Tag: Missions

Hard is Only Half the Story: The Role of Taking Steps of Faith in Spiritual Growth – with Wendy Zahorjanski

Published on by nickcadyLeave a comment

Taking a step out into the unknown can be scary, and yet, when you do so led by God, it can lead to growth spiritually and benefits for your life.

In this episode of the Theology for the People Podcast, I speak with Wendy Zahorjanski. Wendy is a missionary in Serbia, where she lives with her husband, who is Serbian.

I first met Wendy and her husband Danny back when I lived in Hungary, and they were studying at Bible College. Since that time, they have moved to a city in Central Serbia called Kragujevac, and they have planted a church there. I recently got to visit Wendy and Danny and see their church, and I’m excited to introduce you to them, and for you to hear more about God’s work in Serbia, and in their lives.

Wendy recently wrote a book about her experiences of stepping into unknown, both in Serbia and in Central Asia, where she spent time earlier. The book is called: Hard Is Only Half the Story: Real Adventures from My Journey into the Unknown. In this book, Wendy talks about the important role that taking steps of faith plays in our spiritual growth, and our relationship with God.

In our conversation, we talk about what it’s like to live as a missionary in Serbia, what makes Serbia unique, and some of the ways that taking steps of faith in obedience to God shapes us and helps us grow.

Click here to listen to the episode, or listen in the embedded player below.

Hard is Only Half the Story: The Role of Taking Steps of Faith in Spiritual Growth – with Wendy Zahorjanski – Theology for the People

Taking a step into the unknown can be scary, and yet, when led by God, it can lead to incredible spiritual growth and benefits for your life. Wendy Zahorjanski is a missionary in Serbia with her husband, Danny, in the city of Kragujevac, where they planted a church. Wendy recently wrote a book about her experiences stepping into unknown, and she talks about the important role that taking steps of faith plays in our spiritual growth and relationship with God. — Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theologyforthepeople/support

Recap & Report from My Recent Trip to Ukraine & Serbia

Published on by nickcadyLeave a comment

Earlier this week I came home from a 12-day trip to Ukraine and Serbia. I went with two other pastors from White Fields Church: Nate Medlong and Michael Payne, to speak at some conferences and visit pastors and ministry partners.

After I arrived home, I sat down with Nate Medlong to discuss what we did on the trip. In this video, we talk about where we went, what we did, and some important things we took away from the trip.

Here are some photos from different parts of the trip:

Pastors & Leaders Conference in Ternopil, Ukraine

Calvary Chapel Svitlovodsk: Church & Frontline Workers Conference

Serbia: Preaching Training Seminar in Novi Sad

Serbia: Novi Život Church in Kragujevac

Learning from the Life of Elisabeth Elliot – with Lucy S R Austen

Published on by nickcadyLeave a comment

In this episode of the Theology for the People podcast, I speak with Lucy S R Austen. Lucy recently wrote a book, published by Crossway, titled Elisabeth Elliot: A Life

Elisabeth Elliot was one of the most well-known and influential figures of the late 20th century, and early 21st century, both in evangelical circles, but also in the culture at large.

On this episode Lucy and I speak about who Elisabeth Elliot was and the influence she had.

As Lucy points out, Elisabeth Elliot was a sometimes controversial figure, who changed her views on things throughout her life, and her life reflects much of the history of evangelicalism in the 20th century.

Click here to listen to the episode or listen in the embedded player below.

Learning from the Life of Elisabeth Elliot – with Lucy S R Austen – Theology for the People

Elisabeth Elliott was one of the most well-known and influential figures of the late 20th century, and early 21st century, both in evangelical circles, but also in the culture at large. Recently a biography of her life was written by Lucy S R Austen, and published by Crossway Publishing, titled Elisabeth Elliot: A Life. On this episode of Theology for the People, I speak with Lucy S R Austen about who Elisabeth Elloitt was and the influence that she had. As Lucy points out, Elisabeth Elliot was a sometimes controversial figure, who changed her views on things throughout her life, and her life reflects much of the history of evangelicalism in the 20th century. Visit the Theology for the People website at nickcady.org — Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theologyforthepeople/support

Ministering in the Midst of War in Ukraine

Published on by nickcady2 Comments

Earlier this month, I, along with Pastor Michael Payne and two other leaders from White Fields Church, travelled to Ukraine to be part of a retreat for Calvary Chapel churches there, sponsored by Calvary Global Network and Cross Culture Missions.

