in the Former Soviet Union

A publication of tiie Clovernook/ Kherson Stiategic Partnership Team

Two Missionary
Families to

Depart for Ukraine

Two families have been chosen to be on-site
missionaries to Ukraine. The Alexander and

Gregory families have spent the first three

months of 1993 in Cincinnati, getting to know

the church family at Clovernook Christian

Church and raising support among other

churches.

Chris and Donna Alexander have three chil

dren. Chris graduated in 1983 with a BA. in

Missions from Johnson Bible College and com

pleted some postgraduate work at Cincinnati
Bible Seminary. The Alexanders are veteran mis
sionaries, having worked with the Zambia
Christian Mission from 1983-85 and 1986-89.
Chris served as Missions Minister at the

Florence Church of Christ from 1989 through

1990, then went back to Zambia until October

1992. Donna attended Johnson

Bible College as well, and has
taught literacy and other sub

March, 1993

The Gregorys are scheduled to leave for

Kherson at the end of March, and the
Alexanders in the summer.

These two on-field missionary families will be

working with both of Clovernook's partner
churches, the Kherson Evangelical Christan
Baptist Church (also called the Dom Molitve, or

"House of Prayer") and the Kherson Christian

Church. Their goals for the first year will be:
adjusting to living in their
new home;

learning the language and

culture;

developing relationships
with Ukrainian Christians

and non-Christians;
assisting the churches in

developing leaders, evange

lism, and awareness of mis
sions;

researching possible new

areas of ministry.

jects at several international

schools.

George and Geri Gregory

have two children. George was
the senior minister for more

than sbc years at the Ha2elwood

George arxJ Geri

Gregory, Nicole (8),
and Tlmmy(5)

Church of Christ near

Pittsburgh. The Gregorys will

have a terrific ability for building

strong relationships with the
Ukrainians. George's strengths
are teaching, preaching, and
evangelizing.

Chris ond Donna Alexander.

Not pictured: Ryan (6), Nichotas

(almost 4), and Vanessa (4 rrtontlis).

Kherson Church
Leaders Visit U.S.
Leaders from the Kherson churches spent

On a Short-Term

Missions Trip
Sbcth-grade teacher Rachel

three weeks with the Clovernook and Pickering-

Baldhoff has made two-week

ton churches. They stayed in members' homes,

met with groups from both churches, and spoke

trips to Kherson in 1991 and

at services. Their testimonies about Christian

Clovernook Christian

life in Ukraine moved and inspired everyone

Church. Her ministry was

who heard. These four leaders were among

teacher training, a great

those who visited.

need among the Ukrainian

churches, and she also par-

Ivan Gerasomovich Tsouman is the pastor

of the Dom Molitve. He and his wife Nadia are

"pensioners." They have three children and five

grandchildren. Ivan once held a prestigious job
as an^aircraft engineer, but was removed from

that job because of his Christian faith. For years,

Ivan and Nadia were part of the underground
church, which met in secret in the woods, print
ed illegal Christian literature, and risked much.
Ivan is also active in prison ministry.

Genia AnatoUvich Fedayev is married and

has a son and daughter. Genia was an alcoholic
before he became a Christian. He is well educat

i imiMiiiii

1992, with the groups from

J:
-.1

ticipated in the UkrainianAmerican Friendship Festival

with the children's program. '

The short-term missionaries used their pro
fessional backgrounds to make contacts (public
servants, professional people, business people),
tell why they had come, and invite them to the
Festival. There was a business group, a medical
group, and a teacher group.
The Festival was held on a Friday, Saturday,
and Sunday at the Ubilinie theater in Kherson.
Over 2000 people attended each night for films,

ed, an effective preacher, and is committed to

evangelism. His prayer group began paying his

salary, so that he could do full-time evangelistic
work in Kherson and the regional villages.
Genia PavloAdch Siney is the pastor of the
new Kherson Christian Church. He was raised in

an active Christian family from the Dom Molitve.

He and his wife Vera have seven children (they

live in a two-bedroom house). In September

1992 he quit his job at a shipbuilding plant to

work full time as pastor. Clovernook is paying

his salary for two years. Genia is a humble and

gifted servant of God, and is thoroughly knowl

Above: In the fofmer

Soviet Union, most people

travel by train because It

edgeable of the Bible.

