From October 25th to the 27th, we had a Mission Week event in Odessa called, “What are you talking about?” Christian students encouraged their non-believing friends to talk about serious theological topics. It was the first CCX event of this size and scope in Odessa.
To assist CCX Odessa in organizing the event a team from the U.K. arrived, headed by Roger Simpson, a priest in the Church of England and the Archbishop's Evangelist for the Northern Province of the Diocese of York (in the center on the picture below). They were also joined by teams from Kyiv, Kharkiv, Balti, (Moldova), students and volunteers from Simferopol, Mykolaiv, and Donetsk. A very special guest was the Director of the Balkan Institute for Faith and Culture, Dr. Kostake Milkov.
For the three days of Mission Week the teams met together at 8 AM for prayer. Students were then invited to join them for discussions and lunch and to take part in the evening outreach programs. Students came from nine universities: the Christian Open University of Economics and Humanitarian Sciences, the South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University (named after K.D. Ushynsky), the Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Odessa National Maritime University, Odessa Maritime Academy, Odessa National Polytechnic University, Odessa I.I.Mechnikov National University, Odessa National Academy of Telecommunications, and Odessa National Academy of Food Technologies.
Gospel presentations were done in creative ways. Students and staff conducted polls aimed at sparking serious conversations about God and faith. Up until lunchtime each day the British team fellowshipped with English language students from the Christian Open University of Economics and Humanitarian Sciences, the South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University, and Odessa I.I.Mechnikov National University. At the South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University Roger Simpson and his colleague, Paul Myers, had an opportunity to share the Gospel with Muslim students from Turkey and Turkmenistan.
On October 25, Dr. Kostake Milkov gave a lecture on the topic, “Deification in the Works of the Early Reformers,” at the Philosophy Department of Odessa I.I.Mechnikov National University. As part of the lecture he noted the contribution of the Reformation to the social and economic development of Western society and noted the links between the Orthodox doctrine of deification and the Protestant belief in consecration. He graciously answered questions that were raised while at the same time encouraging his listeners to seek for answers in God’s love. After the lecture Kostake invited students to the outreach service he conducted that evening.
Lunch discussions took place in the assembly hall of the Christian Open University of Economics and Humanitarian Sciences with students from nearby Universities. Evening sessions were held in the heart of Odessa, not far from Soborna Square. Every evening the Gospel message was shared and calls for repentance were given. More than fifty people left contact information and expressed interest in learning more about Christ and the Gospel.
Here is what some participants had to say:
Katya (third year student at the Odessa National Academy of Food Technologies):
“Mission Week motivated me for evangelism and helped me overcome barriers to discussing Christianity with students. The evening debates and the speaker’s sincere answers to all the questions enriched me greatly. I was inspired by the bold discussions on topics and the striking examples from both the speaker’s and student’s lives!”
Ruvim (third year student at the Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture):
“Praise God for the opportunity to attend this event. I very much wanted to take part in something like this. Thank you so much for this experience! Previously I was frightened to talk about God with non-believers, but by the end of the conference my fears had disappeared. It is very cool! I found lots of new and wonderful friends here and I really want to take part in an event like this again!”
Roger Simpson (speaker):
“We were impressed by all of you and your love for Jesus Christ. You inspired and strengthened us in our own faith. We would like to encourage you to build on the lessons you’ve learned during this week. Thank you again for a wonderful week! This has been a great honour for us to serve Jesus Christ with you in Odessa”.
The most intensive parts of Mission Week are over, but the most important part is still ahead. Bible study groups on “Luke - Uncover” began on November 1st. Every person who left contact information with us has been invited to participate. This is the most crucial moment and we ask you to support us in a prayer. Please pray that at least twenty of the fifty persons who left their contact information would come to the Bible study groups and hear the Gospel again, and that at least ten of them would make decisions to follow Christ. Thank you so much for your support!
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