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:

Bonus Episode: How Calvary Chapel Churches are Ministering in the Midst of War in Ukraine – The CGN Mission & Methods Podcast

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.

Stay tuned for that!

If you’d like to support the ministry in Ukraine, you can do so by giving to the Ukraine Relief Funds of White Fields Church or Calvary Global Network.

Business as Mission – with Steven and Teresa Yeats: Missionaries in Moldova

Published on by nickcadyLeave a comment

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of traveling to Chisinau, Moldova, to visit Steven and Teresa Yeats, friends of mine who have been missionaries in Eastern Europe for many years.

Steven is a pastor and a church planter, but a few years ago he started a business in Moldova, and in this episode of the Theology for the People podcast, he talks about the spirituality of money and the reasons for considering doing business as a form of mission.

We talk about sustainable church planting and unique needs that exist in the developing (majority) world for jobs to be created so that Christian people who want to be part of what God is doing in their home countries can stay without feeling the need to emigrate.

Additionally, Steven and Teresa share about how the war in Ukraine has affected their lives and their ministry, and how we can be praying for them and for the church in Moldova.

Click here to listen to the episode, or listen in the embedded player below.

Business as Mission – with Steven and Teresa Yeats, Missionaries in Moldova – Theology for the People

Steven and Teresa Yeats have been missionaries in Eastern Europe for many years. They currently live in Chisinau, Moldova. Steven is a pastor and a church planter, but a few years ago he started a business in Moldova, and in this episode he talks about the spirituality of money and the reasons for considering doing business as a form of mission. We talk about sustainable church planting and unique needs that exist in the developing (majority) world. Additionally, Steven and Teresa share about how the war in Ukraine has affected their lives and their ministry in Moldova. Finally, they share how we can be praying for their ministry and the church in Moldova. Make sure to check out the Theology for the People blog at nickcady.org — Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theologyforthepeople/support

How is the Mission of God Progressing in the Midst of the War in Ukraine?

Published on by nickcadyLeave a comment

In this week’s episode of the Theology for the People podcast, Michael Payne and I speak with George and Sharon Markey, who are missionaries in Kyiv, Ukraine. George has been in Ukraine for 30 years now, and is able to give unique insight into what is happening there right now in the midst of the war.

Back in March, I posted an interview I recorded with George in Budapest, in which he talked about what was happening then, at the beginning of the war. You can listen to that interview here: The Russian Invasion of Ukraine: How to Pray & How to Help – with George Markey

In this discussion, recorded when George and Sharon visited us in Colorado in June of 2022, George tells the story of how his family moved to Ukraine in 1992, and Sharon tells her story of meeting George and joining him on the mission field.

They talk about their family’s experience in evacuating from Ukraine when the war began and how they are continuing to reach out with the love of Jesus to the Ukrainian people, and how the mission of God is progressing even in the midst of the current calamity.

Check out George and Sharon’s new website, mentioned in the episode: BridgeUA.org

This episode was originally recorded for the White Fields Community Church YouTube channel. Please visit and subscribe to that, and you can visit the Theology for the People blog at nickcady.org

If you find this episode interesting or helpful, please share it with others and leave a rating and review on your podcast app, as that helps other people discover this podcast and its content.

Click here to listen to the episode, or listen in the embedded player below.

How is the Mission of God Progressing in the Midst of the War in Ukraine? – Theology for the People

In this episode, Michael Payne and Nick Cady speak with George and Sharon Markey, missionaries in Ukraine. George tells the story of how his family moved to Ukraine in 1992, and Sharon tells her story of meeting George and joining him on the mission field. They talk about their family's experience in evacuating from Ukraine when the war began and how they are continuing to reach out with the love of Jesus to the Ukrainian people, and how the mission of God is progressing even in the midst of the current calamity. Check out George and Sharon's new website, mentioned in the episode: BridgeUA.org This episode was originally recorded for the White Fields Community Church YouTube channel. Please visit and subscribe to that, and you can visit the Theology for the People blog at nickcady.org — Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theologyforthepeople/support

10 Years… Part 1

Published on by nickcadyLeave a comment

This March, my trip to Hungary to visit, encourage, and support our friends and co-laborers in the gospel from Ukraine coincided with the 10 year anniversary of me leaving Hungary to move to Colorado.

