Many people in Ukraine have lost their homes, schools, and even families. But there is one element that has kept them grounded – the gospel – their only sense of permanence.
Eric Mock, Vice President of Slavic Gospel Association (SGA), shared his experience teaching in a seminary in Ukraine that had been previously hit by 30 mortar rounds. The building turned into an inferno, and there were only three rooms that survived unscathed – the library, worship room, and a fellowship room – where not even the smell of smoke was present.
In the United States, church is generally associated with Sundays. But in the Ukraine, church is not just Sundays, it’s every day. They don’t talk about attending church, they recognize that they are the church. A spirit of joy is rising in their hearts despite the destruction of all they have known.
As the war reaches three years, it’s encouraging to see SGA being used in such powerful ways by the Lord. Ukrainians are not forgotten, even as media attention fades.
But the need for humanitarian aid such as generators, coal, and wood is great; and these resources have been funneled through the churches. According to Mock, this strategy has brought an estimated 2.2 million people into the church who have never heard the gospel.
Aid centers that commonly serve as churches throughout Ukraine provide resources, light, phone charging, and the gospel message. Eric Mock reports that SonSet Solutions’ Solar Ministry Toolkits have helped to sustain these places, so they can continue to be havens of hope where people are hearing the gospel.
In the midst of the war, the Lord has allowed tragedy to turn into triumph, and the Ukrainian church is thriving.
By Bella Kratzer, February 2026