Projects
A systematic presence at every stage of the road
The chaplaincy ministry of the Odesa People’s Church is a systematic presence beside servicemen and servicewomen at different stages of their road: at the front, during treatment and after their return to civilian life.
We pray, we listen, we support, we serve with God’s Word, we help practically and we build an environment where a person can find support, community and hope in Christ.
01 · Front-line ministry
We regularly visit military units and the servicemen we have built long-term relationships with. During these trips we hold personal conversations, pray with the soldiers, share God’s Word and bring aid matched to current needs.
Our principle is not simply to arrive, but to stay close and build trust. That is why we organise joint trips of chaplains and ministers of different Christian denominations, so that the spiritual needs of the soldiers are met.
A separate strand of our work is systematic spiritual and pastoral support for the soldiers of the 39th Separate Marine Brigade.
These are not one-off humanitarian trips but continuous care: regular meetings, prayer, God’s Word, personal conversation and help with current needs. Our aim is that every soldier knows there are people and a church who remember them and stay close.
02 · Hospital ministry
A wound often changes a person’s life in a single moment. That is why it matters to be there not only at the front, but also through treatment and recovery.
Our team regularly visits soldiers in hospitals: we talk, we listen, we pray, we support their families. Sometimes the most a person needs is to know they have not been left alone.
At Christmas and Easter our team makes a point of visiting the soldiers who spend the holidays in hospital.
We prepare gifts, greet the wounded in person, pray with them and remind them of the hope Christ gives. It matters that even far from home a person can feel the presence of the holiday.
03 · Veterans ministry
Coming home from war is not the end of the road. After service another important stage begins: recovery, adaptation, restoring relationships and finding a new rhythm of life.
Regular informal meetings of veterans over coffee — no official speeches, no complicated formats. Trust is born here, and out of trust comes real support.
For us this is above all not about the banya but about brotherhood: a space to rest from tension, to talk calmly, to laugh, to be silent and to be among your own.
Nature, quiet, a shared task and the absence of formality create an atmosphere in which it is easier to talk and to build friendship.
04 · Support for military families
Questions of payments, documents and available assistance; when needed we find the right specialists and organisations.
Food, clothing, firewood, household matters. We look for partners and resources for each specific request.
Rest, recovery and rehabilitation for children, including trips to children’s camps abroad.
We are there through difficult times: we talk, we listen, we pray and we help families walk this road within a community.
05 · How to help
You can support a specific project or one of the areas of ministry. Help is needed for front-line trips, transport and fuel, equipping the teams, aid for soldiers and the wounded, gifts for hospitals, veterans’ meetings and the development of new forms of support.
You can help financially, with resources, with transport, with professional skills, or become a partner of a particular project. Even if you cannot travel to the front or visit hospitals yourself, you can help those who do.
06 · How to get involved
Alongside the chaplains serve volunteers, drivers, photographers, musicians, barbers, massage therapists, psychologists, cooks, organisers and people of many other professions.
If you can do something that may serve people, your gift can become part of the team. And everyone can find their place in this ministry.
07 · Contacts
Write to us if you need support, want to join the ministry, offer help or discuss a partnership.
Roman Medianyk
Chaplaincy ministry coordinator
Follow us
The latest news about trips, meetings and current needs — on Roman Medianyk’s pages.
