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Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Kharkiv
Pastor Sudakov and his family

About

The Church in Kharkiv had a thriving ministry, especially among university students and young families. By God’s mercy, their ministry work and service continue –  even under constant attack from russian forces.  Just a few miles from the front lines, Kharkiv is daily shelled and experiences difficulties getting supplies.

 

After briefly relocating their entire church to the relative safety of Western Ukraine, church leaders felt called to resume ministry in the city of Kharkiv. However, not all of the congregants could return.

The Kharkiv church is very active in taking supplies donated through Crates For Ukraine to frontline regions. Humanitarian distributions allow familes to receive basic necessities that many can no longer find in shops or afford if found.

 

Despite constant shelling,  the congregation meets faithfully each Sunday. The church is very close to buildings that have been bombed, but praise God, He has preserved the church, both physically and spiritually.

Updated August 24th for September 2026

Pray for

  • The gospel to grow in the hearts of those who attended our English camp and those who also receive our humanitarian help.
  • Wisdom as we consider the needs of our community and church – the many conferences and outreaches that we did this summer had us bursting at the seams. We are looking to expand to provide enough space for worship, children’s ministry, conferences, mercy ministry, and other activities. Because of the ongoing security situation, we would especially value a building in a safer area or one with a suitable basement or protected space. Pray that God will lead and provide for us.
  • The winter. Attacks this summer have been horrendous and have continued to attack infrastructure, meaning that we are going into winter with less electrical and heating capabilities. Pray that God will give us wisdom and provisions to care for the church and community.
  • Workers – our ministry and aid team has been serving under fire for over four years and we are exhausted. Pray that God will raise up workers and volunteers to share the burden.
  •  Our mobilized ministry partner, Alex and his family – pray that God would protect and provide for them.
  • God’s continued protection over our church, our mercy ministry center, and the people we serve in the midst of ongoing danger.

Praise for

  • A great project with our ministry team for the first part of August.  We are especially thankful that the missiles were not quite as frequent during their time with us.
  • The encouragement offered by Providence Presbyterian-not only have they been supporting and upholding us through gifts and prayer, but a team came to us in Kharkiv to preach and serve.  
  • The contacts we made with nonbelievers who attended our English camp.,
  • The “Waiting on the Lord”  conference. Over 50 people attended and were reminded of God’s faithfulness even after years of war, loss, and uncertainty. We are thankful for the spiritual encouragement.
  • A women’s gathering that focused especially on encouraging the women.
  • The Lord’s protection and preservation in the midst of continued attacks on Kharkiv.
  •  Our church and mercy ministry have been able to steadily continue to support about 200 families each month with food and necessity packages costing $25 per bag. Thank you to everyone who donates to help provide us with many of the humanitarian items we distribute.
Worship service in Kharkiv
Sharing a meal together
One of our smaller members getting a care package. We also have clothes and bags with food and basic necessities.
The conference enabled by the arrival and encouragement of our brothers from the West.
Small groups meet throughout the week
Christmas Outreach activity
A home visit to distribute humanitarian items
Delivery of humanitarian aid
Praise God we can continue to gather and worship!

An excerpt from a letter from the church in Kharkiv

June 18, 2026

Dear brothers and sisters,

The past few weeks have been particularly difficult due to ongoing missile and drone attacks. At the same time, we are very grateful for our defenders and air defense forces. More missiles, drones, and Shahed attacks are being intercepted than before, and although strikes still occur, we can see that the protection of our skies has improved. We thank God for His preserving mercy through those who serve to defend our country.

Sadly, there have also been tragic losses. The enemy continues to employ so-called “double-tap” attacks. After an initial strike, emergency personnel arrive to help victims and extinguish fires, only to be targeted by a second attack. Last week, five emergency responders lost their lives when a missile carrying fragmentation munitions struck the site where they were working. This is a profound tragedy for our city. Please pray for comfort for the families who have lost loved ones in these attacks.

Another recent attack targeted the city’s art museum—a place completely unrelated to military activity. As a result, approximately 2,000 paintings and cultural artifacts were damaged. It is heartbreaking to see not only lives but also cultural treasures destroyed by this war.

Sometimes it is hard to believe that the war has continued for so long. Yet we remain confident that God is sovereign and continues to sustain His people.

With gratitude in Christ,
Mark