Category: Ukraine

Amazing Ukraine Trip

How do you capture two weeks of amazing experiences? This trip was really about four things:

Offering Encouragement

We heard over and over from people how much our visits during the war mean to them. They say constantly that it is such an encouragement that we come while they are experiencing war. We also found that many of the people we talked with one on one were so thankful for the encouragement and an opportunity to talk about their challenges and struggles.

Training Leaders

This is one of the things we spend the most time doing on our trips. However, you never know what impact your training has. This trip we had the opportunity to hear from several people who shared the impact our training has had on them and how they have used what we have trained on. We heard how our training materials are being used by the leaders as they train others themselves.

Motivating Change

Making changes is the hardest part. You can agree with what we teach on, but ultimately the people have to apply what they learn and make changes if they want see results. On this trip we heard from many individuals that have applied what they have learned and have seen results. They know that I am going to come back in the future and ask them what they have done with what they have learned.

Inspiring Dreams

This is probably the things we hear them most. That after our trainings they have gone and tried to dream and hear from God what God-sized dreams they have. We heard from Olga how we have helped her accomplish her dream of providing a training resource for families with our new book. We heard from Ruslan who created a dream for Synergy and church planting after one of our meetings. From Olga that has seen her dream of a Children’s Ministries conference be accomplished from our help. In fact, we heard from many people that we should write our next book on dreams.

Here is a little more detail on what we did on each day of the trip.

On our first Monday in Ukraine, we got off the train from Poland and went right to a Women’s Ministries leaders conference where I led two sessions on my book and parenting. The session went well, but it is not a great idea to start training on the first day you arrive – the jetlag hit me hard in the evening session. The two days together went amazing and all the books we had at the event went. The last night we had a question-and-answer session, and the women talked about my book and how much they were enjoying it and how they were making plans to share with the women in their small groups at their churches.

On Wednesday we drove from Lviv to Kyiv where we did a couple of videos at the Baptist Union offices and then on Thursday we met with the leaders of The Temple of Peace, which is a church in downtown Kyiv. It had been one year since we had met for the first time, and they shared what they have been doing this past year and the changes that they have made. It was exciting to see how God was working and that they had grown by over 30% over the past year.

On Friday we drove to Cherkasy where we had several meetings at our favorite coffee shop in Cherkasy and then went to New Life Church where we had a gathering to share my book with people from all over the region. We had close to 100 people attend and we were able to see many old friends, including the host family that Beth had stayed with over 30 years ago. New Life is always a special place for us as this was where our Ukraine ministry began. It was a special evening! They also recorded our training so we have a You Tube version that we can share with others.

On Saturday we were in Buzevka at the home of our partner Vasily Furta. I had a speaking session in Uman for the M4 church planting organization and Beth met with Alla and the pastors wives prayer group she leads. They had a special time together and all want to share our book with the women in their churches. In the afternoon we had coffee with Vasily Olynuk and his wife. Vasily was the leader in the Baptist Union when Love Life for Ukraine started. Always a special time of sharing together. We also had the privilege to have coffee at the new home of Lyuda and Sashsa. Lyuda is our translator, and we had a special time seeing their new home.

On Sunday we drove to Cherniyiv region and attend the Bread of Life church with pastor Bogdon. Bogdon had attend one of our training retreats in April and after leaving he went back to his church and build an addition to his church for Children’s Ministries. He was so challenge in our meetings that he took what he learned and put into action. I preached the message, and Beth went in and observed their program. Afterwards we had a lunch in their home and shared together. It was a special time!

Monday was a travel day as we drove back to Lviv area for our church planters conference. We had 20 couples for 3 days. This was the last of three sessions together. It was fun to see how God was working and how the connections have built over the last year that we have been meeting. Hopefully on future trips in Ukraine we will have the privilege to visit many of their churches and homes as well.

On Thursday we wrapped up the church planters conference and drove to Rivne for the Children’s Ministries Leaders Training. There were 80 leaders from representing all regions of Ukraine except for occupied territories. This conference is always special for Beth as Children’s Ministries is her passion. She did a training session on Friday morning. She covered leadership foundations and shared some practical ways to share salvation message to kids. She did amazing as always! In the evening, I shared my book with the leaders and gave them all a copy. Olga the leader always does such an awesome job of creating an event that makes all participants feel appreciated and valued while also training and inspiring them.

On Saturday we attended a conference in Lviv called …. Vasily was speaking in a workshop and doing an online sharing session, and we had to walk around the booths of ministries working in Ukraine. In was fun connecting with many people that we have interacted with over the years who were there sharing in their ministry booths.

On Sunday we caught the train and headed to Poland to begin the trip home.

I could write so much more but wanted to share with you a summary to give you a little taste of what we experienced on our trip. Thank you for your prayers and financial support that has supported us in our ministry. We came home with a few special requests for support so we are praying for how we can help provide resources for these requests. We are hoping to raise an additional $8500 by the end of the year to help provide for these needs. If you are interested in learning more about these needs, please reach out to me at my email rick.post@potentialendeavors.com or my cell at 651-329-6033.

