Nazarenes in Europe have mobilized to respond with compassion, working around the clock to meet the needs of people who have been displaced by the conflict in Ukraine.

In Ukraine, churches gathered Sunday in person and online for worship and encouragement. As many community members seek safety in underground shelters, pastors and church members are there with them providing counsel and spiritual support. When possible, they are providing food, supplies, and transportation. Church leaders in Ukraine are also working to coordinate evacuations and are providing other assistance for people in need. 

In Moldova, Nazarene churches are receiving refugees. One church is sheltering 18 people and assisted another hundred people in smaller ways. 

“Of course, our situation cannot be compared to what the people in Kyiv are experiencing,” says one pastor. “But for the last three days, my wife and I have not slept more than three to four hours.”

Nazarene churches in Poland are meeting refugees at the border and are providing assistance to those who arrive in Poznan. There, a team of volunteers and pastors is cooking meals, providing food and basic necessities, and helping people find shelter. 

In Romania, churches have prepared their facilities to serve as safe spaces for refugees and are gathering supplies that families will need while they stay. Pastors are working to help mothers with children travel to other locations in Europe and covering the cost of their transportation when possible.

In Hungary, a small response team of Nazarene pastors and volunteers has formed. The group has delivered food and water to the women and children of four villages after many of the men there joined the army. Stores in these villages are mostly empty, and now there is a shortage of drinking water. Pastors prepared one of the church properties in Hungary to host several families; the district is also collecting funds for refugees who come to the area.

How you can help

Pray

Please pray for people experiencing firsthand the crisis in Eastern Europe. Pray for those seeking shelter within Ukraine, those relocating to other countries, and those grieving the losses they have already suffered. Pray for those who are most vulnerable, including children, senior adults, individuals with disabilities, and those with health conditions who need medication. Pray for church leaders and churches responding to the needs around them. To send a prayer or note of encouragement, go to ncm.org/pray.

Give

Churches and individuals around the world can provide support through the NCM Eurasia North Field Crisis Fund. Donations will go toward emergency support associated with transportation, shelter, food, water, and essential supplies. To support churches as they care for people within Ukraine and those traveling from Ukraine to neighboring countries, give today: ncm.org/Ukraine.

To send donations by mail:

In the U.S., make checks payable to "General Treasurer" and send them to: 

Global Treasury Services

Church of the Nazarene

P.O. Box 843116

Kansas City, MO 64184-3116

Be sure to put 137043 in the Memo area.

In Canada, make checks payable to "Church of the Nazarene Canada" and send them to:

Church of the Nazarene Canada

3657 Ponytrail Drive, Mississauga, ON | L4X 1W5

Be sure to put 137043 in the Memo area.

For any other country, give through your local church or district, designating your gift to NCM Eurasia North Field Crisis Fund.