News

As the Central Baptist Church in Lviv approached its 100th anniversary, its leaders were grappling with a troubling reality. The pastors turned to Innovista for assistance.

It has been two years since Russia’s full-scale invasion plunged the country into a grinding conflict that has heaped misery on millions. Whole communities have been devastated and displaced. Ukrainians are tired and traumatised by the daily horrors of war with little choice but to carry on. As one pastor put it, “What option do […]

We would like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone in the Innovista family who has stood with Ukraine during a challenging year. Your generous support has made a difference in the lives of over 100,000 people in the country. Read about the many ways in which you helped in 2022

‘You can see the stamp of struggle and grief on every face’ (Ukrainian woman)

“This is a high price to pay for freedom…” - Pastor Yevhen on the Kherson flood. The breach of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine may be out of the headlines, but the devastation caused by last month’s deluge will be felt for generations. Your generous response to the emergency appeal helped local churches provide […]

Pastor Oleg Larkov describes the work his church has been doing in Kyiv during the Ukraine War (and sends a message of thanks to those who have helped them). God's Design Church is one of the network of churches and leaders that Innovista has supported during the conflict. We have provided over 100 grants that […]

“…the temperatures will plummet to -20'c. Frequent blackouts means people's boilers don't work. We get light for 1-2 hours a day. The whole house is damp and it never gets warm. Many people living here do not have warm, winter clothes. Their homes have no heating either, so life is very hard and difficult." (Pastor […]

‘Witnessing the bombing had ruined their souls’ Anatoliy Sapsay, National Director Innovista Ukraine, on the emotional damage of the war When Svetlana* was told about the Resilient Families Programme she welled up with emotion, as she desperately needed someone to talk to about her sadness and anxiety. She is one of many remarkable Ukrainian women […]

The Resilient Families Project had a profound effect on them as a family. It enabled them to ‘speak out’ and not keep secret what they had been carrying for almost a year.

Join us for an inspiring evening of stories from Ukraine, updates on Innovista's response to the war and an overview of our vision for 2023. Innovista has been working in Ukraine since 2003, training leaders to transform their communities with the hope of Jesus. But all that changed on the 24th February 2022 when Russia […]

Thanks to the amazing generosity of Innovista supporters over Christmas, church pastors have been able to buy generators to help people stay alive across Ukraine, like this one in the town of Sumy. We were able to send grants as soon as requests arrived; providing sleeping bags, firewood, hot-water bottles and warm hubs which were […]

We have the opportunity to provide warmth and light for thousands of vulnerable people in de-occupied areas in the east of Ukraine. Cities like Kharkiv and Izyum where Russian troops have pulled out, communities have been flattened and people have been left homeless and traumatised. This is an urgent opportunity for you to show your support […]

This was the question asked by Valeriy, an Innovista trainer based in Kyiv until February this year. As the war escalated, he and his wife made the decision to leave Ukraine along with their children. 'I have always had a missional spirit, wanting to go and tell people about Jesus. Before the war started, one […]

For over seven months, God's Design Church in L'viv has, without ceasing, served the needs of Ukrainians who have lost everything at the hands of this needless war. When Ukraine was first invaded in February, this church quickly mobilised teams to ready themselves for the anticipated arrival of hundreds of people fleeing the conflict raging […]

It was six months ago that we woke up to the news that Russian tanks had rolled into Ukraine and started a vicious war that is, even today, stealing the lives of many innocent people. Today is a poignant moment to stop and reflect on the fact that the war has pushed nearly a third […]

This is the harrowing story of the horrors Alexandra witnessed, as told by her 82-year-old grandmother: “Just before the war began our family was happy. We loved to travel and enjoyed spending time with our granddaughter Alexandra. She danced, sang, and drew for us. Then February 24th came, and our lives were turned upside down. […]

I am 33 years old and from the city, Saltovka, in the region of Kharkiv. On February 24 at 5:00, hell began. We woke up to the fact that the walls of our ninth floor apartment block were shaking, and even the bed was vibrating. On the same day, my young son and I moved […]

When the school where Anna had worked as a primary teacher for 20 years was destroyed by Russian bombing, she and her family were forced to leave their hometown of Volnovakha. The bombing destroyed the school, along with hospitals, pharmacies and shops."A slab from the second floor fell right on my desk. When I saw […]

Anatoliy Sapsay is the National Director for Innovista in Ukraine.
Please take 2 minutes to listen to his heartfelt thanks to all of you who have given to support our appeal.