Tags #Potentialendeavors, #Ukraine

Ukraine

Ukraine Travels

This October we are heading back to Ukraine for another trip. Going to Ukraine is always something we look forward to as we have built so many great relationships and have so many friends there. Every trip is filled with excitement but there are also many fears and worries that we bring with us as well. Will we be safe with the war? Will all of our travels go smoothly? Will people be able to attend our meetings? Are the materials we developed the right content? Will we have enough resources for all of the events and travel costs of the trip? This year we have an added challenge, that we will be doing something we have never done before.

Last winter, we were asked by READ Ministries to help find parenting materials that could be translated into Ukrainian and made available to help parents raise their children. They wanted something practical and not like a textbook. We looked around and had trouble finding what we felt they were looking for, so we decided to write a parenting book ourselves based on what we learned in raising our own three children. We talked to our kids and asked them about their memories of childhood and what we did well and did not do as well to help them be the people and parents they are today.

We published the book in July titled “Building Blocks for Raising Godly Children”. It has been translated in Ukrainian and it is being published there now. READ Ministries provided resources to pay for the translation and initial publishing and now we are going to be presenting this book to several gatherings of church leaders in October. We will be sharing with the leaders of Women’s Ministries and Children’s Ministries from across Ukraine, with a group of church planters and their spouses and at a regional gathering in Cherkasy at New Life Church for pastors and family ministries leaders. We will be sharing the book and how they can use it to help parents in their churches, but also how to use it to reach families in their communities.

We are excited about sharing this book, but we are also nervous. Will the content be helpful? Will it be used? Are we really qualified to be able to teach this? We know that this is something that is needed, but we are not experts or academically trained in this. But we have learned from our past work that when we are the most nervous and anxious it is because the devil does not want us to be doing what we are doing. We are trusting God for His wisdom and guidance and walking through the doors that are opened for us. We must always remember that we are called to do what we can and trust God to do what only He can do.

Raising families is hard in normal situations, but then you add the challenges of dealing with the war, it is even more difficult. Please pray for us as we prepare for these meetings that God will provide us with the content that He wants us to cover, that it will be received well and used by those we present to.

Every trip takes resources for us to do what we have felt God directing us to do. Here is an overview of the resources needed for this trip:

Children’s Ministries Training Retreat $10,000

Church Planters Training Retreat $ 8,000

Printing of additional books $ 3,750

Regional Training Event in Cherkasy $ 1,000

Travel Costs $ 5,000

Total Need $27,750

If you would like to partner with us in supporting these ministries, you can make donations at our website – potentialendeavors.com/donate

Or you can send checks to:

Potential Endeavors

840 Aspen Circle

Little Canada, MN 55109

If you have questions or would like to have us meet with your church leaders about how to get involved, you can reach me at rick.post@potentialendavors.com

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of my book – Building Block to Raising Godly Children, you can purchase at bandrpostresources.com

If you are interested in having a parenting event based on the book at your church, please send me an email and we can talk more about it.

Ukraine

Home from Ukraine

We are home from Ukraine! So much happened in the two weeks we were there. We had a time of connecting with old friends and hearing about their ministries, meeting new leaders and learning about their work and time spent investing in pastors and leaders in the church. When I think about this trip, there are three words that capture best what this trip was all about. Those words are trauma, encouragement, and impact.

TRAUMA

Visting Ukraine, you see the impact of 10+ years of war and the escalation that has happened in the last two years. You experience the air raids, and you get a taste of what the people have to live with every day. You drive through the villages and cities, and you see the cemeteries filled with Ukrainian flags honoring the graves of fallen heroes. The people are tired of war and the impact on their lives. They have lost so many family members and friends, and they don’t know when the hostilities will end.

We had the privilege on this trip to learn more about the Chaplin ministries of the Baptist Union. We learned about the work being done to support the soldiers and their families and the ministry work of caring for the families of the fallen heroes. We attended a church service where there were 100 women who had lost a husband, father, or son.

The church provides a place where these families can come together, grieve, and process the impacts on their lives. They provide needed assistance and help in dealing with the trauma that has impacted their lives. They share their stories together and help each other keep the memories of their heroes alive.

We heard about the trips to the frontlines to provide food, care, and encouragement to the troops as well as the work in visiting hospitals to provide aid and care to the soldiers recovering from wounds caused by the war.

This picture is a craft completed by a wounded soldier to provide activities to help them as they recover and adjust to their new reality.

We learned about groups that are providing trauma care training to leaders and families impacted by this war. The need for this training and assistance is great now and will only grow as the war continues and as people work to try and rebuild their lives when the war is over.

ENCOURAGEMENT

One of the biggest impacts we make with our visits is to be an encouragement to those we interact with. Ukrainians are so thankful for all the help and support that have been given to them and they are so encouraged when we come and visit with a war going on. Our visits let them know that they are not forgotten and that they are important to us. Much of our time is spent listening to their stories and hearing how the war has impacted them. We listen to their needs and challenges and try to find words to comfort, support and encourage them to stay strong in the face of all the challenges they are going through. But in spite of the difficulties and how tired they are, they have a burning desire to see their country be victorious and to fight for the freedoms and opportunities that have.

At one of our lunches, we heard the story of one of the pastors who had lived in Bakhmut before the war and had to leave as the Russians attacked the city.

They showed us pictures of their newly constructed home that had been destroyed by a tank and they lost everything they owned. They shared how as a displaced person they struggled to find a place to fit in and that now they are starting a church that is reaching young adults who want to learn English and technical skills. While loving this ministry, their heart still beats to one day return to their hometown and help rebuild their city and home and create a church to help their fellow displaced people re-establish their lives.

