wordpress-680584-3231995.cloudwaysapps.com/global-gathering/
wordpress-680584-3231995.cloudwaysapps.com/vision/
wordpress-680584-3231995.cloudwaysapps.com/gerf/
Transcript:
Rev. Darren Herbold:
July was a whirlwind and now that we’re deep into August, I hope you had a few days or even weeks to rest and recover before the new ministry and school year begins. I have five short but I hope helpful updates. Number one, a quick announcement is that our annual missions focus, the Jaffray Project, is coming in October. In the weeks ahead, we'll have some resources available for churches, but for now, save the date and remember that October is Missions Month. We hope each Alliance Church will join us to raise $500,000 to raise up church planters in some of the most difficult contexts.
Secondly, we announced that General Assembly, something called the Global Gathering. For those of you who weren't there, this is a missions conference being held in March 2025, in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Yes, this will of course highlight our global work with Stanley John coming to speak to us and reminding us of a holistic theology of mission.
But we will also be talking about the Canadian context and specifically next-gen ministry, both globally but also here in Canada. This is going to be an amazing opportunity for official and international workers to come together, to learn from each other and to be inspired again. It’s important to note that this will be the first time all of our IWs will have been together in one location.
Many have often shared to me in the past how great assembly in Turkey was. While this isn’t assembly, it might yet just be another catalyst that the Lord uses in our shared mission of multiplying disciples everywhere. We also want to host trips before or after the conference, so that you can see ministry happening in real time. Registration isn’t open yet, but we have a small survey on our website, and we’d like to know how many of you are potentially interested in participating, what countries you might want to see beforehand, and how many people you would potentially bring if you chose to come. Please visit the website here to pre-register.
Now thirdly, another post Assembly follow up at GA we presented our strategic goals for the next ten years with four specific growth drivers. Unified prayer, identifying, equipping and releasing leaders. Our ministry is both here and globally, and even the ministries we have not yet even dreamed of. And the important trellis of stewardship and effectiveness.
And I, while I realize that business meetings aren’t always everyone’s favorite thing, but it did feel somehow different to me this time, especially the motion where we agreed to move forward in unity and commitment towards our abiding faithfulness to Jesus and trusting his fruitfulness, even unto a doubling of the Alliance’s reach over the next ten years. To me, and to many others that I’ve heard from, it felt like a spiritually significant moment.
Especially, I’m reminded of when Ken Draper asks us all to speak, to share out loud, to speak with one voice where we said. "We, the delegates to General Assembly of 2024 and dependance on the Holy Spirit. To the best of our ability, we commit ourselves to ensure that our local churches and ministries engage in all aspects of the strategic plan, and commit ourselves to making the necessary sacrifices to share the love of Jesus with our broken world. In efforts to double our reach by 2034."
Now, we have received multiple requests for a copy of the motion, and so the team here have designed posters that can be saved, printed and shared. However you feel best. All those resources will continue to be added to the Alliance Vision page on our national website. Now one more thing at GA, we also shared a video update from a recent trip to Ukraine, where I had the very special opportunity to meet with a pastor, Pastor Alexander, and to hear his story of great, great difficulty. If you have already seen this, perhaps you might watch it again and allow Alexander to encourage your heart today. But if you haven’t seen it yet, be encouraged as you watch.
An Interview with Alexander
Hi everyone. We’re here in Kiev today, participating in a convoy that we as Alliance help fund and supply that provides humanitarian aid to many parts of Ukraine.
As part of that, we’re also attending a conference a national pastors’ conference of a bunch of like minded churches. And it’s special because today they just voted to pursue application to becoming The Ukrainian Alliance Church and joining The Alliance World Fellowship.
A year ago, I’ve heard the testimony of a husband and wife from Ukraine. Powerful testimony of a difficult situation that God redeemed.
So I just want to start by saying, Alexander, thank you for being here with us today.
How long have you and your wife been serving in ministry?
When I was 30 years old, we began a new church in Balakliya. The church has grown to some other parts of Balakliya. And four other churches were planted.
When the threat of war started to rise, what was the mood of the church? How did people respond? When I went to the church service, I saw fear in people, seeing horror. Many people moved out of Balakliya. Our church had over 200 people before the war, but when Russia occupied the town, only about 30 people remained. We were told that no one would be allowed to leave. And the city was closed. The Russian FSB took me to the police station. They interrogated me and I was accused that I’m a church pastor and that I work for America. During the interrogations, I was beaten from my shoulders to my heels. I was brought to hospital and finally back home, but I couldn’t move at all. My left leg completely gave out. When I was brought back from the hospital, I had a desire to pray for the people who tortured and beat me. It kept my heart and mind from evil which should not settle inside me. Because if evil settles inside me, it will simply destroy me. And my wife and I prayed to God, asking, “What should we do next? Should we stay here or leave?” Then one day, a neighbour came and told us, “If you want to leave, you have only one hour left. The city is completely closed.” We traveled all over Russia, Belarus, and to Poland. I had to drive with my legs swollen, and my arm half-paralyzed.
After a month in Poland, I felt that Poland was over for me and I needed to return to Ukraine. Then one day, I received a phone call from a friend saying that Balakliya is freed. I could not believe what I heard. My wife and I simply cried for joy.
When our church building was taken, the Russians said there would be no God and no Protestant churches in Balakliya. But God shamed them. When we returned to Balakliya, we saw our church building filled with more than 300 people. Today, 120 non-believers come weekly to study the Bible. Many ministries are open: children’s, youth and young adults. We don’t know what tomorrow will be like, but we just serve the ministry God has entrusted to us.
It has been a joy for the Canadian Alliance to be able to stand with our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. But not only are we wanting to stand with you, I also wonder, “What can we be learning from you?” and “What would you want to say to the church in Canada?”
Dear big family of The Alliance, I thank all of you who prayed for me. God heard your prayers and showed me mercy. I thank all of you for caring about Ukraine’s fate. I thank all of you for your various kinds of help - material, spiritual and for your prayers because any help has been and continues to be a great blessing when we can serve people with two hands. One hand is material help, and the other is the Gospel.
God is faithful.
God loves us, and he will not leave us in any storm. We face different challenges and tensions in Ukraine, but we see how God helps with the hands of many churches. I pray for you and love you very much. If we do not meet here on earth, I know we will meet in heaven with all who see me now.
-
Every time I listen to him tell a story, I sit there, both stunned and amazed. It's encouragement to me to see Alexander simultaneously choosing to rejoice in God’s goodness while also trusting his continued strengthening to go back to the very place of torture to preach the name of Jesus again. This is a real life example of Peter and Acts.
Now, as a reminder, our work in Ukraine, as in other places where we provide relief, is funded through donations given to our Global Relief and Development Fund. If your church would like to support our efforts in Ukraine and in other areas requiring relief, please consider highlighting this funding to your churches as you feel appropriate.
Friends, God has been good to us, would you feel and know His strengthening and encouragement today. I love our family. We'll see you soon.