Open Heart Church, Ukraine: Update Autumn 2025
As a family of Scottish Baptist churches we support Open Heart Church, Ukraine, which is led by Pastor Yura Fedoryuk, who serves there with his wife Nina and children Emiliya & Benjamin.
We would encourage you to read and pray for this challenging yet growing ministry of our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, I have included some extracts below and you can find the full report here: Ukraine Update, Nov 2025
EBF Ukraine Christmas Appeal. Hope Heats Ukraine.
: Hear more from Alan hereYura Fedoryuk shares:
“By God’s grace, both my family and our ministry team are doing well. We continue to face challenges, but we also see God’s faithfulness every day. Your prayers and support give us strength to move forward with hope and courage.
Regarding our team: Today our team is going through a challenging season, connected to the war and the difficulties faced by men in particular. Our team consists of 8 people, 3 of them are men. 2 of them were required to take jobs in government institutions in order to receive deferments and avoid being sent to the frontline. These circumstances have significantly affected the rhythms of our team’s work and meetings. As a result, I had to take on part of the responsibilities that had previously been assigned to them.
The reality of the ongoing war brings a deep sense of fatigue and emotional weariness. Many people in our church and team carry heavy burdens- concern for family members at the front, constant news of losses, and the instability of daily life. This affects our energy and focus, and sometimes it feels like we are running a marathon without knowing where the finish line is.
We see His faithfulness in small everyday things, and this gives us hope to keep moving forward. This Bible verse is a good reminder: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
Please pray for our team, that God would renew our strength, protect our hearts from discouragement, and give us wisdom to continue leading the church in these difficult times.
We have seen God’s hand at work in many powerful ways. During the challenges of war, God continues to transform lives through our church. We have seen Him bring comfort and healing to women and mothers of fallen heroes, who found hope and strength in Christ after deep grief. We have seen Him restore veterans and their marriages through a special retreat and a full Marriage Course. We have seen Him draw teenagers closer to Himself during our youth retreat, where many said it was a turning point in their faith. And through our Sport Kids football academy, we have witnessed how God uses something as simple as football to open the hearts of children and their families to the Gospel.
Again and again, God is showing us that even in times of crisis, His Kingdom continues to grow, and new people are being reached with His love.
“I would like to share the story of Ana* (38), who lost her husband (39) and was left alone with two daughters- the same age as my own children.
Ana came to the firstmeeting completely closed off. She did not smile, did not talk, and remained very quiet. However, with each gathering, her heart slowly began to soften and open up. After just a few meetings, Ana looked completely different: she could smile, she was ready to hug others, and she began to share about herself and her life. At the last meeting, Ana said something that deeply moved us all:
“I want to thank Open Heart Church for bringing me back to life. It has been a year and a half since I lost my husband, and during all this time I was not living—I was merely existing. I couldn’t even bring myself to put away his clothes or take care of our yard. After these meetings, I feel like I have begun to live again. I realized how much still needs to be done, that I must keep going, care for my daughters, accept my new reality, and move forward. Your encouragement and the stories from the Bible gave me hope that God has not abandoned me but will help me walk through this loss. He will take care of everything. I am starting to live again.”
*name changed for confidentiality
