Note: Below is Gif’s update on events in Ivano-Frankivsk. At the end is a PDF where he has the photos inserted and described. The update is wonderful news and reveals the maturing of the Christians! The maturity is seen in the involvement. One of the points in Gif’s report is very encouraging: “I absolutely love the initiative that the Church has taken on this, and I think it’s a great sign of growth—they don’t need me to come with them, they had the idea, and they are doing it all by themselves!”
Ivano-Frankivsk Church of Christ Update – November 2025
Hello there!
The cold of winter is beginning to come upon us in Ivano-Frankivsk. Last weekend, we had the first snow of the season, and although it melted after only a day, it was enough to get everyone (maybe only me) excited for Christmas. The downside is that blackouts have been reintroduced throughout the country. Due to the war, we have a few hours every day without electricity in order to conserve as much as possible in case of major attacks and emergencies. Fortunately, they try to keep those blackouts to the daytime as much as possible so we can leave the heat on at night. Also, fortunately, most coffee shops have small generators so they can keep making coffee while the main power isn’t working. We have found our ways to work around the issues!
Remembering Perry Baker
The last couple of months have been filled with several things in Ukraine, but I would be remiss if I didn’t start by saying something about Perry Baker. Of course, by now everyone knows that his impact on the Church in Ivano-Frankivsk was immeasurable. When I first moved here, Perry came and supported me so that I wasn’t on my own for the first several weeks, and it was great for me just to have someone to be with who spoke English. The year 2024 was a difficult year for the Church here, and Perry came back at the beginning of 2025 to spend three months with us, and I credit a lot of the positive changes that have occurred here to those three months and the work that he did.
The Church members, school kids, and anyone in the Ivano-Frankivsk community loved and admired Perry so much, and they were devastated by the news of his passing. Last week, when the memorial service was live-streamed on Dalraida’s YouTube page, many Ukrainians were watching in support even though it was entirely in English. He was and is part of our family here, and his legacy continues to live through the lives that he touched in the Church here and in the friendship that he gave to me for the past few years.
The Church at work
We’ve been able to do a lot here in the Church in the last couple of months. We continue to work to help our soldiers as much as we can, first helping those we know personally, and then those we know through some of our contacts. At one point, our friend Sergiy made me aware that a group, we are connected with, had a need for a generator and that over the last six months, they had raised about half the cost. As the Church, we gathered some funds and, through that and other donations, we were able to cover the second half of the need in less than a week. The guys were thrilled and talked about how much they love the Church of Christ because whenever we help, they believe it’s straight from God!
Additionally, two of the Church members became aware of a home in our community for displaced widows and orphans. Upon finding that, they asked if we could take some of the clothes from our humanitarian aid warehouse and share with them. These are clothes that the Church members sorted earlier this year. Now, on a regular basis, they are taking clothes to these orphans and widows who have moved here from Eastern Ukraine with nothing. When they go, they tell them these packages come from the Church, and they invite them to come visit. I absolutely love the initiative that the Church has taken on this, and I think it’s a great sign of growth—they don’t need me to come with them, they had the idea, and they are doing it all by themselves!
Personally, I’ve been able to be a part of more speaking clubs, specifically at the Galaxy Center, which is a project from the Hillsboro Church of Christ in Tennessee. The doctors asked if I would partner with them in creating a space for open conversation in English, and there have been a lot of productive conversations there already. We even have a request to discuss religion once everyone is comfortable, which I’ll be happy to do!
I’ve also made greater connections at King Daniel University through teaching classes and speaking at conferences. Last week, they hosted a conference where I was a guest speaker as well as two men from Ireland. After the conference, we had coffee together, and I spent hours telling these Irish men about the Church of Christ. Although they went back home, you never know where those conversations might lead!
I’ve also been working with a speaking club for their staff members, through which I’ve also been able to answer some questions about the Church. Though we have to be careful about what we say in some settings, the hope is to plant enough seeds so that people are interested enough to see what we’re doing and come visit—and so far, a few have come!
World Bible Institute (WBI) Update
The final major event I want to write about here is a visit from the representatives of the World Bible Institute. Spencer Ross and Avery Hackney came for a few days to explore the idea of restarting a preaching school in Ivano-Frankivsk and making use of the Church building, as well as assisting the Church here.
We had a very encouraging visit while they were here! We spent time volunteering at different places making items that the soldiers need, and while doing that, we were able to meet several new people and tell them about the Church and why we are here. It impressed a lot of the Ukrainian citizens that Americans would come and help them, and it also impressed them that we were from the Church, as they had never had volunteers like that in the past. Of course, they had questions, and we were happy to answer! It was good for me to have these guys here because we were able to triple our efforts and help me make some new connections that I might not have been able to make otherwise.
Of course, their main purpose was to try to plan what a preaching school would look like in Ivano-Frankivsk. We spent many hours together walking through the Church building and dreaming of the possibilities, and then many more hours sitting in coffee shops and going over plans, budgets, classes, teachers, and everything else that might go into such a school. There is a lot of optimism about what can be done and how it can be done.
The biggest hurdle, of course, is the construction of the building. Pasha has been doing excellent work, and he will continue to do that work, but funds are an absolute necessity to make this happen. When completed, the building can host anywhere from 10–20 students at a time and would have all the things people living there would need. So, the goal is to try to raise funds to complete the rooms as quickly as possible because not only would this be a great benefit to train preachers in Ukraine, but it would also give us more people on ground to help with the work of the local Church. For those who are looking for some places to donate Christmas bonuses, this project has amazing potential, and the sooner we have the funds, the sooner we can start!
Special Bible Study
Additionally, we gathered the Church together on Saturday and Sunday, where Spencer and Avery taught lessons focused on eternal life. It was incredibly positive for the Church to be able to be together in such a setting, and there were many good comments and questions afterwards. Most importantly, it gave me some ideas for follow-up sermons over the next few weeks!
In the meantime, the work of the Church will continue, and we appreciate all the prayers and support that we receive from everyone! -Gif
Here is Gif’s Report in PDF
Gif-November-Report-1THANK YOU for your financial support, prayers and encouragement! As new budgets are being determined for 2026, PLEASE consider including UKRAINE MISSIONS!
John L. Kachelman, Jr. UKRAINE MISSIONS, Dalraida Church of Christ, P.O. Box 3085, Montgomery, AL 36109