IMPACT

When we started our ministry seven years ago, we had a mission to help pastors and churches develop their potential and to help them reach their communities for Jesus. Over the years we have worked with many pastors and churches, and we have had the privilege of going back year after year and seeing the impact these pastors are making in their communities. While who we work with has changed over the years, our focus has not changed. We continue to teach three basic concepts:

To dream God-sized dreams
To develop teams to help in their ministry
To create churches that are “Come and See” places where people and see Jesus and learn what it means to have a relationship with him.

On this trip we were able to continue the training that we are doing with church planters, and we were able to hear some of the stories of how our training has made an impact. Here are some of the stories we heard:

Over the last seven years, one church has had three meeting places. They keep growing and need more space to welcome all those that want to attend. Thanks to gifts from our partners, they were able to finish their newest meeting space just before Easter and it was full their first Sunday. Now they are talking about what they are going to do to make more room.

Last October, we met with a church and spent two days working with them on how to help them reach more people for Jesus. After our visit they worked on making changes. We met with them on this trip, and they shared all the things they have done and that since making changes, which included counting attendance at every gathering, they have seen a 33% growth in attenders over the last six months.

In our church planter training, each pastor shared what has been happening at their churches since our last meeting. We heard stories of baptisms, new believers and new attenders. There are still many challenges, but they are seeing some impact. We heard one story about a Muslim student who started visited their church. He had lots of questions and they tried to answer his questions and make him feel welcome. After a few months, he started a relationship with Jesus and was baptized. Now he is bringing his Muslim friends to the church.

These are just a few of the stories we heard. I could fill up more pages, but this gives you a feel for what we experienced. We are thankful for the prayers and support of so many as we traveled and worked in Ukraine. If you have questions about our trip or our ministry, we would be happy to set up a time to talk or meet. We are blessed to be able to travel and do ministry in Ukraine, but we could not do it without our partners.

If you would like to learn more about how you could be one of our partners and help pastors in Ukraine as they plant new churches and reach their communities for Jesus, we would love to talk with you. You can connect with me at rick.post@potentialendeavors.com .

If you would like to donate, you can make a donation by clicking this link https://potentialendeavors.com/donate which will take you to our website or you can give through Venmo. Our Venmo ID is @PotentialEndeavors.

You can also send checks to:

Potential Endeavors

840 Aspen Circle

Little Canada, MN 55109

Ukraine

Heading to Ukraine

We head to Ukraine soon. Please pray for us. Conditions in Ukraine are difficult. The war continues. Tens of thousands of people have died and been wounded. Millions have been displaced and have either moved out of Ukraine or to a different location. People are tired and exhausted, and no end is in sight. As I write this, missile attacks are intensifying and the challenges across the country seem worse.

You may ask, so why are we going to Ukraine during these times? We feel that God wants us to be there to encourage the pastors and church leaders we work with. While the war continues, the spiritual and physical needs of the people continue to grow. The need to hear about the hope offered through a relationship with Jesus is greater than ever. The need to train, encourage and resource new pastors and start new churches is continuing. The pastors we work with are feeling the pressures of the demand. They are tired! They need help and resources to help them do ministry.

The war is causing many to experience trauma. Pastors need training in how to help those who have experienced trauma and to help share the good news of Jesus to the suffer from the effects of trauma. Families are dealing with the loss of family members and friends. Learning to deal with the impacts of injuries caused by the war. Having to start over after losing everything due to the bombings, attacks and ongoing war.

We go not to solve all these needs, but to offer our encouragement. To listen to the needs. To pray for the workers. To provide rest and resources to help in a small way. As we go pray for us. Pray for the following:

That we will be an encouragement to those we meet and interact with.
That we will provide materials and resources that will help these pastors and leaders in the work they are doing in their communities.
For safety as we travel across Ukraine and that the people coming to our meetings will be safe and that they will find our time together to be a time and rest and restoration.
For resources needed to help fund new churches and pastors. From equipment needs, to space rental to just helping with living expenses for the pastors.

One story to share with you. One pastor that we have worked with over the past six years is Yan from Korsun Ukraine.

Pastor Yan has a heart for reaching his community for Jesus. When he started his church, he was in a small building that was full. He knew he needed more space, so they found a building in the center of town with the potential for growth. They began renovating it. They had one meeting room which they outgrew, and they have now just finished renovating a second room with more space. Every time they open a new space, God brings new people. This church is caring for the needs of their community. They are reaching the people that no one cares for, and people are finding Jesus.

If you would like to provide resources to help these pastors, you can give online at http://potentialendeavors.com/donate. We accept all forms of payment – credit card, Venmo, checks or paypal.

If you would like to receive our newsletter and get a detailed overview of our trip and what we will be doing each day so that you can pray along with us, send me your email at rick.post@potentialendeavors.com.

If you are interested in learning more about how you or your church could sponsor a new church and its pastor, reach out to me at rick.post@potentialendeavors.com.

Ukraine

Giving Tuesday

It is Giving Tuesday. This is the day when organizations across America ask people to donate to support their ministry or cause. Potential Endeavors is also asking you to consider supporting our ministry. I know that there are many good organizations doing great things asking you to support them. I don’t know what the criteria is you consider when trying to decide which one to give to and which one to pass on, but here is our pitch.