Innovista’s response to the war in Ukraine has been guided by our Ukrainian team from the outset. Since February, Innovista grants have enabled churches to buy essential supplies like food, water and fuel to support refugees, and those in conflict zones. To everyone who has given a gift to this vital work, thank you!As the […]

Innovista, Moldova (headed up by Maricela...can you spot her in the red polka dot skirt?!) organised, planned and ran a wonderful holiday camp for Ukrainian refugee children with games, singing, Gospel presentation and of course a dinosaur! Two thirds of Ukraine's children have been displaced since February. Most have lost their homes; some have witnessed […]

Recently, there has been so much talk about leadership. Be it the questions over leadership in No. 10 or exemplary leadership in Buckingham Palace from Her Majesty the Queen. In the meantime, watch this video to see what these church leaders & volunteers are quietly doing in Ukraine. In villages, towns and cities across Ukraine, […]

I’ve recently returned from Ukraine with a message for you. It comes from church leadership teams I met in Bucha, Kyiv, Katyuzhanka and L’viv. The message was repeated to me again and again. ‘Please tell everyone thank you.’ This is no generic thank you. This is a thank you for two vital things: ‘Thank you […]

"We are refugees from Mariupol. This is our history of war."

Katashanka is a small village outside Kyiv, towards the Belarussian border. A community of about 5,000 people, this is the sort of place where everyone knows each other. It’s got a great community feel and is pretty self-contained. It is actually the place where Innovista Ukraine ran their very last leadership training session before the […]

Everything is different; nothing is untouched by Russia’s war on Ukraine.

It is easy to feel powerless in the face of the enormity of the war in Ukraine.

This movie, made by a church we support in Ukraine gives an incredible snapshot into how churches are responding.

Across Ukraine, we are working with trusted local teams in churches to care for those left behind.

Many church vehicles have to travel huge distances to help evacuate people and transport essential goods.

My name is Tatiana; I am 46 years old and I live in Kyiv.

Not much news comes out of Russian occupied Kherson, Ukraine. This is Lyudmila who, since the first day of the occupation, alongside her team, has been fighting for the lives of 58 children with special needs in basement of an orphanage there. She spends her days trying to find finances, food and medicine for these […]

This is Pastor Ivan with a group of international students he was helping to get out of Ukraine. Pastor Ivan is from Sumy and early on in the war, he had to evacuate his wife and children but he remained behind to help those who hadn't been able to leave. These are the elderly and […]

This was the question of one exhausted and hungry Ukrainian refugee as, after days of travel, he and his family finally crossed the border into Moldova. Nicholas fled Ukraine with his daughter, granddaughter and great grandson. He left his family home in Odessa, on the Ukrainian coast, where he had lived and worked for forty […]

Watch our International Director, Jason Lane, in a recent interview with @TBNUKTV describing how the churches we serve in Ukraine are coping and how they are serving their communities during the conflict.

This Sunday was sixth Sunday in a row during the war.

Greetings from Kyiv on Day 38 of the war.

We're hearing that many, many church leaders in Ukraine are exhausted. They need your prayers for energy, for sustenance, for rest. We asked Innovista National Director, Anatoliy, if there was a Bible verse that he was holding onto in these troubled times and he shared this one with us. Please pray for him, the church […]

Have you ever bought 18 shopping trolleys worth of food?! Last week, Ukraine National Director, Anatoliy Sapsay, did just that! He has been part of a team coordinating the convoy of vans that have been driven to cities-under-siege, delivering vital food, water and fuel.

In the last few weeks we have been supporting our friend Pastor Pavlo and his church in the L'viv region. Since the start of the war, like so many, they have turned their church into a hostel and have been caring for 50-60 refugees per night. Many people from the church are also hosting refugees […]