When the first missiles fell in 2022 and families began running for their lives, the Church in Ukraine did not lock its doors.
It opened them.
Within days of the invasion, eleven temporary shelters sprang up across our network. Every night, nearly 500 men, women, and children—exhausted, frightened, clutching backpacks and babies—found a place to sleep on their journey toward safety in Europe. Six of those shelters were churches. Two of them cleared out their worship halls and covered the floors with mattresses. Sanctuaries became bedrooms. Pulpits stood beside piles of blankets. Songs of praise were replaced by the quiet breathing of families finally able to rest.
But there was a cost.
Half of many congregations had already fled westward. Others had joined the military and gone to the frontlines. The very churches that opened their arms were suddenly smaller, financially stretched, and overwhelmed with need. They were feeding refugees while losing their own members. Heating buildings while incomes disappeared. Loving sacrificially when their own resources were vanishing.
And yet—they kept saying yes.
That is when One Collective stepped in and launched the Sister Church Initiative. Churches in America and Europe answered the call, coming alongside Ukrainian churches to carry the burden together. Each Sister Church provides the pastor’s 
salary, so he doesn’t have to take outside work. Instead, he can give his full heart and energy to his people—distributing food, packing care packages for children, delivering firewood in the bitter winter, and providing basic appliances so families can begin again with dignity.
These pastors don’t keep the blessing for themselves. They share it. They make sure the entire refugee community feels the love of Christ.
At one point, 21 Ukrainian churches were supported by a Sister Church. Today, that number is 11.
Ten churches are praying for someone to stand with them again.
Maybe that someone is your church.
Imagine knowing that your congregation is the reason a pastor can stay, serve, and shepherd in the middle of war. Imagine being the answer to a prayer whispered in a cold sanctuary turned shelter.
Visit our website to learn how you can become part of the Sister Church Initiative.
Stand with Ukraine.
Stand with the Church.
Help keep the doors open.