In March of 2023, I travelled with 3 others from White Fields Community Church to go and serve at a conference for those in the Calvary Chapel family of churches in Ukraine who have been providing aid and relief since the war began in their country. (More about that here)
This video features some of the Ukrainian Calvary Chapel leaders talking about why this conference was so valuable, and how you can support the ongoing ministry in Ukraine, where our churches are meeting practical needs created by the humanitarian crisis and sharing the hope of the gospel.
The purpose of the retreat was to give some respite to those who have been ministering to others since the beginning of the war, which began over a year ago now.
At the retreat, Mike and I taught Bible studies in the evening, other pastors led workshops and met with people one-on-one, and we were also joined by a team of Christian counselors who taught and met with people. The goal was to have a retreat that served people spiritually, mentally, and physically.
The location was a beautiful spot in Western Ukraine, at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, in a resort hotel, where people could have good meals, a beautiful and safe location, and fun activities for the whole family to have a break and recharge together and with friends.
Below are some pictures from our time there:
Also, while I was there, I was able to record interviews with some of those in our Calvary Chapel family of churches who have been serving others.
This interview, which I recorded for the Mission & Methods Podcast, is with Zhenya Chekushkin, the leader of Calvary Chapel in Ukraine (something which was made official at the conference). He talks about what the Calvary Chapel churches throughout Ukraine have been doing to serve people and minister in Jesus’ name since the start of the war:
In this bonus episode, Nick Cady speaks with Zhenya Chekushkin, the leader of the Calvary Chapel network of churches in Ukraine.
Calvary Chapel has had a presence in Ukraine since the early 1990’s, and currently has around 20 churches in different cities throughout the country.
Recently a group of CGN leaders travelled to Western Ukraine to encourage those in the Calvary network who have been ministering to others in their country since the full scale invasion in February 2022. This retreat provided an opportunity to recharge physically and spiritually.
In this episode, Zhenya shares about some of the ways Calvary Chapel churches have been serving people, and how God has been working, even in the midst of these difficult circumstances.
We’d love to hear feedback from you on these episodes. You can email us at CGN@calvarychapel.com
Also, make sure to check out this video from the Calvary Chapel in Svitlovodsk, Ukraine, which shows how the gospel is moving forward even now in Ukraine, and how God is using these terrible circumstances to bring people to a saving knowledge of Him:
We are also preparing a special podcast featuring four interviews with people, recorded at this conference, telling about their stories of what happened to them in the early days of the war, and what life looks like for them now, as they minister and serve others in Jesus’ name.
There are some excellent speakers lined up this year. Personally, I’m really excited that missiologist Alan Hirsch will be there, as well as Gavin Ortlund and Ed Stetzer, who is such an important voice in the church today – and happens to love Calvary Chapel!
Gavin Ortlund
Ed Stetzer
Alan Hirsch
I will be teaching an in-person Training Track at the conference on the topic of: “Preaching and Teaching Gospel-Centered Expository Messages.”
My friends and co-laborers, Ted Leavenworth and Rob Salvato, both pastors in Southern California, started a new podcast called Leadership Collective, in which they curate helpful conversations with church leaders about relevant topics.
I had the pleasure of being a guest on the podcast along with Dr. Mark Foreman. Our discussion was about the nuts and bolts of how we develop, cast, and implement “vision” in our churches. Mark pastors a mega-church in Southern California, and I pastor a medium sized church on the Front Range of Colorado, so there are some pretty big differences in how we go about this process, but many similarities as well.
Earlier in my ministry I used to hate the word “vision” because it seemed so nebulous and abstract. However, since then I have come to understand that “vision” can simply be defined as: “a desired outcome.” Putting it in those terms, the question of “vision” becomes much more manageable. Beginning with a desired outcome, you can then begin thinking about the way to achieve that outcome, and break it down into a process with steps, depending on the given time-frame.
Not only is it imperative that we have vision as leaders, it’s also important for us to communicate it. What I have learned is that most leaders unwittingly under-communicate vision, and it’s very rare for people to feel that leaders over-communicate vision. The point is, for most of us, we need to communicate vision more than we currently are, and more than we think we need to.
Pastor Mark Foreman of North Coast Calvary in Carlsbad, California joins Pastor Nick Cady of White Fields Community Church in Longmont, Colorado to discuss the topic of vision.
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North Coast Calvary Chapel — northcoastcalvary.org
White Fields Community Church — whitefieldschurch.com
Every summer Calvary Chapel puts on a conference for pastors and ministry leaders in Southern California. This year the conference has been moved online because of COVID, but one of the benefits is that this opens up the opportunity for those who can’t easily take a week off and travel to California to be able to join and be encouraged.
This year’s conference will be August 10-13, 2020. The cost is $10, which gives you access to all of the bonus content, including a seminar I was part of with Expositors Collective on the topic of expository and Christ-centered preaching and teaching.
We are using a platform for the conference which allows a lot of interaction as well as multiple “rooms” you can join during the conference for different seminars on topics those in ministry will surely find helpful and interesting for the areas where you lead.
The world as we know it is always changing. We have all experienced that recently with the COVID-19 crisis. In order for us to preach and teach God’s Word faithfully in an ever-changing world, we need to be led and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
As part of our ongoing mission to help equip the next generation of expository Bible teachers, we are excited to announce our first-ever online event: an interactive webinar on May 9, 2020 from 9-11 AM Pacific Standard Time (10AM-12PM Mountain Time)
Similar to our training weekends, the webinar will include short messages from experienced Bible teachers, and interactive opportunities to ask questions and discuss topics.
Schedule
There will be two talks, interspersed with opportunities to ask questions and discuss topics.
Brian Brodersen: “The Holy Spirit & Preaching”
David Guzik: “Consistent Message, Changing Styles”
I have been leading from 1:00-2:00 PM Mountain Time each day, and it has been encouraging to see God use it.
It would be great to have you join me for these times of prayer; it has certainly been good for me to spend an hour in prayer each day for all that’s going on. I’m sure God would use it in your life as well.
This past week I was honored to be interviewed by David Snead on his podcast. David is a missionary in Lviv, Ukraine – and he is one of the most organized people I know.
We had a great discussion about my background in ministry, ministering in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond, Calvary Chapel, and expository preaching. Check it out:
The week of prayer around the world went so well that it has been extended for another week.
My time slot has changed for this second week; I will now be on from 1:00-2:00 PM Mountain Time from April 3-10 (Friday-Friday).
I’d love to have you join me for these times of prayer! They’ve been very encouraging, and I’m excited to see how God will answer all of these prayers we’ve been lifting up together.
Pastors across the world will be going live at times in their respective time zones to lead prayer for our countries and communities, particularly related to COVID-19 and everyone affected by it, and to receive and pray for the prayer requests of those who tune in live.
I will be hosting the 12:00 PM Mountain Time slot. I’d love to have you join me online for that, and send me your prayer requests!
Once again: March 26-April 2 (Thursday-Thursday) at 12:00 PM Mountain Time.
Theology for the People 