Constantlne Ivanovich Slzov (Costia) and

is far less expensive ttxan

his wife Gallya were the first people baptized in

from Moscow to Wierson

the new Kherson Christian Church. Costia was a

ship's captain and now works as a navigator. He

speaks English and several other languages. He

gives much of his time serving as church man
ager. Costia and Gallya have a son, George, and
a newborn daughter, Vera.

flying. The 800-mile trip

takes about 25 txjurs,

leaving lots of time for

togettierness,

Right: St, Basifs Cattiedral

in Moscow, ft landmaiic

pertvaps best known to

Americarrs.

Partnership
is a quarterly newsletter published by the Clovcmook/Khcrson Strategic Partnership, c/o Clovernook Christian
Church, 1373 West Galbraith Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45231 Chairperson, Ralph W.Taylor Editor, Robert E. Korth.

Contributing Editors, Glen Elliott, Kathy Giske, Doug Lucas.Photos by Mike Rubush and Rachel Baldhoff.
The goal of this newletter is to inform churches and individuals about practical ministry opportunities in the
Ukraine, inviting them to become involved as a network of churches that seek to strengthen the existing
Ukrainian church and see it established among urtreachcd people.

IS*

Above: Food Is far

more pletitiful (ard

for more expensive)
at the open market
than It is in the

magazines, or staterun grocery stores,

ffifiyaY

Right: a back
street in Kherson.

Above: the children's

program of the
Ukrainian-American

Frierxiship Festival.
Left: One of the

W
1

preaching, and contemporary Christian music

from singer Jim Bush. On Sunday night, after a
full concert and a sermon by Glen Elliott, about
125 people made commitments to Jesus Christ.
Rachel had this to say about her missions
trips, especially the differences she observed the
second time she went:

"Psalm 66 says,'You will see great and won

drous works by the Lord.' I did.
"We had three nights oftraining, three hours
each night, with the ladies (and some men) of
both churches together. We took lots of teaching
material and spread it out for them to look at
and get excited about, and they did! The atmos
phere was like a room full of five-year-olds get
ting a visit from Santa Claus. It was electrifying.
"We gave a quick overview of how to use it,
and told them they could have all the material.

On the night before the festival, they decided

not to meet again, but to take the materials and
actually plan the festival themselves. There was
doubt among the Ukrainian women about how
wise we were to give them total control over the
material. Some people told me,'You'll never
see it again. It won't come back. They will take
it and hoard it.' But that was not true. They
planned beautifully. On Friday night they came
in with loads of preparations they had done on
Thursday. Fifty or seventy-five pictures hand

drawnthey didn't have copy machines. They

came up with ideas for how to make various

teacher training ses

sions held the week
before ttTe festival.

"We taught tt>em

how to work with Idds
how to tell stories

using fbnnelgraph,
different kinds of

pictures, arxJ so on.

crafts from what we had given them.

"On Friday night, a lady named Tamara who
worked with the younger children came to me,
and through a translator, said,'We [the two
churches] are often like this'she held her
hands far apart'but tonight we are like this'
she clasped her hands together. And it was obvi
ous that they were. They had done a wonderful
job. They took the ideas and materials wc gave

We told them they

could have ail the

materials." After that,

the Ukrainian teach
ers took the materials

and planned tt
children's program
themseivesi

them and tailored them to fit their children.

"Last year my impression of the Ukraine was

one of real spiritual depression. Everyone had a
sad look on his face; they seemed resigned to a
hard way of life that would never change. Many
faces looked the same this year, except for those
who had become Christians. They live the same

hard life, but they are a light! You can walk

down the streets of Kherson and identify the
Christians because they glow, they absolutely
glow. That has been the major difference from
last year to this year, because of the impact of
Christianity in the city of Kherson. The compari
son is unreal. It's awesome."

if you are interested

in rrxjking a shortterm missions trip to

Kt>erson, contact
Mike Rubush at
CioverrvDok Christian
Church. On tt^e next

page is a list of thie

kinds of opportunities
for service for short-

Rachel plans to make a more extended visit

this coming summer.

term misslorxiries, as

well as for missionary

"senders" at txxne.