Why should you support Potential Endeavors?

You care about Ukraine and its future.
You want to see people find a relationship with Jesus Christ.
You love children and you want to see them reached through their local church.
You care about pastors and want to provide a time for them to invest in their marriage, ministry, and themselves through a time of retreat and refreshment.
You believe that Jesus is the hope for the world and want to see him shared in as many churches as possible.
You are passionate about church planting and starting new churches.
You believe in us and know that God is using us to accomplish His purposes.

There are many reasons above. If one of them resonated with you, pray about how God wants to use your resources and about how much you should give to Potential Endeavors. Whether you give or not, please pray for our ministry and that God will use us and provide for the resources needed to accomplish His plans.

You can give at our facebook fundraiser

https://www.facebook.com/donate/298363653105393/

Venmo

Or on our website at http://potentialendeavors.com/donote

Ukraine

Potential Endeavors Fund Raiser

Post author By Rick Post
Post date November 15, 2023
No Comments on Potential Endeavors Fund Raiser

Having just returned from Ukraine, we have learned that there are things that are impacting the priorities of Potential Endeavors. These factors are:

Because of the war and how the evangelical church provided for the needs of the people impacted by the war and the soldiers of Ukraine, the respect for the evangelical church in Ukraine has never been higher.
The children of Ukraine are the ones who are most impacted by the realities of war. They have lost parents, relatives, and their ability to just be kids. They question what future they will have because of the war.
People are searching for answers. What is their future? Why is there war? Where is God in all this? Because of what the church has done to help, people are turning to the church to find hope through Jesus Christ.

Because of these three realities, our priorities are focused on three things:

Help start new churches through helping to develop pastors to lead these churches that are desperately needed.
Provide training and resources to Children’s Ministry leaders to help them bring the day camp experience for kids into the church every Sunday.
Help the churches and pastors that we have worked with who are doing ministry and reaching their communities for Jesus to expand their facilities and make more room for more people to attend.

We will accomplish these priorities in the following way:

Offer training retreats to new pastors and their spouses. We had our first retreat last October and will do two more in 2024. We cover all costs for these retreats to provide and opportunity for these families to rest, be encouraged and trained for their future ministry.
Provide training events for leaders of children’s ministries across all the regions of Ukraine. We cover all costs for these events. We held one retreat in October of 2023, and we will offer another one in fall of 2024. We will do additional trainings in regions during our other trips.
Travel to Ukraine 3 times in 2024. We will provide training, meet with pastors and their spouses to encourage them. This will include trips closer to the areas that have been most heavily impacted by the war.
Provide resources to churches and pastors that we have worked with to help them reach more of their communities for Jesus through expanded facilities and resources for aid to those impacted by the war.
In addition, we will continue to look for partners who would like to support these new pastors and their churches for a 5-year period. This will be to provide funds for start up costs as well as resources to provide an income for the pastors so that they can focus all their energy on their church ministry.

This fund raiser is to help raise the resources to do this ministry in 2024.

Ukraine

God is Working

We just got home from Ukraine and had an amazing trip! Our time there always goes fast, and we are going non-stop. These experiences are always hard to capture and put into words to share with others about what we have experienced, but I will try my best.

Our trip in May was recapped but summarizing “But God”. We heard about the impact of the war and the challenges that people faced, but God always showed up in a powerful way. To capture this trip in a title it would be “God is Working”! The spirit in the people we met with this trip has changed. There was a reality that the war was going to be with them for a long time and that they must get on with life the best that they can. There are still humanitarian needs, but the spiritual needs are what the groups we are working with are trying to address. Because of the war, and the impact it has had on so many lives, almost everyone knows somebody who has been killed or injured in the war. Many people are asking “Where is God in this?” Young leaders have sensed a calling from God to start churches and minister to their friends who face being called to fight and wonder what their future is. There is a new energy around the need to reach people for Jesus and to work together to accomplish this mission.

Our trip had five main objectives. First was the training of new church planters. We had a conference with 21 couples who are in the process of starting churches. We talked about dreaming God-sized dreams, how to develop a vision for their church and how to create churches that are “Come and See” places where people can find Jesus. This time was the first of three gatherings we will have with these couples. We spend time learning their stories and try to encourage and help them in their work. Beth had the opportunity to meet separately with the wives and talk about the joys and challenges of being a church planters’ wife. By the end of our time together, we always feel like we have found 42 new friends to pray for and support.

I also had the opportunity to share at a gathering of church planting teams at a M4 church planting workshop. I taught on how to create values for your church. It was fun to see these teams working on their visions together.

Our second objective was participating at a retreat for leaders of Children’s Ministries from 22 regions across Ukraine. Over 100 leaders gathered to learn, be encouraged, and work together to make children’s ministries more impactful in churches across Ukraine. The children often experience the most trauma from the effects of war and the leaders want churches that are places were kids can come and find peace, rest, joy and Jesus. Beth was able to speak at the conference and get to know many of the leaders. Potential Endeavors provides the resources to pay for this retreat and enable these leaders to get a rest from the stresses of their jobs. We heard many stories after the conference that leaders were burned out and thinking of leaving the ministry, but after this retreat they have felt renewed and energized for the future.

