June 22, 2006

This email includes:
- They call him a "Youth Pastor!"
- A bum in church
- Small group for young non-Christians
- Youth ministry in a Marionette Theater
- Encouragement from the Front Line
- Chernobyl and Youth Leaders' Photos Online
- Contact Info

THEY CALL HIM A "YOUTH PASTOR!" from Mike

Please forgive us for not keeping in touch this past month. We have
been on the road for a lot of May and June, and it has caught up with
us. But it has been a wonderful month. God has used my travels to
encourage me in our ministry here - let me explain.

The last week of May, Judy and I with our translator, Lena, went to
Western Ukraine. Specifically, the cities of Lutsk (population:
200,000) and Rivne (pop.: 250,000). I have six students in the area,
so I wanted to meet with them and their mentors as well as visit some
of their youth groups. It was so encouraging. God is using our youth
ministry training, and I received some evidence of it.

Sasha, one of our freshman students at the seminary, is the youth
pastor at the Fimiam ("Fragrance") Church in Lutsk. Did you see what I
wrote? "Youth Pastor!" This is amazing for me. I have never seen a
Baptist Church in Ukraine call their youth leader - a Youth Pastor!
This has been one of our goals, and I was so excited to see this young
church doing the right thing. This church has seen their need for more
than just a youth Sunday school teacher. The church is also supporting
him with a small salary which is very unusual since many pastors are
not even paid by their churches in Ukraine. Sasha was saved in the
church's youth ministry, and has been on the youth leadership team for
4 years. Last year, the church stepped out in faith and hired their
very first youth pastor - Sasha!

A BUM IN CHURCH

Sasha's church is 10 years old with 350 in attendance during two
Sunday morning services. The services are contemporary and welcome
people from all ages. We were excited to see a bum off the street
being brought into the church service by a member. Sasha's wife told
us that the person bringing the bum into church had been a drug addict
only 3 months before. Now she was a Christian and active in
witnessing. Sasha's youth club (youth group) had over 100 young people
in attendance the night before.

When we sat around the dinner table in Sasha's home - it was fun to
see his excitement for the ministry, and his desire to grow. He had
all sorts of questions about what to do next. We had fun evaluating
his ministry together and seeing how he could better disciple his
young people. Sasha and his wife are expecting their first child in
August.

We also saw other another wonderful church in Lutsk, called Calvary
Church. They are renting a building and have 150 in attendance after
just 3 years. Their youth leader, Andre, is also one of my students,
and really impressed me with his speaking skills on Sunday morning. He
still needs to start their first youth group and plans to lay the
ground work this summer.

SMALL GROUP FOR YOUNG NON-CHRISTIANS

After meeting with all of the youth leaders around Lutsk and their
mentors, we drove over to Rivne. We were able to attend a small group
in Alex's home, another one of my students. Alex invites non-Christian
youth to a weekly Bible study in his home to introduce them to Christ.
He has around 8 young people now attending. He sends a cell phone text
message to them weekly to remind them to come with the scheduled Bible
passage they will be talking about. Almost every young person in
Ukraine has a cell phone. We enjoyed seeing Alex's relationship with
these young men and women. He hopes to lead them to Christ and get
them involved in a good church someday.

YOUTH MINISTRY IN A MARIONETTE THEATRE

Grace Church in Rivne is only four years old - but you wouldn't know
it if you saw it for the first time. They don't own any buildings, but
the church rents three of the largest halls in the city. They rent the
government building for Sunday worship (600 in attendance); they rent
a kindergarten for Sunday School (170 in attendance); and they rent
the Marionette Theatre for the weekly Youth Club (100+ in attendance).
Over 80% of the church is under the age of 25. So last year, the
church asked Vasya, one of my Sophomore students, to take over the
youth ministry.

Vasya has been a real joy in class, and it was an even greater joy to
see him lead his youth group when we visited last month. Vasya is a
gifted communicator and organizer. He also became a father for the
first time three months ago.

Once during a homiletics (preaching) class at the seminary, the
teacher came in to me and asked me, "Why is Vasya in the youth
ministry major? He should be in the pastoral major. He is the best
preacher in the class! "

"That is why he is in the youth ministry program! We want the best." I
answered him with a smile. Vasya is another example of the quality
modular students God has given us.

ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE FRONT LINE

A few months ago, I wrote a letter about how discouraged I was with
some of my students. This trip to Western Ukraine really helped us. We
saw that several of our modular students are putting to practice what
they have learned in class. One of the main reasons for their success
is supportive churches and mentors. We saw that very clearly. And it
was so good to get this kind of encouragement from the front lines!

We couldn't be here supporting these young men and women without you.
Thank you once again for your prayers and support!

CHERNOBYL AND YOUTH LEADERS PHOTOS ONLINE

We have new photos online of my recent trip to the Chernobyl nuclear
reactor and also of our trip to Western Ukraine. Visit
http://www.youthdiscipler.com .

CONTACT INFO

Contributions Address:
Youth Ministry International
1300 Envoy Circle Suite 1306
Louisville, KY 40299
(Please designate any gifts to us for the "Manna Ukraine Account" on a
separate slip of paper. Thank you.)

Family Email Address: mikemannafamily@...
Website: www.youthdiscipler.com
Home Phone: 011-38-044-572-2667 (home)
Cell Phone Number: 011-38-097-823-3203 (cell)

Mailing & Shipping Address:
Mike and Judy Manna
17 Dragomanova, kb. 149
Kyiv, 02068 UKRAINE