For more on what we did on that trip, see: Ukraine Relief Update: What We Did in Hungary & Ukraine

On Women’s Day, March 8, 2012, we left the beautiful city of Eger, where all of our kids (up until that point) had been born, and boarded a flight bound for Germany, on route to San Diego.

Eger, looking north from the city center. The minaret is the northern-most Turkish minaret in Europe, and the long yellow building behind it is where my kids were born. The church on the hill is a Serbian Orthodox Church; we started the Eger church in the neighborhood next to it.

We left part of our hearts there. People often ask me if I miss living in Hungary, and the answer is: Yes, I miss it so bad it hurts, every day. This isn’t to say that I’m not content where I am, or that I am planning to move back – it’s just the truth. I spent my entire adult life in Hungary up until we left. When we moved to Colorado, I had never been an adult in America before, and there was a learning curve, for sure.

Not only did we leave behind our beloved city, more significantly, we left behind a ministry we loved: one we started and nurtured.

We moved to Eger in 2005 with a vision to start a church which would be self-sustaining, that would be focused on evangelism and discipling those who became Christians through our outreaches, and we hoped that someday that church would have a Hungarian pastor, preferably someone who had been raised up through our ministry. Additionally, we hoped to start a “daughter church” out of that church, and to take the people of that church on mission trips themselves.

By God’s grace, all of these dreams came to fruition.

In January 2012, I handed over leadership of the Eger church to Jani, and he celebrated his 10 year anniversary as pastor earlier this year.

I had the opportunity to preach at the church when I was there this year, exactly 10 years to the week of my departure. I preached in Hungarian, which I miss doing.

The church recently moved into a new location, about 2 blocks from where they used to meet, and still in the heart of the city center, right on the main walking street, with a balcony overlooking it.

Standing on the balcony of the new church meeting place in downtown Eger.

Pray for Eger, and pray for Pastor Jani. He has been faithful. Pray for a fresh work of the Holy Spirit, for vision, guidance, and effective ministry.

Pastor Jani overlooking Eger from the fortress.

Ukraine Relief Update: What We Did in Hungary & Ukraine

Published on by nickcady1 Comment

I arrived home last night after a whirlwind trip to Europe to help with the humanitarian crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Many people have been interested to hear about what we did over there, and what needs and opportunities there are for help in the future, so the night before I left to come back to the US, Pastor Michael and I sat down to film a video sharing with people some of what we accomplished, and what some of the ongoing needs are.

We filmed this at the kitchen table in Michael’s old apartment in Budapest, using a broom as our camera stand!

There are many needs. Just today we have been working on wiring money to people in another city in Ukraine to help buy another van to transport food and aid, and to evacuate people. If you would like to give, we will put that money directly into the hands of people who are serving on the ground. Donations can be made here: Ukraine Relief Fund

Here’s that video update:

Heading That Way

Published on by nickcady2 Comments
Source: NBCnews

As I mentioned in a previous post, I was scheduled to be in Ukraine this week to visit ministry partners in Kyiv and Kharkiv, and speak at a conference in Irpin. Instead, many of the people we were going to work with are hiding in bomb shelters, basements, and metro stations because of the Russian attack. Others have left their homes for safer locations in western Ukraine or in neighboring countries.

I am so impressed with the courage and resolve of the Ukrainian people, as well as with the leadership of their president. I pray for justice to prevail, for an end to these attacks, and for peace in Ukraine.

Just today, Russian military shelled a residential neighborhood in Kharkiv, killing at least 11, and injuring others. The reality is, even if everything were to end today, what has been done so far has already caused suffering and loss which cannot be reversed, and has caused damage which will take years to recover from.

Today I am flying to Hungary with 2 other pastors who served for many years in that region as missionaries. We are going to visit our missionaries who have fled there from Ukraine, take gifts and supplies for them and their kids, and explore potential opportunities for outreach to refugees, as well as ways to help those within Ukraine who are serving displaced people.