One of move moving parts of the conference was a message shared by Roman. He was one of the leaders of the committee who planned this retreat but was also in the military. Three weeks before the retreat, he was killed in the war. Just before his death, he shared this message with the leader of Children’s Ministries:

Olya, Hello! I wanted to write you some of my thoughts on children’s and teen ministry! Just a thought…might by useful. Thought to myself that we as children’s ministers should think strategically about what’s ahead! And there are a large number of children who lost their father. A mass of sons whose fathers won’t teach how to be a man, and daughters who will seek attention from men from an early adolescence, simply because they didn’t get that attention from their father (because he is gone early) We need to prepare ministers – men who will be ready to take responsibility to teach boys to be a man who loves, respects, knows and can do something with this hands, who will be a leader in the family, who will then teach his children… And leaders who are women who can teach girls not to lose themselves, nor to lose themselves in the search for attention. Otherwise we will lose two generations. Thinking what is needed… start preparing for “rebuilding the country” only in our understanding. There is so much work it is scary, but we have to do it, and I think it is time to prepare…”

Our third objective was working with the Temple of Peace church in Kyiv. This church is in the center of Kyiv and is a beautiful church. Its leaders want it to grow and asked us to come and work with them to help it develop a plan on how to reach its community for Jesus. We had two days of meetings, and we are excited to see how God will use this time to help them make the changes they need to make.

Our fourth objective was to connect with pastors that we have worked with over the years. We try to follow up with them and see how they are doing. Every trip we try to visit one of these churches on a Sunday and see their church in action. This trip we were able to visit the House of Salvation in Korsun. The pastor is Yan and his wife is Lyuda. Yan and Lyuda were in our first training group 5 years ago. I remembered the dreams he had back then and it fun to see their dreams becoming a reality. Their church has grown from 30 people to over 100 people and they are out of room. The Sunday we visited the room was full and people were standing along the walls. After the service, Yan showed us the new room they are making to expand their seating capacity. This will make room for 150 chairs. They also have space in their building to build an even bigger room as they keep growing. Yan shared the need to raise $20,000 to complete the project. This is to buy the chairs, flooring, ceiling and a second entrance. They want to complete this by the end of the year to have room for Christmas services.

In addition, the church has added space to provide rooms for addiction recovery. This is part of Yan’s dreams to make an impact in their community. If you would like to help with funds for this church, you can donate to our donate page and just note Yan on the donation and all funds given will go to help complete this building project.

Our fifth and final objective of this trip was to meet and listen to as many ministry leaders as possible. We like to hear their stories and see how God is working. This is a time to encourage them, thank them for their work and listen to their needs. We never know how God will use these meetings, but we also try to stay open and listen to God’s promptings if there is a something that God wants us to help with.

We are so thankful for the opportunity to be used in Ukraine. We heard over and over how thankful people were that we were visiting and how much they are encouraged by our visits and from the prayers and support that they receive from people in the United States. One thing we heard on this trip was the need to go closer to the war zone to meet and encourage the ministry leaders who continue to work in these areas. The work in the war zones is needed, but few are visiting to encourage and support them. We are praying that God will guide and direct us in this area when we visit again in the spring.

We are thankful for all of you who have supported us in our ministry. We could not do what we do without the financial and prayer support that we receive. We are going to be doing a fund raiser this fall for our ministry expenses. We have plans for 3 trips to Ukraine next year to continue our work with church planters, children’s ministry leaders and Temple of Peace church, plus to hold meetings in the war zones of Ukraine. If you would like to support our ministry, donations can be made to our website at:

https://www.potentialendeavors.com/donate

If you would like to meet to discuss being involved in partnering with a church planter and helping to support them financially, we would be happy to meet or have a call. Just send a note to rick.post@potentialendeavors.com.

Ukraine

Are you afraid?

In two weeks, we will be in Poland getting ready to head back into Ukraine. As we have shared with people about going to Ukraine, probably the question we get asked the most is “Are you afraid to travel to Ukraine? To be totally honest, we have no fears about traveling to Ukraine! Let me tell you why!

I know the news is full of stories of missile strikes, bombings and war, but Ukraine is a large country, and the war is in the east and south, areas that we will not be traveling to. Will we see evidence of the war as we drive in the country? Yes, but we will not be in the area where the battle is the most intense.

First, when we are in Ukraine, we are with our friends. We trust them and know that they would not put us in places of danger. They worry more about our safety than about their own safety and well-being.

Second, while there is always a chance that a missile could strike where we are located, however Ukraine is a large country and the odds of being hit by a missile where we are staying is about the same chance of being in a car crash as we drive the freeway in Minnesota.

Third, and this is the biggest reason we are not afraid, we know that we are traveling to Ukraine to do the work that God has called us to do. We will be working with church planters, children’s ministry leaders and church leaders to encourage them, teach them and help them in their calling to reach people for Jesus. Everything is in God’s hands, and we trust that God will protect us and guide us each step of the way.

As it says in Psalms 139:16:

Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

We would appreciate your prayers while we travel. Prayers for safety and impact. That God would use us to help and encourage the leaders that we will be working with.

We are still looking for partners who would like to help us with the costs of our ministry. On this trip we have paid for two conferences. One for church planters and their spouses and one for the Children’s Ministry leaders across all regions of Ukraine. Plus, we have our travel costs.

