greatest Journey”, from the Samaritan’s Purse project, is a 12-lesson Bible course for kids who want to know more about God. Over three months, kids learn about how God created the world, Jesus’s life and purpose, and faith heroes from the Bible. The course includes colorful illustrations, exciting stories, games, crosswords, and memory verses.

At the end, the young “graduates” wear caps and gowns and receive certificates.

Kolia’s mom (he was in 9th grade in 2022) shared how her son’s growing interest in ministry eventually led her to start attending church services.

“Raya, thank you for the gifts! The little ones and I really enjoyed the whole event — and the certificates were such a nice surprise! I didn’t expect that, but it was so special for the kids and for me. Huge thanks to you and the whole team!” — Svitlana, mom of Mykyta and Nazar, participants in the course.

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Ethiopia

At the CITA daughter church in Addis Ababa, a Sunday school is held weekly. On Saturdays, mentors gather with children — including many who are not believers — to study the Bible, sing songs, and play games.

In 2022, CITA missionaries in Ethiopia organized their first-ever children’s summer school focused on learning God’s Word, using resources and ideas developed by the Ukrainian CITA team.

In summer 2023, CITA’s church in the capital hosted a two-month Bible school. Over 30 kids participated, learning spiritual disciplines, doing sports, exploring computers, and enjoying games. At the end, each child received a certificate.

CITA’s children’s team in Ethiopia also hosted a large outreach event during a crusade in Debre Zeyit. Several hundred kids and their parents attended. The program included preaching, worship, and a skit.

According to senior minister Yerubal Mulatu, the children were overjoyed, and some non-believing families expressed a desire to come to church. Parents encouraged the ministry to continue — a clear blessing for future children’s outreach.

Before the crusade, CITA’s children’s ministry mentors held a training to better understand how to communicate God’s love to children, teach them the Bible, and help them grow in prayer.

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Other Countries

Venezuela

“I can say that the financial support provided by the Christ Is the Answer ministry has made a huge difference—especially for kids living in the poor neighborhoods, the barrios, where families have very limited resources.
Those in charge of organizing evangelistic events for children are truly grateful for the help. Before, they had nothing to offer the kids at the meetings. Now, at least they can give them some candy or juice.” – Henry, local minister.

With support from the Ministry, local church ministers in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, are now able to reach about 200 children of various ages from six different barrios. Financial assistance has been coming in since July 2023.

Papua New Guinea

CITA regularly provides financial support for food for the Sunday school kids at one of the churches in Papua New Guinea.

Nepal

For several years, CITA supported a family-style children’s home in Nepal, housing eight children and a young mother who had fled domestic violence.

At the start of summer break, CITA Director Taras Sen recorded a video blessing for the children of Ukraine.