One thousand five hundred Christians in Dnepropetrovsk learned how to thank the Lord

On the 12th of October  a Thanksgiving holiday took place in “Vifania” church in Dnepropetrovsk. More than a thousand and five hundred believers of different confessions came together to thank the Lord. They thanked him for everything: for water, for bread and for their having something beside bread. Hundreds of people praised the Lord for this year’s crop, he gave us.

Nikolai Sinyuk, the bishop’s assistant of the UUEPCC, Mikhail Mokienko, the bishop of UUEPCC in DnepropetrovskDnepropetrovsk regional administration took the word with their congratulations on the holiday. region and the first deputy head of the committee for the religion-related issues in

Beside thanksgiving prayers, there were also blessing prayers. The Christians prayed for other Christians, for the peace in the world, for Ukraine, for the state powers and for the government, for Dnepropetrovsk city and region. The penance prayer for people from all over the world come to know Jesus Christ, who is waiting for them, was the special part of the holiday.

The joint regional choir of UUEPCC, evangelic group “Zion” and the spiritual orchestra of “Svet Evangeliya” church from Dnepropetrovsk took part in the action.

Among the representatives of the priesthood there were the following persons: Vyacheslav Ten, the pastor of “Jerusalem” church, Gennagiy Gvozdetskiy, the pastor of “Probuzhdeniye” ; Yuriy Kancur, the pastor of “Preobrazheniye” church and Mikhail Zhovnir, the president of the Christian spiritual and educational center “Alpha and Omega”. 

Some of the participants told the correspondent of ProChurch.info about their impressions.

Vasily Lozyanoy, Василий Лозяной, the deacon of “Pobeda” church, Dnepropetrovsk: “I thank the Lord for the unity, he gave us. We didn’t feel any disagreements or difference between us”.

The only problem on holiday was the number of people. The wasn’t enough room for everyone and people had tostand in an aisle. The hall was full as well as the smaller hall in the basement; the action was broadcasted there on a big screen.

My wife and I were pleasantly surprised, as the cars and the people were moving just in the direction of the church ».

Maria Prokhorova, retired: “When we came to the place of the holiday, all the places were already ranked and my sisters and I had to sit in the basement. I could hardly see anything because of the big number of people. But I couldhear everything! The Lord made something special for us, we prayed as if we were one whole thing. I thank theLord so much for this day. Let there be more similar holidays”.

Mikhail Mokienko, the bishop of UUEPCC in Dnepropetrovsk region: “I am sure that every person, who calls himself a Christian, should be grateful to Lord. Apostle Paul writes in his letters to Thessalonians: “Thank for everything” (1st Thes. 5:18). For me, this holiday became the personal reply that the Lord blesses us if we do His work together. The believers came from all over the region and each of them could give his spikelet in the general sheaf of gratefulness to our Lord.

There were some defects with organizing the holiday, but thanks to the Lord’s help we managed to have this holiday. We pray for making this initiative a national day of Thanksgiving, a Ukrainian Thanksgiving day. We always have something to thank the Lord for.”.

As the press-cutting center of UUEPCC to the ProChurch.info agency, the similar festive meetings took place in most of Ukrainian regional centers. Christians from Rivno region, Crimea, Donets Basin and Podolia also did meet for the mutual prayer thanking for the bread, peace and Ukraine.

As we have told earlier, the central action of the Thanksgiving celebration of the 12th of October was the mutual prayer for Ukraine on Maydan Nezalezhnosti, the main square of Ukraine. For the first time mass prayer for Ukrainetook place on the 21st of October, year 2007 on Maidan Nezalezhnosti  and was initiated by UUEPCC.

UUEPCC is the initiator of the Ukrainian Day of Thanking the Lord, which becomes more and more popular each year among the people. Victor Yushchenko, the President of Ukraine, while greeting the participants of the meeting in “Ukraina” National palace on the 21st of October, year 2007, mentioned that the holiday is important for the process of the spiritual renovation of the nation.

Vladimir Chorny, ProChurch.info