Welcome to the Odessa Vineyard Churchplant site!

This is a information site about the Odessa Vineyard church plant.
We are excited about what God is doing in Ukraine and that we could be a part of this.

Why church planting in Odessa?

First of all we felt that God was leading us to plant a church in Odessa. Through this past year we have seen how God has brought people together sharing the same vision. It has been great to see how God has his hand with us.
In the beginning of 2005, there was a major political change in Ukraine that opened up the country more towards the west and for church planting to happen there.
Secondly, Jesus told us to go to the ends of the earth making disciples. We believe that we in the Vineyard movement have something to give to the people in Ukraine.
Jesus also told us to care for the poor and needy. Ukraine along with its neighbors Moldavia and Romania is one of the poorest countries in Europe.

About Odessa

Odessa is located in the south of Ukraine by the Black sea. It has a population of 1,2 million citizens. It is the most important harbor in Ukraine and there is a lot of commerce going from and to Odessa, so it is a commerce center in the region. Because of that there are a lot of different people groups living here. The two biggest groups are Ukrainians and Russians, but in Odessa there are also large communities of Romans, Romanians, Bulgarians, Turks, Arabs, Jewish, Georgians, Armenians and Chinese. Odessa is a melting pot of religions and cultures.
There are a lot of students in the city, with Ukraine’s oldest University being located here. During summer the population grows because of the tourists visiting the area. Odessa and Crimea is the “Riviera” of the former Soviet union.