Nivky Church of Christ--a pilgrimage of faith

Find below a brief account of the history of Nivky Church as I saw it develop. The account is not comprehensive in any way but offers something of what I experienced as the church came into being and grew.

In the summer of 1994 I moved to Kyiv and helped lead a group of Lispcomb students in an evangelism campaign. Late that summer, Tim and Darla Johnson (who moved to Kyiv in 1992) began to consider starting a church in the neighborhood where they lived. After some discussion and prayer, Nivky Church of Christ was born in late July 1994. We met in Tim and Darla's home the first night and invited many people from the Lipscomb campaign and others the Johnsons knew. I worked mostly with high school students and college freshmen. The Johnsons helped with the young and the old. That year, I studied Russian and held one-on-one Bible studies with people from the campaign. We soon organized several small group Bible studies--one for youth, one for women, and an all-church meeting. Slowly we grew and a small number of people became Christians.

The following summer, we had outgrown the Johnsons small living room and needed to find a new meeting place. Robyn Ealy came with another group from Lipscomb and remained for two years working with the church. Other Americans spent time with Nivky Church in its infancy: Donnie Freeman, Daniel Mangrum, Luke Shouse, Ken Kirby.

With the arrival of the Lipscomb team, we began meeting in a room of the National Economic University, the very same room where we had our Let's Start Talking Project in 1992 the first time I came to Kyiv. Several months later, we were forced to stop meeting there when the government banned religious groups from meeting in schools, universities, and institute. Our Sunday assembly briefly returned to the Johnsons' living room. This move was only the beginning of Nivky Church's pilgrimage.

Over the months and years, the church slowly grew. There were many memorable moments: Gary Saakian's baptism, our shashlik party near the Johnsons home, and countless conversations and prayers. We finally found another meeting place, this time in a cafeteria of a dormitory for medical personnel in the same area where the Johnsons lived. Students continued to come and by that time the Laura and Dennis Gournic family came to teach at ICU-Kyiv and became an important part of Nivky Church as they reached out to university students.

Meanwhile, I had decided to begin my graduate studies and moved back to the USA in December of 1997. Ken Kirby, who had been living and working with me at ICU, stayed on and continued to minister to the college small group we began that summer. Ken left that summer but the small group continued on under Ukrainian leadership and when I returned for the summer of 1998, multiplied into two groups. By that time, Monica Moreland of the Troeshena church was helping with the college ministry. Darla Johnson was leading a Bible study group for women and the group meeting in their home also grew. Oleg Bezkrovny was helping with the preaching and several of the college students were showing great leadership potential.

By January 1999, just before my MA exams, I decided to commit myself to full-time cross-cultural ministry and made my return to Kyiv in May 1999 just days after receiving my MA in English. The church was alive and healthy (though struggles there were) but in need of a better meeting place. The church had been kicked out of the cafeteria because of the church's helping a young woman who had been abused by her parents. We were back at the Johnsons.

Supporters of the Johnsons in Texas by this time had decided to help Nivky Church find a permanent home and about $60,000 was given to purchase a place. Months of searching produced little results until a breakthrough came in September 1999. An old milk store one street over from where the church used to meet was for sale at a fabulous price. With the assistance of Bogdan Andriychenko and Igor Ouglev, we were able to purchase that store and a neighboring apartment. The church met in the desperate-for-renovation store the last Sunday of 1999.

Several months passed as we looked for a contractor and finalized construction plans. A contractor began work in March 2000. The Johnson family moved back to the USA just before the building was finished in early May.

The church is now growing in new areas. There is a children's Bible class on Sunday afternoon. In order to provide advanced theological education and train teachers, church members in September 2003 began the Study Center which offers Bible and related courses.  More than 60 people enrolled the first semester.  In October 2003, the church started meeting in two Sunday assemblies since we had outgrown our meeting place.  The church meets in 9 small groups, almost all of which are led by Ukrainians.  Every Saturday we host a special outreach to university students and each summer we host a Let's Start Talking team.  Church members handle follow-up to these efforts.

We are praying for more leaders. We are praying for more baptisms. We are praying for the conversion of families and of children, of students, and the elderly. We are still a young church, though. Most have been Christians for only a year or two.

We look forward to what God has planned next.

Visit our informal website www.nivkychurch.com to see lots of photos and learn a little more about Nivky Church.