Help Wanted
HELP WANTED

Freedom Form

FUNDING

CHRISTIAN
EDUCATION

es. Also ask God to

tielp ttiem adopt to a

A 50,000-ocre )oint

Pfojects In progress

ventue ogrlciJtural

(researched ond/or

project

four lAraintan ministry

strar^ new cultue

end way of life, espe

Interns

cially threir children.

Finarctal support of
Teoc her Training

ImpJementedj in
Training for Bible

Kherson:
Junior Achievement

JA. branch In
Khterson

BUSINESS

Clovemook Christian

school teachers In

Training of Ukrainian

Ask God to tielp ottier

Kherson(summer,

missionaries

congregations form
strategic partnerships

Leadership training by
TCM (Taking Christ to
ttie Mllllor^s) In VietYKa

with chuches in ottier

1993)

Providing Chrtsttan llt-

Fourxiation

eratue and Bibles

Establishment of a

Christian Publl8hir>g

businesses In Kherson,

Starting a Christian
publishing business In

now doing research

KhersOT

mobile medical unit

in Kherson; funding is

and business teach

ers to teoch In the

needed for on-site

ejqaerrses.

to work among ttie

refugee villages of

In Kherson,

YOU CAN HELP

ers, teachers, doctors, nurses, medical

technicians, financial supporters, and prayer

warriors. Some are simple enough for any
Christian. Others are demanding enough for
the strongest church. All are significant.
If you would like to know more about
missions work in the former Soviet Union,
please call or write:
Ralph W. Taylor, Chairperson

MEDICAL

:irKlnnatl. OH 4523V^
(513)522-7707

the Crimean Totar.

Support for two mis

sionary families vrix)

Pray for the goverrv

vrill live in Kherson arxj

ttie ottier repctolics of

tielp vrtth leadership

the former Soviet

ment of Ukraine and

troining (arxf a third

Urrfon, so that wtiatev-

family to join them

later)

er tiappens, ttie
church can continue

to grow freely.
Mobile Medical Unit

New church buildings

This unit vrill assist tt>e

Kherson churches In

doing evangelism
among the Crimean
Tatar. There Is a need

PRAYER NEEDS
Ask God to biess the

for both funding arxt

work of tlie Alexander

staffing.

and Gregory families

Those interested in

obtaining information
about other possible
strategic partnerships,
contact

as they prepare to
Medicines Needed

Clovernook / Kherson Strategic Partnership

1373 West Galbralth Rd.

Pray for ttie funding

and staffing of a

TCM satellite brarxjh

buslrTess high school

The opportunities on this page are for busi

ness people, farmers, young people, publish

Ukrainian cities.

Requests for English

A nonprofit founda

tion to develop local

ships with tTre ctujrch-

For thechurcties in
Kherson and the
medical unit,

leave for UkrairTe. Pray

for family medical
needs, that housing
will be foixrd, arxi
ttrat God vrill lead

them to the right fam

ilies to bond with arxj

Doug Lucas
Crimean Tatar
Consortium Coordinator
P.O. Box 4100

Cincinnati, OH 45204
1-800-447-0800

begin tiieir relatton-

Partnership

NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S, POSTAGE

Clovernook Christian Church

PAID

1373 West Galbraith Rd.

Cincinnati, OH 45231

CINCINNATI, OHIO
PERMIT NO, 8178

Norman Weaver, Editor

Horizons Magazine
P.O. Box 2427

Knoxville, TN

37901

A publication of ftie Clovefnook / Kherson Stioteglc Partnership Team

First Impressions
The Alexander family arrived in Kherson on
July 23rd. This is part of a letter dated the 27th
from Donna to their shepherding group at
Clovernook.