So far over 500,000 people have fled Ukraine, and that number is expected to reach up to 4,000,000 according to the UNHCR. This is a time for the church to shine, and for us to step up and be the hands and feet of Jesus to the world. Those I am in contact with in Ukraine and Hungary are doing just that, and it is noteworthy and beautiful. In addition to the immediate needs now, there will likely be many opportunities to help in the months and years to come.

How to Help

If you would like to give to our Ukraine Relief Fund, those funds will go to purchase needed supplies, fuel, medicines, and provide shelter for displaced people.

Missional Ecclesiology: What is the role of the church in the mission of God? – with Kellen Criswell

Published on by nickcady1 Comment

In this week’s episode of the Theology for the People Podcast, I am joined by Kellen Criswell.

Kellen Criswell is a pastor, ministry leader, and former missionary who holds and MA in Global Leadership from Western Seminary and is currently working on his doctorate. He is the Executive Director of Calvary Global Network and has a heart for the mission of God and the global church.

After a brief discussion about Kellen’s favorite music and the fact that he is from Utah (AKA “Colorado Jr.”), we dive into a discussion about Missional Ecclesiology, which is a way of understanding the identity, purpose, and function of the church within the Missio Dei (the love-motivated, self-sending, mission of God into the world to save, redeem, and restore).

One more thought about Utah: If you have to tell people (on your license plates) that you have “the best snow in the world,” you probably don’t. It’s kind of like using the world “Real” in a title. If you have to say that something is “real ______” – it probably isn’t. And also, what Margaret Thatcher said: “Being a leader is like being a lady: If you have to tell people you are one, you probably aren’t.” Same with the snow, Utah…

But I digress…

Ecclesiology is the discussion of what the Church is called to be and to do – including its nature, purpose, hopes, structures, and practices.

We discuss how this concept works out practically, including a discussion of “foreign missions” and how they fit into this understanding. Furthermore, we discuss what the past nearly two years of pandemic has revealed about ecclesiology, and why there is hope as we move forward.

Listen to this episode in the embedded player below or by clicking this link: Missional Ecclesiology: What is the role of the church in the mission of God? – with Kellen Criswell

Missional Ecclesiology: What is the role of the church in the mission of God? – with Kellen Criswell – Theology for the People

Kellen Criswell is a pastor, ministry leader, and former missionary who holds and MA in Global Leadership from Western Seminary and is currently working on his doctorate. He is the Executive Director of Calvary Global Network and has a heart for the mission of God and the global church. In this episode we discuss Missional Ecclesiology, which is a way of understanding the identity, purpose, and function of the church within the Missio Dei (mission of God). Ecclesiology is the discussion of what the Church is called to be and to do – including its nature, purpose, hopes, structures, and practices.  We discuss how this concept works out practically, including a discussion of "foreign missions" and how they fit into this understanding. Furthermore, we discuss what the past nearly two years of pandemic has revealed about ecclesiology, and why there is hope as we move forward. Bibliography and recommended resources: Hirsch, Alan. The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating Apostolic Movements. Goheen, Michael. The Church and it’s Vocation: Leslie Newbigin’s Missionary Ecclesiology.  Stetzer, Ed. Planting Missional Churches: Your Guide to Starting Churches that Multiply. Newbigin, Leslie. The Gospel in a Pluralist Society.  Van Engen, Charles. Transforming Mission Theology.  Wright, Christopher J.H.. The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative. Bosch, David. Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission.  Hooker, Paul. "What is Missional Ecclesiology?"  Make sure to check out the Theology for the People blog at nickcady.org — Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theologyforthepeople/support

Make sure to check out some of the books and papers listed below for more information and study on this topic.

  1. Hirsch, Alan. The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating Apostolic Movements.
  2. Goheen, Michael. The Church and it’s Vocation: Leslie Newbigin’s Missionary Ecclesiology.
  3. Stetzer, Ed. Planting Missional Churches: Your Guide to Starting Churches that Multiply.
  4. Newbigin, Leslie. The Gospel in a Pluralist Society.
  5. Van Engen, Charles. Transforming Mission Theology.
  6. Wright, Christopher J.H.. The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative.
  7. Bosch, David. Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission.
  8. Hooker, Paul. “What is Missional Ecclesiology?”