LOVE UKRAINE

The Table, Pattern Church Swindon

LOVE UKRAINE Reviving Communities

Andriy, Yuliia and Tetiana, Love Ukraine team Andriy, Yuliia and Tetiana moved from Ukraine to London, and are now working on the Love Ukraine Campaign. They share their experiences of how Ukrainian refugees have been cared for by the UK Church.

When war broke out in his country, Andriy Kopylash, then National Director of Alpha Ukraine, was studying in the UK. No-one was better placed or qualified to help Love Your Neighbour with Love Ukraine, a new initiative linking Ukrainians fleeing the war with Network churches and host families. Seconded from his role at Alpha to lead the UK Love Ukraine campaign, and now living with a family in London, Andriy has been amazed by the UK response to the war.

‘Ordinary people don’t open their homes to strangers’, Andriy insists, ‘It just doesn’t happen. This is not normal, your response is crazy! We’re being treated like family and welcomed into your church communities with open arms. It’s exciting to see how God is touching your hearts and what he’ll do through this.’ ‘Having been a Church Pastor in Ukraine, I know how hard it is to reach Ukrainians with the message of Christianity. Yet here in the UK we are experiencing the Gospel of Jesus in action with no need for words. When the war ends and we are able to return home, we will all be changed because of this.’

When living in Kyiv, Yuliia Levchenko ran her own travel agency and Tetiana Havryliuk was an accountant. After fleeing their homes, both women were linked with host families in London by Andriy. Now working with him for Love Ukraine, they support and help other Ukrainians coming to the UK. ‘Living through a war is very painful’, Yuliia shares, ‘We’ve lost our homes, we’ve lost relatives. When men are sent to the front, families are broken up, and our women and children are forced to flee’. Describing the significance of the role of the Church, Yuliia says, ‘The UK Church has taken the Ukrainian crisis very seriously and our community has been strengthened by your response. It’s given us confidence we will survive the war and return home to a peaceful Ukraine.’ As well as opening their homes, host families are playing a crucial role in helping Ukrainians settle. Sharing her experience with a family from HTB, Tetiana Havryliuk says, ‘I’ve been very blessed by a Christian couple who’ve welcomed me into their home. They are very supportive, hospitable, and include me in their lives by inviting me to spend time with their family and friends and to go to church together.’

Reviving Communities LOVE UKRAINE

The Table at Pattern Church, Swindon ‘There’s a real buzz and sense of relief as newcomers to our Hub find others facing similar challenges who speak their language. Arriving for the first time, they often look tense and nervous; but leave smiling, with the bunches of flowers we’ve been giving out. Mums who come with their young children get a break and the opportunity to chat over coffee and cake, while their children enjoy craft activities. More practically we’ve been able to help with CV preparation and job-hunting. Soon we hope to be starting English lessons. Wanting to create a space for deeper conversations, we’re hosting a supper club and will be serving traditional Ukrainian dishes cooked by people from our community, including one family’s Grandmother’s borscht recipe. It’s been so exciting to have this opportunity to bless others, build connections and experience God’s provision of everything we need.’

Love BEYOND Our Walls

Across the Network, churches have been caring for Ukrainian refugees in their communities. Here’s a snapshot of what’s been going on…

UKRAINIAN SANCTUARY PROJECT Holy Trinity, Hastings

‘Our heart is to foster a sense of calm and create a safe space where friendships and community can be built. One couple who come to our Sanctuary Café every week, and who are now part of our church family, describe being “Welcomed with open arms, given support and shown love” by our church community. It’s been humbling to see both the resilience of our Ukrainian guests and how many people in our community have rallied round to help. The opportunity to host too has had a profound impact. One of our church members, whose husband died just over a year ago, describes having a Ukrainian couple live with her family as “One of the most enriching experiences” of her life and says “Already we feel a bond as strong as family. We are both exactly what the other needs at this time in our lives”.’

Pattern Church, Swindon took Ukrainian refugees to a beach

HTB Love Ukraine

THE TABLE Pattern Church, Swindon

‘Every Tuesday evening our church is transformed into a Ukrainian community hub as we continue to work in partnership with a range of organisations, including the local borough council. It’s been a joy welcoming Ukrainians and their host families to the Table as they bring and share food and eat together, making friends and building community. One Ukrainian guest describes how she believes this is creating a feeling of such “Unity in the Ukrainian community in Swindon".

Over the summer we were able to run some day trips away, including one to Bournemouth where one retired couple, who were made refugees for a second time after fleeing the 2014 Russian invasion of parts of Donetsk, were just so overjoyed to see the sea again and led the way into the water with great joy. One woman said it is like, “part of our healing”.’

Mother and daughter at HTB Love Ukraine