Teaching and Admonishing … (February 2018 Update)
Last month, I traveled to Lviv, Ukraine to spend a week teaching theology sections at Ukrainian Baptist Seminary. I had 57 students so my week was full – but my heart was fuller! It was a great joy to be involved in teaching these leaders for the church of Ukraine. I am reminded that teaching one another the Word of God is the task of every believer (though maybe not in the same way). In Colossians 3:16, Paul tells us: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” What a joy it has been to be able to teach the Word here in Ukraine! Here are some highlights from last month in our lives and ministry.
Teaching Theology in Lviv …
Last week, I taught theology to 57 students in Lviv. This was only about half the class because they didn’t have room for more to be in the same class. So a second section (smaller number of students) is meeting this week with another professor. This new seminary in Lviv is really growing quickly. They purchased some land with an old building last fall that they will be remodeling into classroom space over the next couple of years. It has been a real joy to see this school growing and to see how eager these students are to learn and minister!
I was able to teach 3 sections of theology: The Doctrine of Man, the Doctrine of Sin, and Christology. There were many special moments in each section that showed how important these classes are to these students. They had many questions, and their questions were not purely theological in nature but mostly practical – how to handle related situations in their churches, their families and in outreach. For example, in the Doctrine of Man, we spent 2 hours on the doctrine of creation (too short but that’s all the time we had). The students were especially interested in some scientific and biblical answers to the theory of evolution which is taught by law here in Ukraine (they were surprised to know that evolution is required in public schools in the US also). So we talked about problems in the fossil record, problems with polystrate fossils (fossilized trees covering millions of years of geological strata), DNA issues and other problems with Scientific Evolution. After these lectures, a few students said this information was especially helpful to them since they had scientific backgrounds and wondered how science and the Bible could be related.
When we discussed the Doctrine of Sin, we covered many interesting topics but the topic on the problem of Evil was especially interesting for the students. We discussed the many theories about the problem of evil and theodicy, and it helped them to see the various answers that have been presented on this difficult topic. Then we spent another hour talking about the Religious Problem of Evil or how we can handle suffering and pain in our lives. I talked especially about how a biblical view of suffering teaches us to give all the glory to God. A number told me afterwards that they really needed to hear this topic for their own lives.
In the Christology class, we discussed the various heresies about the nature of Christ and the deity of Christ. Especially helpful were the sections on the Atonement and what Jesus accomplished for us by His death. The final day, the students divided into groups and had to give a creative presentation explaining and applying one of the doctrines we studied during the week. The presentations were very good, very interesting, and most provided clear applications to the doctrines we studied. It was a great ending to a great class.
Even though each day was great with discussions and lectures, the class was very difficult for me having 57 students. In this class, I have the students write a 1-page paper every evening. So I was grading about 57 papers every night until about 2 am in the morning (I like to give students immediate feedback). I was so tired that when I returned home, I slept for nearly 2 days (except for meals). I’m still pretty tired even 4 days later. But it was a joy to be able to teach so many who will be servants for the Lord!
Family Update …
Here are a few pictures from January. Probably the crowning event was Kristina turning 4 (and Katya’s grandmother turning 90!). We had a party at a favorite restaurant and enjoyed celebrating both events together. Kristina is growing into a very smart and funny girl. She keeps us laughing with all her jokes and she amazes us with her observations about the world around us. Not much gets past this girl!
Both our girls are a real joy to be around. They are playing together more and that is really fun to watch. Nadia is talking more and more and growing up quickly too. Katya has her driver’s license but she’s still learning to drive. So most of the time Katya starts off driving and then we switch. One of the first times we did this, the girls were very quiet when momma was driving. Then Katya and I switched back and Nadia cracked us all up by saying: “Okay, here we go. It’s Papa. That’s right.”
The girls love being silly and dressing up. Kristina got some clothes for her birthday and she arranged them into an artistic outfit! They both enjoy being outdoors (even in the cold) and love having a fire and hot chocolate and cookies. When we have snow, they both love sled riding and they are learning to ice skate. Kristina says, “I fall, fall, fall and hurt my butt. But I want to do it again!” That’s perseverance! She especially loved having her own sled and being able to go down the hill by herself and carry the sled back up for another trip.
Thankful for you …
Thank you for your prayers and for your support! We are grateful that we are able to make an impact in Ukraine by training new leaders for tomorrow. It is a joy to be teaching and admonishing others in the Word of God. Thank you for being part of this blessing from God!
By His Grace,
Jim and Katya
Kristina and Nadia
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