"Greetings from the Ukraine. 1 am finally

here. It was good to meet all the people I have
heard about for so long. And yes, these people
are as wonderful as Chris told me they would
be
Our apartment is a pretty nice size, clean,
and I love it. There were many visitors with gifts
of food, and such nice fruits for us. Now just to
be able to talk to them fluently.
"This trip was the hardest one I have ever
taken. Going back and forth to Zambia five
times was nothing to this.
"Sunday was a great day. We went to the KCC
[Kherson Christian Church] in the morning and
were welcomed warmly. Chris preached and
was received well. The service was very upbeat,
and I even knew some of the songs from listen
ing to the Russian tapes! At night we went to the
Dom Molitve, the more conservative church,

and we were very welcomed there too. The ser

vice is much different, yet so special in its sin
cerity and even it slowness. We will enjoy both
these churches.

"I like the area I live in, not in the middle of

the city but on an island very close. Though it's
not a pretty placethe streets are dirty, the
smells not so pleasant.
"Traveling everywhere is a major event. They
were right a hundred times over about the trol
ley buses! It takes both Chris and I pushing and
pulling to get all of us on at the same time.
"The boys are having a difficult time. I know
they'll adjust but I wanted it to be quick. When
we walk, which is most of the time, they still

September, 1993

cling to me and show signs of being afraid. In

the end they will be stronger for the experience.
"As for me, I have the overwhelming feeling
that I am right where I am supposed to be now
and I will be happy here. Life here will not be
easy but marked by continual reliance upon the
Lord and His people for strength."
During the first week
there, Chris met with the

leadership of both church

es to talk about the service
areas he will be involved

in. Not long after that, his

calendar began to fill up.
He preaches on a regular
basis at both churches,

and has taken part in local

evangelistic rallies (as an American, he's the
main attraction). He was scheduled to speak at
the Air Force and Army bases. He and Donna
have also begun hosting a Bible study group for
married couples from the KCC.
Language learning continues to be difficult
for the whole family. All of them have been tak
ing language lessons with Larisa, their language
teacher. At present, Ryan is doing the best. He
likes his classes and is learning rapidly. He and
Nicholas have been getting over their shyness
and making some friends. Vanessa has not been
trying to learn Russian, but she is almost walk
ing and learning to like homemade baby food.
Their address:

UKRAINE

YKpanHa
325021 r. XepcoH
yji. flopo4)eeBa fl. 10 kb. 30
AnexaHflep, Xpnc

Donna, Chris, and

children Ryan (6),

Nicholas (4), and

Vor>sso (9 months)
Please pray for their

ability to team the

language, famity
health, and help In

developing relation
ships that will enable
Chris and Donna to

find their ploce of

service in both
churches.

VNikokiyev =

y'iS

Melitopd =

Valley
Vc
View, Delia:

strategic

Eastslde,FuIlerton

\Clovefnook, Cincinnati
\

Partnership
What Is It?
A Strategic Partnership is more than a "sister
church" relationship or an agreement to work
together. It is a long-term relational commit
ment, combining the best strengths each partner
church has to offer, to achieve mutual goals.

Simferopol =
Southeast, Louisville

(tentative)

is

Above: Several partnerships have been formed between

an intentional relationship between two church

American Christian churches and Ukrainian churctves.

Not shown: Ktiarkov = Madeira/Mason, CIncirTnati

es in Kherson and Clovernook Christian Church

for mutual involvement in evangelism and crosscultural missions. The goal of this partnership is
to strengthen the Ukrainian churches so that
they will expand their evangelistic efforts, specif
ically to reach the Crimean Tatar.
The partner churches focus on an evangelistic
model found in Acts 1:8, reaching out to their
Jerusalem (Kherson), their Judea (the Kherson

Oblast or region), their Samaria (the Crimean

Tatar), and the ends of the earth.
For a wide base of support, we seek to devel
op a network of interested churches to help with
the many aspects of the partner relationship. For

what a networking church is and does,see

below and the profile of one such church on
the next page.
They are involved in ongoing, not just one
time, participation.

They have had people visit the field, or are

planning to do so.
They participate to some degree in all of the
following ways: prayer, finances, and work
They work with and keep in contact with the
partnering church.

Right:
A diagram of the
Clovemook/Kherson

strategic partnership,

Networking

Ukraine

Churches

Network
Pickcr-

wtTO is involved, and

trow it works.

Networking churches in the

Kherson Project include:

Church

ington
erson

Anaheim

Evangelical
Christian

Evangelism
Parkside

Indian
Creek

Clovernook

Partner

Christian
Church

Churches

Church

City of

Kherson

Kherson

Oblast

Kherson
Christian
Church
Your

church!