If you would like to donate, you can donate at www.potentialendeavors.com/donate

You can also send checks to:

Potential Endeavors

840 Aspen Circle

Little Canada, MN 55109

We also accept donations through Venmo at @potentialendeavors

Ukraine

How You Can Help Ukraine

I often get asked how things are going in Ukraine. I tell them the war continues, people are being killed and injured, but life goes on. As I talk with my friends in Ukraine and ask them what their needs are, they consistently share that the needs have shifted from humanitarian needs to spiritual needs. They share that God is working and because of how the evangelical church has provided so much care and assistance to the needs of the people the past 18 months, the church is growing and the needs for more churches and more ministers is greater than ever.

Summer camps offered this summer were some of the largest in a long time as the kids and families want something that can provide hope and perspective to them. But as I talk to my friends in ministry in Ukraine, they also share that people in ministry are tired. The demands and stresses of the past 18 months and the continued stress caused by the war and continual missile attacks across the country is wearing them out.

Having listened to the needs, we are focusing our ministry efforts in 4 areas and are raising funds to support these ministries:

First is a training retreat for church planters. We are gathering 25 church planters and their wives together to offer training, rest, and encouragement in October of this year. We will be speaking at this conference as well as providing the money to cover the cost of this retreat in a nature setting near Lviv.

Second, we are also sponsoring a training retreat for the Children’s ministry leaders from all regions of Ukraine. This group of leaders is so important as they are leading the efforts to provide programming for all the kids who attended camps this summer each week in the church. This retreat will take place in October and Beth will be speaking at this conference.

Third, we are looking for partners who are interested in helping to start new churches in Ukraine. Start-up costs for a new church are around $6000. This covers costs of equipment, seating, and rental of a facility for the church to meet in. Our goal is to help start 100 new churches over the next 5 years and want to find partners who would like to adopt and church plant.

Lastly, we are looking for partners who would like to sponsor a pastor and their family as they start a new church. Each church plant is being sponsored by a church in Ukraine, but there is need to help with the costs of supporting the pastor as they are in the start up phase. We are looking for partners who would commit to $500 per month for 5 years. This is $6000 a year.

We realize that that not everyone can cover all the costs, so we are pooling resources to help as many pastors as we can. Currently we have 11 church planters who have been approved as church planters by the Baptist Union of Ukraine and need financial assistance as they start their church.

If you would be interested in supporting these ministry plans, you can give donations at our website at https://www.potentialendeavors.com/donation/donate/ through Venmo to @Potentialendeavors, or by check made payable to Potential Endeavors at 840 Aspen Circle, Little Canada, MN 55109.

If you have questions or want to discuss more about sponsoring a specific pastor or church, please contact me at Rick.Post@potentialendeavors or call at 651-329-6033 and I would be happy to set up a time to meet with you or your church or organization.

Ukraine

But God….

We have returned from our trip to Ukraine. It is hard to put into words what we experienced, but I will try my best to share a glimpse into our time with friends and partners in Ukraine. As we visited with people, we asked these basic questions:

How has the war impacted you?
How have you seen God working during this time?
What are the needs you have?
How can we pray for you?

As we asked these questions, we were surprised at how similar the answers were. Specific details were unique, but the theme of the answers was very consistent. What we heard over and over was: This is hard, BUT GOD…..so that is how we will give an overview of our trip.

People have lost much, BUT GOD is RESTORING

On our trip we visited the sites impacted by the Russian invasion last February and more recent attacks on residential areas by missiles. We saw the buildings and homes that were badly damaged or destroyed. We visited homes that had been taken over by Russian soldiers that were damaged and looted. We heard stories of children that were impacted by the invasion and forced to leave their homes and try to find safety. Even though the damage was extensive, we saw recovery taking place. Homes had been rebuilt. Businesses were re-opened. People were out shopping and trying to recover a sense of normalcy even as the missile strikes continued. We heard optimism and a strength that they would survive this and ultimately be victorious.

People are hurting, BUT GOD is providing HOPE.

We heard stories of how God was evident even in the worst times. At the beginning of the escalation last February, the church was the primary source of mobilization and the churches worked together to help provide aid, comfort, and hope when it felt that all was lost.

Even now, 15 months into the latest escalation of war, the support continues from churches. They continue to send aid into the war zones to provide food, medicine, and essentials. We heard stories about how when they bring aid, people thank them for the assistance, but what they really want is community. They want someone to talk to and hear their struggles and loneliness. In the war zones, churches are filled with people looking for hope and community. But what is lacking is the pastors and church leaders who left when the battles started.

While there is still a need for basic aid, the needs now are greater for jobs and housing for the displaced people. Spaces have moved from feeding stations to training areas. The need is for church leaders to focus on the spiritual needs of people. The need for new pastors and new churches is great!

People are resilient, BUT GOD is WITH THEM

We visited with many church leaders during our visit. We heard optimism for the future! We heard them talk about how their churches are full and that they are working to find ways to add more seats and space for all the people wanting to come to church. Even though they face almost daily air raid sirens, damage from missiles and drones that are shot down, they stay positive and optimistic even as they are tired from a lack of sleep. One example, on our last Sunday in Ukraine, missiles and drones had been shot at Kyiv. All of them had been destroyed, but the shrapnel from the destroyed missiles and drones still hit homes and damaged cars. One of the church leaders at the church we were speaking at, shared how the past night pieces from a destroyed drone hit the roof of his home and started a small fire. He put it out and was there for church despite what he experienced.

