Paetkau’s Place

The Opportunity            

 

In 1996 Sumy Church of Grace, partnering with other local churches and teams from North America began a summer camp ministry here in the Sumy Region. They rented a local facility, a camp owned by a local factory that had fallen upon hard times with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the ensuing economic upheaval. The churches have continued to grow in their abilities in this area of ministry, expanding the camp ministry to different age groups and having an impact in families throughout the region.

One of the problems faced by the churches was the lack of dependable facilities for summer camp ministries. No permanent Christian camp or conference center was located in the Sumy region. Each year the question needed to be answered – where are we going to hold camp, and how much will it cost. Each year was a guessing game. One year 2 weeks prior to the start of camp as the final arrangements were being made, the church was informed that all of the beds, kitchen equipment and supplies, tables, chairs etc had been sold by the factory. By God’s grace the camps could be rescheduled for a different facility at the end of the summer, but it was huge stress and financial challenge for all involved.

The camp that has been used by the churches for the past 5 years is located 15 kms (8 miles) outside of the city of Sumy (population 300,000), the capital of Sumy Region (population 1.4 million). The camp has facilities to accommodate 200 plus people, comprising of 10 acres of beautifully forested fenced in land only a 10-minute walk from a swimming area on a nearby river. (See camp map)

The factory has not used this camp for it’s own workers since the early 90’s, and in 2002 offered it to Sumy Church of Grace for purchase. The church, in partnership with SEND International and other individuals, has gone forward in this ministry opportunity.

Original Project Overview—2003

Pray

We need prayer partners. We need people who will commit to pray for the ministry of the camp. If you would like to be kept informed of the camp ministry via a quarterly update (by email or post), contact us at
We promise not to overload your mailbox with information, but will give you timely updates on the camp, its ministries and praise and prayer items.

Partner financially

Ukraine is going through a time of economic upheaval. The believers give what they can towards the ministries that the local churches are in involved in. They are highly motivated for the ministry, and desire to see their countrymen and the citizens of the former Soviet Union to know Christ. They do not have the financial resources necessary to fulfill all that God is calling them to do, and they need the family of God world wide to join hands with them in the work. The long-term goal for the camp is to raise much of its operating funds through various means (such as rentals, conferences etc), but it needs help getting started. To make the week accessible to all children, the churches do not charge the actual cost, but only a portion of it. The rest of the funds are raised through donations both here in Ukraine and from around the world.

Every gift is appreciated – large or small. "Many hands make the work light", and that is what we desire to see, many hands joining in the work here, seeing the message of the Gospel spread through Sumy region and beyond.

If you would like to partner financially, you can give through SEND International using the downloadable forms provided. Just print it off, fill it out and send it in.

Two project options:

Download PDF form - Camp & Conference Center – donations to assist with the purchase & necessary renovations.

Download PDF form - Summer Ministries – donations to be used to assist with summer ministry expenses.

Participate in a Work &/or Ministry team

The physical site needs a lot of work so that it can make a difference for eternity. We need help with both skilled and non skilled (ie – if you can hold a paintbrush you qualify) labour. There are also opportunities to work alongside the churches in ministry opportunities.

Bring a team to help with the work that is needed, both in the area of physical labor and/or ministry. For more details contact us.

3 P’s for the Project:

The Opportunity:

God has opened the door for camp ministry in northeastern Ukraine

The Plan:

For 2003 and beyond

The 3 P’s for the project:

How you can get involved.

The Plan:

 

The plan for 2003 is such:

1. Prepare the site and facilities for the camps that will be taking place in the period of June through September. Children’s camps, teen camps and a camp for orphanage children are planned for July & August.

 

 

2. Prepare the facility for the fall and winter ministries that will be taking place through Sumy Regional Bible College. Sumy Regional Bible College has been located in Sumy Church of Grace, and needs to expand (library space, classroom space, housing etc is lacking). Long term the college will be located in the new ministry facility being built in Sumy, but for the next 4-5 years a different location is needed. One of the buildings on the camp site is ideal for that very purpose. It is insulated, has multiple rooms, indoor  plumbing and kitchen facilities. Two other buildings on the camp site can also be used for housing for the students & staff through the winter months.  This opportunity will benefit both the college and the camp. The students will have an environment that will facilitate their studies (opportunity to focus for the week without extra ministry responsibilities), and the camp will be in use year round rather than sitting idle through the winter months.

 

Long term plan:

The plan for the long term is to have the camp being used for ministry year round. During the winter the site would host conferences & seminars for groups up to 100 people, and camps and conferences for larger groups through the warmer months of the year.