Ukrainian family given Bibles as welcome to UK church

A family who fled Kharkiv in Ukraine, have been welcomed into a local church in Burnley, where they were recently given Bibles during a special service.

Oleksandr, Kateryna and their children, 13-year-old Liz and seven-year-old Bohdan, as well as Kateryna’s mother, Nadiia, were given dual-language New Testaments in Russian and English, as well as children’s Bibles, at a the church service.

The family had been warmly welcomed by the church in the village, where they were offered a house. The children attend the local schools and the whole family have been attending the church.

‘We have been made very welcome,’ said Kateryna. ‘People in the village have been very supportive.’

Church member Martin Ashby-Smith said, ‘We gave the family New Testaments because although they are receiving lots of practical help, we felt we wanted to be of spiritual service as well.

‘The family have been welcomed into our church, and we realise it is very different from their home environment in Ukraine, but they get spiritual help and insight as they take part in our worship.’

The family’s home of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, lies some 9 miles (15 km) from the Russian border. According to the Reuters news agency, it has been under consistent shelling since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as it lies within range of most Russian artillery.

If your church is reaching out to refugees from Ukraine, you can order free Scripture resources in Ukrainian or Russian.