One of our friends shared about her brother-in-law. He is in the military and serving on the front lines. She shared that he is a believer and that soldiers all want to be in his unit because they see how God is protecting him and the soldiers that he leads.

We heard stories from soldiers who shared how they had been protected by God from certain death. As churches provide resources to the military, they hear that in war, there are no atheists. All soldiers see evidence of God!

Life in Ukraine is hard, BUT GOD is FAITHFUL

As we asked about how the war has impacted them, we heard stories about how they have changed. One person shared how since the start of the escalation last February, he has shifted from reading the Bible on his phone to reading an actual Bible. He wants his kids to see him reading the Bible and not just looking at his phone. He keeps it on his desk for all to see as he has become much more determined to share the impact that God is making in his life.

One pastor’s wife shared how exhausted she is because of the air raids. When the alert goes off, they get out of bed and go to the shelters. They live on the 8^th floor of an apartment building and are surrounded by miliary targets, so she wants to be safe. Even though she is tired, God gives her the strength to minister to others and is now going to seminary to work with other women who are impacted by war as well.

One pastor shared how they have moved their church 3 times during the war because they are out of space. They provide food assistance for displaced people and supplies for the military and each time they move to a larger space their church fills up. They have started a rehab center to help those dealing with drug and alcohol addiction and see that this need will grow because of the war. But God has provided the resources they need to minister to others.

We met with the leader of Children’s Ministries for the Baptist Union. She shared about a training conference she had last fall for the leaders from across the regions of Ukraine. Despite the war, they had leaders from across the country and many of them were new because the previous leader had left due to the war. This conference was a great encouragement to them, and the leaders shared how children’s ministry has grown during the war. People are looking for God especially for their children during theses hard times. She has published a book of stories and pictures created and told by the children impacted by the war. We are having it translated into English and hope to have copies available for purchase this summer.

There are questions about the future, BUT GOD is WORKING

People in Ukraine do not know when the war will end, but they all believe that in the end Ukraine will win. But even in a time of uncertainty we heard over and over the need for the development of new leaders and the creation of new churches. Many leaders have left Ukraine at a time when spiritual need is high. New leaders are needed as pastors, children’s ministry leaders, worship leaders, youth leaders and church leadership in general. We met with leaders of church planting organizations across Ukraine. They all shared that the need for training and development of leaders has never been greater. They asked for help in training leaders and the resources needed to start new churches. Funds for renting space for churches and funds to provide financial assistance needed for the new church planters. We heard over and over thanks for the resources that were provided to help provide aid from the impacts of the war. Resources are still needed, but now they have a need to provide training and develop the leaders who will help lead and rebuild when the war is over.

We heard from many of the pastors we met with that the existing leaders are exhausted from the impacts of the war. They have been working tirelessly to provide for physical needs and spiritual needs of people in their communities and for the war zones. They have a need for rest and restoration to help prepare them for the challenges that they will continue to face in the future as they deal with the impacts of trauma on soldiers and their families and for the displaced people.

It is hard to capture all the things we heard and experienced on this trip, but in summary we heard the following:

Thanks for all the assistance and prayers that people from across the world have provided.
Optimism on winning the war and returning to a time of peace.
A desire for continued partnership and assistance to help them rebuild.
The large need for leaders and pastors.

From this trip, God has left us with a renewed passion to want to help in Ukraine. He gave us a dream to help plant new churches and provide opportunities for training, rest, and restoration for leaders of ministries in Ukraine. These are big dreams and bigger than we can accomplish on our own. We will have to rely on God to provide partners who want to help with these needs and who want to adopt new churches and the church planters to provide support, encouragement, and resources.

If you would like to learn more about how you can be part of making this dream a reality or to just hear more about what is happening in Ukraine, please reach out to us. We are happy to talk over the phone or even visit your church to share how God is working in Ukraine.

We compiled a list of all the specific prayer requests we received during our trip and will include them in our newsletter. If you would like to receive our newsletter, please send us a message and we will add you.

We plan to return in October to lead a training for church planters and attend the children’s ministry training as well as work with churches to help them in their ability to lead change.

Contact Information:

Website – Potential Endeavors

Email – Rick.Post@Potentialendeavors.com Beth.Post@Potentialendeavors.com

If you would like to donate to support our ministry, you can make a donation https://www.potentialendeavors.com/donation/donate/

Ukraine

Ukraine Trip Schedule and Prayer

Post author By Rick Post
Post date May 10, 2023
No Comments on Ukraine Trip Schedule and Prayer

Prayer requests for Rick and Beth on their Ukraine trip

May 16- June 2, 2023

In years past we have known more about what we would be doing on our trips to Ukraine. This time, however, we don’t have a schedule (except for a conference on May 24-25). This is because there is so much uncertainity in Ukraine and plans and schedules change constantly. Therefore, we go into this trip not knowing much. But we are okay with that, as we know that we are meant to go, and He is in control. We are going with this three-fold purpose: Listen, Encourage and Train. This is a list of things that we are asking you to pray for during our time there.

