Spreading the Gospel
Through its entire history CCX has kept its primary purpose – communicating Christ through students.
In 2011-2013 CCX designed and released unique project by the Gospel of Mark “Identity”. CCX team raised more than $40 000 in donations for its implementation. There were published 50 000 of Gospels, designed to appeal to students, with the use of most modern translations in Ukrainian and Russian (issued in Ukraine and Russia). We have had 16 trainings, taught students to communicate the Good News using CCX material, worked in partnership with more that 30 churches and missions (UCCF, Spiritual Revival, Bible Society, “More precious than the Cup” project).
With the help of quality training held by UCCF member, Michael Ots, in 2013 we started providing a missionary initiative, dramatically new for Ukraine – Mission Week at the universities in which all the CCX teams around the country took part. We have already held three such weeks that embraced from 300 to 500 students, genuinely interested in Christianity and ready to openly discuss tough issues: Where do all religions lead? Why there are so many hypocrites in churches? Does God put limits to my sexuality? How to be successful and stay happy with life?
In 2015 together with UCCF (British movement) CCX Ukraine created brand new fascinating project “Uncover” that facilitates spreading and learning the Gospel of Luke. It is a modern resource that includes the Gospel, designed as a notebook, with QR-codes which are linked to the website with video evidences, stories and articles where every young person can ask a question that troubles him/her.
We have always worked over effective evangelism activities like trips and camps. Every year we embrace minimum 50 non-Christian students in our trips, and our camps welcome more than 200 students a year.
Mission
CCX not only welcomes but also send its own missionaries. There are missionary projects to Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, annual projects in Georgia. Having evaluated and analyzed their employment we can say they were all a success.
All the while CCX implements a specific mission – mission in education. There were 2 conferences for the Christian teachers held, relationships with universities teachers-believers established. Every CCX conference welcomes universities and churches representatives, interested in student mission.
One of CCX achievements were public Evangelic sermons: open discussions at universities, Paul Young’s speech at the Shevchenka University, Tony Lane’s university campaigns, Mikhail Cherenkov’s and Ravi Zacharius’ in Kyiv, Ostrog, Kharkiv.
For a more effective mission in university we initiated a group of teachers that impact CCX movement and facilitate official theological education within universities’ programs. Thus there are 2 unique educational programs at NPU Dragomanova (with the initiative of Dr. Khromets):
- Psychological consulting and chaplainship (to help chaplains in their working with psychologically traumatized people);
- Socio-political ethics and theology (re-evaluation of the modern churches’ role and meaning in modern world and current socio-political situation in Ukraine).
Apart from the diploma programs’ graduates are able to obtain another certificate “Political ethics. Negotiating in crisis environment” from Pepperdine University (the USA). More details at http://csr.npu.edu.ua/ua/op.html
Leadership
Nowadays CCX Ukraine is an organization with structure, goals, funds and leadership. CCX follows Strategic Initiatives (movement development 5-year plans) generated by all stakeholders and step-by-step implements the goals that were put before the movements. CCX activity can be easily evaluated (which is done regularly) by these fixed Initiatives as well as annual CCX goals (conforming the Initiatives). The very existence of such documents and their creation methods says of stable organizational culture and movement’s integral leadership.
There was established Students’ Board, first in CCX history, - a group of students that, with CCX staff members’ assistance, constantly grows as an element of leadership within the organization, refines each member’s personal qualities, skills and knowledge. This body impacts all-Ukrainian movement as a whole.
Partnership
CCX is a part of great missionary initiatives: “More precious than the Cup”, Lausanne movement, Urbana conference and “Mission Networking”. Every year we invite student missionaries groups from the USA, the UK, Norway to have joint events in the universities. What is important still, is that CCX does not limit mission to mere practical arrangements. Our students and staff have opportunities for internship abroad. CCX staff have their blogs, write articles.
Growing and learning
Our students have won educational grants for studying at Ukrainian Catholic University for the “NGO Management” program. Three of our members have already graduated from it.
We have come up with a new internship program and started a personalized approach to teaching each staff member.
“Images of Leadership” program which we teach at the student conferences has been tested. Right now CCX embraces in its movement 600 Christian students a year, 300 non-Christian students that take part in our weekly events and 1700 that attend only major events.
CCX covers 23 universities in Ukraine with 60 student leaders heading local CCX centers.
Around Ukraine CCX is represented in 8 cities: Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Pereyaslav, Cherkasy, Chernivtsi and Zhytomyr.
CCX team is made up with devoted staff, volunteers and student-leaders. We realize our mission well, as our values, Symbol of Faith and our history.
We have managed not only to keep alive the movement that was on the brink of extinction but direct it onto the highway of dynamic development.
CCX Ukraine has been faithful to its mission all the while having grown a lot of valuable qualities and initiatives.
Students’ ministry has always needed support – will you help us?