Network
Church

Pickerington Christian Church,

Pickerington, OH
First Christian Church,
Anaheim, CA
Parkside Christian Church,
Anchorage,AK
Indian Creek Christian Church,
Indianapolis, IN

Partnership
is a quarterly newsletter published by the Clovemook/Kherson Strategic Partnership, c/o Clovernook
Christian Church, 1373 West Galbraith Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45231. Chairperson, Ralph W.Taylor. Editor,

Robert E. Korth. Contributing Editors, Glen Elliott, Kathy Giske, Doug Lucas.Photo (p. 1)by Mike Rubush;
by Richard Briggs.

The goal of this newsletter is to inform churches and individuals about practical ministry opportunities in the
Ukraine, inviting them to become involved as a network of churches that seek to strengthen the existing
Ukrainian church and see it established among unreached people.

A Networking
Church
Members of Pickeririgton
Chrlstion Church with school

supplies for Khersor^ churches.

Pictured (l.-r.) John Chtesnut,

Judy Conti, Steve Rouch,and

(^nio Siney, mir^ster of the

Kherson Christion Chuch.

When the Kherson project began,John Chesnut was minis

ter at a brand-new congregation in Pickerington, Ohio, a sub
urb of Columbus. He and his wife Ruth had served for sbc

months in 1986 with TOM (Taking Christ to the Millions) in

several eastern European countries, so Ukraine seemed like
an excellent place for missions work for their new church.
Now three years old and having reached
130 in attendance, the Pickerington church
is strongly active in its community as well
as missions. Their missions budget is 12%
of their general budget, with over half
going to the Kherson project.

Four people from Pickerington went

on the first short-term missions trip to
Kherson in 1991, and three went in 1993:

John Chesnut, Minister; Steve Rauch,

Church Treasurer, and Judith Conti,
Children's Ministry Leader. They have built
friendships that continue on with gifts, let
ters, prayers, and even a return visit last
fall from the Ukrainian church leaders dur

ing their stay in the U.S.

When they went this year, the travelers had a lot of extra

Networking Church Conference

at Clovernook Christian Church,
Cincinnati, Ohio

February 12,1994
Mark your caiendarsi

luggage. With the help of Gayle Healin and others, local doc
tors and pharmacies donated $20,000 worth of antibiotics
and over-the-counter medicines for them to take to Kherson.

(Kherson hospitals have almost nothing in the way of drugs

and medical supplies that we would consider commonplace
in the U.S.) There they were distributed by Christian doctors

at a Kherson hospital. In addition, Jo Portzline and Althea Joy,

Gregory Family Moves

to Simferopol
George and Geri Gregory and children left
Kherson for Simferopol on July 28, to begin
working there directly with the Crimean Tatars.
The goal and strategy of the Kherson
Partnership Team has been to give a vision to
the Ukrainians and train them to be cross-cul

tural missionaries among the Tatars. George

does not see his abilities and desires matching
this approach; instead, he prefers to work
direcdy with the Tatars.
We cannot continue to oversee their work

because our resources are committed to the two

churches in Kherson, with whom we are part

ners. The Gregorys will now be under the over

sight of Team Expansion. We ask God's blessing

on George and Geri and family, and wish them
success in their new work.

teachers at local elementary schools, organized the children

in donating money, school supplies, and seeds.
The Pickerington church plans to do it again this Novem
ber, only on a larger scale. The State Department, through
the Fund for Democracy and Development, will ship (for
free) a forty-foot container of food and medical supplies to
any city in the former Soviet Union. The Pickerington church
is trying to fill one such container. Besides going to local
businesses and individuals, they are looking for other church
es who can contribute (for details, see page 4).

Pickerington's emphasis on community involvement has

helped it grow both in numbers and in reputation. The
church sends a newsletter to 5000 adresses in its community,

telling about the church and its work in Ukraine.

John also contacts local newspapers for publicity. He
encourages other churches to do the same, and publicize pro
jects like this or other benevolent projects in your local
papers. It helps, he says, to show that churches are involved
in their communities and in the world, and not just turned
inward. "I've been really pleased with all the coverage. They
only got a few little things wrong, and you can't buy that kind
of good publicity."

