"Before attending my first ‘Bible Study for the Non-Religious,’ I had read The Antichrist by Friedrich Nietzsche," Vanya recalls. This fierce critique of Christianity bolstered his own worldview as an atheist, however, he was still intrigued by the idea of studying the Bible with the new friends he’d met at the Steiger Community Place in Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine. "I thought to myself: Well, well, now we're going to study the Bible..."

His first Bible study planted a seed of doubt in what Vanya had previously believed. After connecting with the Steiger team in July, he never missed a gathering. He grew more and more interested in Jesus, and then he started coming to church. In October, he prayed a prayer of repentance. Now he is part of the core Steiger team and preaches at their evangelistic services! He spends all his time for the Gospel – he even left his job.

Polina, who had been practicing black magic, recently connected with the Steiger team in Khmelnytskyi. After attending one of their Bible studies, she shared that she was leaving black magic behind. Instead, she decided to start reading the Bible and seeking God, saying she felt a deep sense of freedom and acceptance there.

God is moving in incredible ways through the Steiger Community Place in Khmelnytskyi. Every Thursday, 30-40 non-religious young people gather to learn about the person of Jesus. In recent months, 2-3 young people from this "Bible Study for the Non-Religious" have been giving their lives to Jesus every week, and joining the local church. Then, they go out with the Steiger team to preach the Gospel on the streets and reach those they were just like not long ago.

Steiger Missionary Valera shared, “God is doing something amazing in Khmelnytskyi, a movement that He has started. Young people have a spiritual thirst! They want answers to existential questions. And the answer is in the Bible, and His name is Jesus.”

Our teams operate eight Community Places like the one in Khmelnytskyi across Ukraine. They host art exhibitions, music evenings, workshops, and parties to build community and connect with young people. From there they invite them to "Bible Studies for the Non-Religious," where the core discipleship process happens.

Three years ago today, the lives of millions changed forever when Russia invaded Ukraine. Our Steiger teams remain dedicated to raising up a missionary movement that will reach young people like Vanya and Polina and send missionaries to the ends of the earth!

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Steiger Ukraine in 2024:

• 47,000 heard the Gospel
• 521 attended discipleship follow-up meetings and Bible studies
• 1,326 believers mobilized and trained to reach secular culture
• 8 active Community Places
• City Teams or MVMTs in 17 cities

As the war continues, our Steiger Ukraine teams have also persevered in humanitarian work in the areas closest to the conflict. They are delivering food and aid to civilians in frontline villages, while also sharing the Gospel with them.

They support the military through initiatives like the “Soul Kitchen Project,” travelling with a large grill to soldiers in the trenches. As our teams cook and eat with the soldiers, they create an atmosphere of trust that allows them to share the Gospel and pray together. They’ve also distributed thousands of MP3 players loaded with audio Bibles so that soldiers can listen to God’s Word, especially when they are not allowed to carry phones.

Recently, the team saw the need for waterproof Bibles for soldiers. One soldier, after accepting Jesus, carried his Bible in his pocket, but it was ruined by water and mud in the trenches, eventually becoming unreadable.

Steiger Missionary Valera shared, “This deeply troubled us, so we decided to create waterproof Bibles to protect God’s Word.” Now, after a year, he holds Ukraine’s first waterproof Bible. In partnership with Biblica and Bridges of Hope, the team has developed and printed 20,000 copies.

Please continue to pray for endurance and safety for Steiger’s people in Ukraine as they persevere in reaching the Global Youth Culture during wartime. You can also support Steiger Ukraine financially by clicking the button below.