Sister Church Ministry: Bezberodk‘y/Ortonville Partnership…

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Sister church ministry is a relatively new way to do missions for NLCB. This partnership is based on the scriptural admonition from 11 Corinthians 8:14..“At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality…“ The training and resources of the American church, and the fresh faith and prayers of the Ukrainian believers, provide a mutuality in ministry. The sister church strategy has the long-range goals of career missions, combined with the high energy of short-term mission teams.

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Ortonville has been sending a team to Ukraine since 2004, and before adopting the Bezberod’ky church, NLCB member Norm Giese traveled to Ukraine with an agri-business group who provided expertise and loan funding for worthy new business ventures in the post Soviet economy.

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Ukraine is open to Christianity since Perestroika in 1991. The underground church resurfaced, and opportunities for evangelism are welcome. Ukraine is uniquely positioned as a gateway nation to the former Soviet states.

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Ortonville teams help with day camps for over 100 children, build on-going relationships with the believers, and partner with Ukrainian leadership to assess needs of the ministry. Ortonville was able to buy a building for the Bezberod’ky believers in the fall of 2006, raising the needed funds in less than 2 months.