Well…at least the “Go” part is accurate! I’m not sure we are really “ready” or “set” for the new school year, but it’s here! So, maybe a better title would be, “ready or not, here I come!”
Our first week back was a whirlwind. We began with 3 days of training in our faculty In-Service followed by the first week of classes. The second weekend, we had an all-day planning meeting (9 am to 8 pm!)
with our church. Needless to say, we have a lot happening already—and we have a lot of decisions to make regarding ministries in the coming year. Be praying for us as we consider what the Lord would have us to do.
During our faculty In-Service, I realized again how the Lord has used our ministry here through the years. In one of our “ice-breaker” segments, we got together with other faculty members to share how God led us to come to teach at KTS. I was paired with two of our faculty and their stories were typical of most of our Ukrainian faculty. Both men had been students in my classes. Now they are not only professors; but both of them are Directors for our Programs! And they are not the only ones. We have 10 of my former students currently teaching or in adminsitrative leadership here at the seminary. Additionally, a number of my students have started Bible Schools in other parts of Ukraine. They are all inviting me to come and teach – so I need to find some time to come and help them out too!
Additionally, we have many students involved in planting new churches and others serving in established churches and 
ministries. In addition to our degrees in Biblical Studies, Christian Education and Youth Ministry, we also have chaplaincy and missions programs. Our chaplaincy program is very unique in Ukraine since Ukraine does not even officially have chaplains. Our students and graduates serve as chaplains in the military, prisons, hospitals, orphanages, and rehabilitation centers. Most of them do so without any pay, but simply as volunteers. And they do so often under much persecution.
Our ministries focus on training and equipping future leaders for Ukraine and the former Soviet Union republics. This is one of the unique opportunities that we have as a seminary. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kiev Theological Seminary has been training people from Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Moldova, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, the Czech Republic and Romania. Not only are we able to train students from these countries, a number of our students are going back into these countries to share the gospel and plant churches where most Americans and Europeans cannot go easily. Many of our graduates are serving in places where persecution is still very high (One student was recently arrested and subsequently released from prison in Uzbekistan). One student will be going to China this fall (he just left yesterday)!
In addition to these programs, we offer fully accredited Masters Degrees in Biblical Studies (through Talbot Seminary), Youth Ministry (YMI, connected with Southern Seminary in Louisville), and Biblical Counseling (through National Association of Nouthetic Counseling). It is amazing to see how God has used our efforts in seminary education over the last 15 years!
This Fall …
I will be teaching Christology, Soteriology and Contemporary Issues in Theology (Talbot class). I’ve taught these a couple of times but I still have a lot to prepare for. In our personal ministries, we are planning to be involved in English Clubs as a means of evangelism and outreach. We are praying about starting a ministry to teens using English also. Please pray with us as we consider the possibilities of this ministry. We also plan to do some ministry to the growing number of married couples in our church. We are thinking about hosting some Bible studies about biblical families. But all of this is still in the planning (and praying) stages.
Be praying for Katya also. Her job as registrar is very busy and she knows the position very well. When she is absent, everyone misses her. This fall, she will be involved in finding and training someone to replace her when she is on maternity level next spring.
Good News!
In case you missed the announcement in last month’s newsletter: We are expeceting a baby! We’ve been praying about this for the last year so this is a real answer to prayer! We found out just before coming to the states. In the states, one of my children paid for us to have a 3D ultrasound just before we returned. Now we know that we are having a girl! But we are both excited about all the changes this will bring in our life. She is due January 23rd and we would appreciate your prayers as we get nearer to that date. It will be a very busy spring!
Russian …
I’m still working on Russian. I continue to get better at understanding and I’m even carrying on some conversations in Russian but I still have a lot to learn! My language studies are squeezed into what little free time I have left! Still, I am making progress but I realize that fluency is a long ways away. I’m considering taking some classes at the National Linguistics University this year. It will really stretch my time but it might be the best thing for my studies at this point. I’ll find out more about this program later this week.
Thank you again for your support and prayers! We have a very busy fall (and lots to get ready for before the baby comes in January!). Thanks for praying for us!
By His Grace,
Jim and Katya
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