Photo: The Church of Christ, Ivano-Frankivsk assembly on 18 October 2026
1 Chronicles 16:29, 34: “Recognize the glory due to the LORD; recognize His holy name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness…Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
The congregation’s atmosphere is always encouraging. The words of 1 Chronicles 16 aptly describe it. The excited exclamations of greetings, the warm embraces, and the smiles welcome all who join the day’s assembly. Even with the ongoing war, various assignments that took some members away, and a dreary, drizzling day, we had a very good number present!
The worship was delightful, and all were focused in honoring God’s specific directives.
I concluded my series on “The history of the Church of Christ in Ukraine.” It has been a good study, and I learned from the research. Interestingly, there is a record of the New Testament Church being established at a point on the Black Sea. Then, the amazing fact that the first Slavic Bibles translation in the 1500s occurred in Ukraine. This providentially offered a reputable translation for those in (Kyiv-Rus) Ukraine, the word of God as the authority for their beliefs and practices.
The final lesson looked at King Josiah’s efforts to “restore the Law of the Lord” in Judah. I added the historical illustration of Ivan Stepanovich Prokhanov, who called for a return to New Testament Christianity and suffered persecution under the Tsar, the Bolsheviks, and eventually exile under Stalin. Prokhanov called out: “Back to Christ, back to the Gospel, back to primitive Christianity.”
The lessons have been well received, and those asking about the history of the Church of Christ in Ukraine were delighted to have factual information to share with friends and neighbors.
When you add the chronicled history with the biblical pattern of restoration, a convincing lesson unfolds, urging all to follow only the Bible. In each class, there were visitors, and most of them were present for every lesson. After the lesson, one man told me how much he appreciated the lessons and that he was very interested in the information. He said he needed to know “those things.”
The Lord’s Day joy was heightened by offering a time to celebrate Mykola’s birthday. He and Allah are displaced from Zaporozhe. They live in the same apartment complex where Mykola and Tamara live. Tamara invited them to worship, and they have been constant ever since.
Mykola had announced that for his birthday he would cook “Cossack soup”; this is also called “Kulesh.” It is a historic traditional Ukrainian pottage or very thick soup associated with the Zaporizhzhian Cossacks during military campaigns. It is traditionally cooked over an open campfire. Even though the kitchen is working well, I found Mykola cooking Kulesh over a wood fire in the backyard (see photos). Pasha was grilling chicken and the ladies were busily cutting veggies, making fish sandwiches, and “laying the tables.”
“Through your prayers” (Phlm 22), this trip will see multiple successes as “doors of opportunity” open (Colossians 4:3)!
Thank you for your constant prayers!
John L. Kachelman, Jr., UKRAINE MISSIONS, Dalraida Church of Christ, Montgomery, AL
