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Alexander Moroz, 28, leads a growing congregation in Nizhnigorsk, Ukraine, oversees church planting efforts in his area, and teaches in a church planters training program. The 190 members of his congregation don’t all fit in the converted house where meetings are held, so some stand outside on Sunday mornings listening on loudspeakers. In the last three years, church leaders baptized 120 people and started 14 church plants in the surrounding region. All members of the church council are active in evangelism and working to plant new churches. Pulse correspondent Janice Lemke spoke to Moroz about planting churches in Ukraine.

What methods do the church planters use to start new groups? We look to see where the Holy Spirit is working and try to follow his leading. Usually, we try to start a church where there is someone seeking God. For example, in one village, there was only one woman who was a believer. She asked us to come help. Her son had accepted Christ in prison, so then there were two believers. They invited people to her home and now there is a house church there with 10 baptized believers. Sometimes church planters use a series of tracts and take them door to door as a way to make contacts and find out who is open. Some groups started after Child Evangelism Fellowship began groups in that village. The parents became open through their children.

More important than the method is that the church planter must feel called by God for this work and have the desire to reach people for Christ. We can try many different methods, but if the heart isn’t in it, it won’t be successful.

Most churches start as fellowship groups. Earlier we thought groups should be learning groups, but they died because new people felt stupid when they started coming and didn’t understand what the study was about. Now, believers invite people to fellowship groups where they drink tea, sing, and feel free to talk about problems. The leader says something from the Word of God; without that, it doesn’t meet needs, either. People have a great hunger inside and need food for their soul and hope.

Many of the older churches have a hard time reaching out to new people. Is that because of persecution during the Soviet era? No, that’s not it at all. The biggest problem is the accent of the teaching. They focus on dogma and discipline and trying to do everything right. The church loses its life. They give no teaching on the grace of God. Some people think this teaching about grace is something new, but it’s not. I’ve read biographies of men from different countries who ministered out of an understanding of God’s love. They had the same problem of churches that left the basics of the Gospel. Paul addressed the same issue in his letter to the Galatians— people thought they could satisfy God based on their works.

What do you do to encourage church planters and the members of your congregation to reach out? Christians need to understand that the church exists to serve the world, not itself; they need to understand the grace of God. Some people think of God as a God who wants this, this, and this; but they don’t see God as One who gives to us. If I understand God’s love, I want to serve others. If I live by the law, I am more concerned for myself, not the world. The church can get so concerned about things God isn’t concerned with. Some people are stuck in ruts. They don’t even think about where they should go, they just follow the ruts. When you don’t have ruts to follow it can be frightening. It takes more faith in God.

Starting and working with new churches is easier than people think. Many churches make Christianity too complicated. Paul in 1 Timothy 1:5, says the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. The basic gospel message is simple. When people see God for who he is, they will respond.

May 18, 2001