Wondering what you can do to support Ukraine?
Tree of Life Church Senior Pastor Don Duncan says prayer is a great way to start. He organized Stand With Ukraine, a community prayer vigil planned for noon Friday at the Main Plaza in downtown New Braunfels.
“Prayer rose up in our hearts, to be specifically praying for it,” he said. “We have two Ukrainian families who moved here a year ago. One family, in particular, comes from a family heavily involved in church ministry in Ukraine. I dialogued with him and felt God pressing on our hearts, there’s more that we can do with what’s happening over there. We just felt there’s this greater burden on our part to make sure we’re doing what we could do, and everybody can pray.”
New Braunfels Mayor Rusty Brockman will attend the Friday vigil along with other community faith leaders and two Russian pastors who have Ukrainian wives and American children. One of Duncan’s parishioners also was a worship leader in Ukraine and will perform a Ukrainian song.
But with the help of Tree of Life Church’s Ukrainian members and access to a network of pastors still in Ukraine, Duncan can send more than thoughts and prayers to the millions suffering there.
The church is using its website to collect funds for beleaguered Ukrainians. The church partnered with SOZO Charities, which supports the Ukraine Emergency Fund, and also will funnel other donations through Poland and into the hands of pastors on the ground in Ukraine.
“God always has a bigger plan, and here this erupts over in Ukraine and we’re positioned to be a bigger blessing than we ever thought we could otherwise,” Duncan said.
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