90% of people in Ukraine consider them-selves Orthodox Christians, but they mostly go to church only at Easter and Christmas. Less than 2% are evangelicals. Many people are suspicious of evangelical churches as they have been told that it is a dangerous cult. Evangelical churches on the eastern border face serious persecution, too.
Ukrainians are desperate to learn English and running English language courses in churches has been very strategic. For people to cross the door of an evangelical church is a huge deal, but with these classes they are coming in, and they need Christ more than they need English.
Using Life Explored in English with Ukrainian subtitles works well because people learn the language and learn about Christianity simultaneously. Life Explored is excellent because non-Christians – and especially the younger generation – find it easy to relate to the good news of Jesus through it. The high-quality films are another major hook.