Personals

Help Wanted

PERSONALS

HELP WANTED

First Crimean Tatar

Ctirlstlan

Russian, orxt Tatar, and

now works with missionaries

term missions trip to

as an interpreter and iarv

A Tatar woman has

accepted Jesus Christ as

guage heiper.

her Lord and Savior in

She was one of those to

August in Simferopd, ttie

taik to ou short-term grojp

first Crimean Tatar to do

in 1991 about the Tatars,

their exile, and their return
home to Crimea, ond she

so to our knowledge.
Because of possible
opposition from iTer
Muslim family and friends,

For Debbie Schneider

orxj for the Renntes, who

Individuals in the partrrership network are invited to

take part in ttTe next short-

She speaks Engiish,

has been witnessing to

ott>er Crimean Tatars in

her decision to become

some of the refugee set

a Christian remains a pri

tlements around Simfero

vate one for now.

pol.

Kherson in June 1994. For

information contact Mike

Rubush, c/o Ciovemook

Christian Church

the minister of the Dom

forty-foot container) to send to Kherson fa

distribution. Their target date fa shipping Is

the first week in November.

36 Lynette Dr.

PIckerlngton, OH 43147
Telephone (614)833-4900

For Ctieryi Truebtood,

having returned to Ukraine

that serves tt^e KtTerson

August 15 after time spent

Strategic Partnership.

language learning in the

Club on ttie campus of

U.S. Stie leads the Ctvistian

Molitve, has long been

Kherson Christian Church,

the Kherson area. He has

recovering health after the

asked us to provide self

birth of tt>eir eighth child.

ttie Pedagogical institute.

For the growth of new
Christians, especially

-among ttieOrimeoa TqIol-

For Oiga Kudryovtseva's

For ttie worsening eco

12-year-old son Lyosha,

who has had two surgeries

nomic and political situa

of a source for such mate

and is critically ill. Oiga is a

professor at the Pedagog

countries that were a part

rials, please contact Ralph

W. Taylor c/o Clovernook.

ical institute.

of the Soviet Union.

Alexander family

tion in Ukraine and other

Building Project

PRAYER REQUESTS

language learning.

Ukraine, you need onty ship or bring them to

PIckerlngton Christian Church

irtdivlduals within churches,

to be part of the network

The leadership of the Dom Molitve Is asking

for funding to build a larger church building

If you have items of this type to send to

John Chesnut

1991-2.

to recruit churches, and

active in prison ministry in

tribute funds or if you know

fa more Information, contact

For new partrrerships to

For Vera Siney, wife of

Genia Siney, minister of the

prison, if v^u wish to cotv

PIckerlngton Christian Church Is seeking to

collect 0 large amount of medical supplies
and non-perishable food (enough to fill a

ministry in ttie Kherson

churches, continuing the
work done by Det^e in

be formed, and for efforts

study or correspondence- course Bible study materi

Medical Supplies Needed

plan to develop a deaf

The Gregory family in ttieir

new ministry in Simferopol.

Ivan Gerasamovich,

als in Russian for those in

PIckerlngton.

Prayer

Famiiy health. Nicholas's

eye hod surgery before

they left, but it has not
completely Improved, it
may mean a trip back to
the U.S. for furthier surgery

on land donated to It by the government.

Clovernook Christian Church, along with ttie
Central Valley Baptist Association In Californta,

who are also working in Kherson, are support

ing this project financially and are looking for
others who wish to help.

ot a future date.

For ftieir adjustment to a

new life and culture.
For Chris and the leaders

please contact
Ralph W. Taylor
c/o Clovernook Christian Church

of both churches as they

1373 West Galbralth Rd.

seek to develop ministry

Cincinnati, OH 45224

areas for him.

NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE

Clovernook Christian Church

1373 West Galbraiih Rd.

PAID

Cincinnati, OH 45231

CINCINNATI, OHIO
PERMIT NO.8178

Mr. Norman Weaver, Editor

Horizons Magazine
P.O. Box 2427

Knoxville, TN

37901