Before the trip: Many times, this is a difficult time for us. We find that problems arise, or we are distracted. Please pray that we would be focused on what God wants us to do and that are minds are filled with His thoughts, so we leave prepared to do whatever He has for us. Since, we don’t have a defined schedule, we will be relying more on the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our words. Pray that we leave refreshed, focused, and ready to do whatever God has for us.
Tuesday, May 16 – pray for safety in travel. We leave MN at 4:55 pm. We will fly to Amsterdam and then onto Warsaw, Poland. We will arrive in Poland @11:35 am (4:35 am CST) on Wednesday, May 17^th. Some other things to pray for is that we would make our connecting flight in Amsterdam, with no delays. Pray that we would feel good and be able to sleep on the flights. We are planning on only checking one bag (ministry bag), so pray that we can fit it all in and not overweight.
Wednesday, May 17 – a short day in Poland. Pray that we would be able to get an Uber to our hotel with no issues. Pray that we could stay awake to help with the jetlag. Our plan is to walk around the city a little and then go to bed early. Pray for a good night’s sleep (usually not a problem). Pray for an extra sense of peace and calm as we get ready to start ministry the next day.
Thursday, May 18 – Vasily will pick us up in Poland between 11:00am-noon. It will be good to see him. We will probably not have a translator for the drive, so that will be interesting. We will begin our trek to Ukraine. Pray for safety in travel on the roads and pray for no issues as we go through customs at the border of Ukraine. We don’t know where we will be going in Ukraine. If we go to Irpin, Ukraine, that is a 10 hour and 15-minute drive, with no stops, so long day of travel.
Friday, May 19-Tuesday, May 23 – These 5 days we don’t have an idea what we will be doing. We be at church on Sunday. Rick will probably be preaching. Pray for good sleep at night. These first nights are hard with jetlag. Pray for peace when we sleep. In the past, this is when missiles are shot, so pray for peace as we sleep and that we would get good sleep. Pray for safety on the roads and no missile attacks. Pray for wisdom as we will have many meeting with pastors. Pray that the Holy Spirit will give us what we need to encourage them and to listen to them. Pray that we would be healthy with no sicknesses. Pray for wisdom as Rick preaches on Sunday, that God would give him the words he needs. Pray for our translator, Ghenadi, that he would be able to translate us clearly and effectively during our time there.
Wednesday, May 24 – Thursday, May 25 – We will be holding a conference for church planters and their wives. This will take place at a hotel in Kyiv. Potential Endeavors is sponsoring this, as we will pay for all expenses for the attendees. At the end of this document, there is a schedule of the conference and an overview of the content. Please pray that God would give us wisdom as we listen, encourage and train. There may be 20-30 couples attending.
Friday, May 26 – Tuesday, May 30 – Again, we don’t know what we will be doing in these 5 days. Pray from the same list above from May 19-23.
Wednesday, May 31 – travel from Ukraine to Warsaw, Poland. Pray for no difficulties at the border when we go through customs. This can take a very long time depending on what they decide at the border. Pray for a quick time through. Pray for safety on the road as it will be a long day of travel.
Thursday, June 1 – A day in Warsaw, Poland. Vasily wanted us to return to Poland on the 31^st in case there were delays getting through the border. So, that means a full day in Poland. Pray for a relaxing time as we will have a little time to debrief our trip. Pray that God would give us time to reflect, process and time to begin planning future trips to Ukraine.
Friday, June 2 – Travel day home. We leave Warsaw at 6:00 am (11:00 pm – June 1 – CST). Pray for no issues getting to the airport in the middle of the night. Pray for smooth connections as we travel through Amsterdam to get home. Pray that we would feel good for the travel day home. We arrive in MN at 2:40 pm.
After the trip: Pray that we can effectively summarize our trip and be able to communicate our time there. Pray that God would give up next steps as to what He wants us to do next after this trip.

Thank you in advance for praying us through this trip. We are very excited to go and have a great deal of anticipation. We know how important prayer is and view it as a vital part of our ministry. So, thank you for partnering with us by praying for us.

Beth & Rick

Schedule for conference in Kyiv for church planters and their wives

Wednesday, May 24

(All times are Ukraine time, which is 8 hours ahead of CST)

12:30- 4:30 pm – Arrival to hotel, lunch, and relaxation time.

4:30 – 6:30 pm – Meeting all together. We will get to know each couple, about their family and ministry. Rick will share a talk about vision, developing leaders and creating a “come and see” environment in their churches.

6:30 – 7:30pm – dinner

7:30- 9:00pm – Roman from the Baptist Union will present. His role at the Baptist union is to plant more churches. At the end, the pastors will take a test about church planting strategy. We will be meeting separately. Beth will meet with the women and have them share about their families and ministry. She will ask them questions and listen to them.

Thursday, May 25:

8:00-9:00am – Breakfast

9:00 -11:00 – Meet separately. The pastors will talk through the results of their test and share. Beth will talk with the women about the topic of Tips for your Physical, Spiritual and Emotional health as a pastor’s wife. Beth will also talk about the topic of conflict in the church and how to deal with that.

11:00-11:30 – Break to check out.

11:30-1:00pm – Meet together. Rick will have a prayer time with the pastors and again listen and encourage them.

1:00 – Lunch and goodbyes