Celebrating 13 New Baptisms with Crossroads Church in Odessa, Ukraine

It's not always common for a church to multiply twice in 1-year. It's far less common for a church to multiply twice in 1-year, while in the middle of a war-zone. This is the story of Crossroads Church in Odessa, Ukraine. 

When the war started last February, Pastor Constantine lost his "job" that provided for his family. For many months, he had prayed that God would provide a way for him to do full-time ministry. Little did he know that it would be a war with Russia that would do just that. 

He quickly found himself in full-time ministry by necessity. His church opened their church doors everyday for worship, food, and shelter for those in need, and the needs just kept piling in. Each day, Constantine faithfully opened the church doors, tirelessly fed those in need, and held a 1-hour worship services with intentional gospel presentations, and to his surprise, the people never stopped coming through the doors. So much so, in fact, that he opened a second location for worship, food, and shelter. And now he is prayerfully considering a third.

This past Sunday was a continued evidence of God's grace for the ministry of Crossroads Church in Odessa, Ukraine. They celebrated the public baptism of 13 new brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Odessa, a port city in southern Ukraine, is a strategic city in the war with Russia, and the city has unfortunately seen its share of active shelling. But regardless of the danger, Crossroads church remains faithful. 

They continue preaching the gospel.

They continue loving their neighbor.

They continue feeding the hungry.

They continue clothing the stranger.

And because of their efforts, God is doing what only God does.

He is adding to their number, day by day, those who are being saved (Acts 2:42-47).