Mission Statement
Our mission is to help the helpless (i.e., the poor), especially widows and orphans, and to help people to help themselves. It is not primarily to build churches, make capital investments in buildings or to become financially involved in personal projects, but to train and empower people to develop the Samaritan spirit of caring for others.Overview of Ministry Activity
The Call
Samaritan Ministries in Ukraine began with a call from God. It was launched in 1993 by Donald N. Miller, a retired pastor and seminary administrator, on the third floor of the Zhitomir Hotel in Ukraine. The ministry, initially established in several former German colonies of his ancestral home, has since expanded to include a growing number of other villages and towns in the Zhitomir region.
Samaritan Ministries in Ukraine is associated with Good Samaritan Ministries in Beaverton, Oregon and is registered in Ukraine as an international charitable organization. The parent organization, headed by Bettie P. Mitchell, is represented in over 25 countries of the world.
Statement of Faith
Samaritan Ministries in Ukraine adheres to the historic doctrines of the Christian Faith as defined by evangelicals down through the ages. We are not only orthodox and evangelical in our faith, but seek to live out our beliefs as we yield to the Holy Spirit’s power and directives:
- The Bible is the Word of God.
- There is one God, eternally existing, as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- People are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
- The church is the body of Christ on earth for the proclamation of the Gospel to the world.
- God, in His own time and His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end.
Values
Values are the things we consider to be important to Samaritan Ministries in Ukraine. As the word suggests, they are the things we value as an organization. The values we hold are foundational to everything else and must be carefully guarded. Our core value is to LOVE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WITH ALL OUR HEARTS AND OUR NEIGHBOR AS OURSELVES (Luke 10:25-37). From this one basic value, flow all of our other values:
- We value CARING FOR THE POOR. We believe that God has called us to minister to the poor (i.e. the weak, deprived, downtrodden, broken-hearted, impoverished and victimized) and that He delights in acts of mercy. (Matthew 25:31- 40; Psalm 41:1).
- We value HEALING OF THE NATIONS. We believe that God wants us to restore the ancient foundations of Ukraine by bringing healing to the nation. (Isaiah 58: 12).
- We value FAITH IN ACTION. We believe that our feelings of compassion for people must be put into action to have value to God and those in need. (James 2:14-26).
- We value being SPIRIT-LED. We believe that the Holy Spirit desires to direct us in our God-given mission as well as in our personal lives. (Romans 8:14).
- We value PRAYER. We believe that prayer is essential to experiencing God’s presence, hearing His voice, knowing how to accomplish His purposes and bearing fruit, much fruit, as Jesus said, and fruit that lasts. (John 15:7,8).
- We value BODY LIFE. We believe that human connections, empowered by the Holy Spirit, are supply channels for ministering life to each other and to the world. (Ephesians 4:16).
- We value INTEGRITY. We believe it is important for us to deal with each other in an honest and open manner, to live uprightly before God and to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
- We value SERVANT LEADERSHIP. We believe that Christ has placed certain people in authority over others and that we are to exercise that authority with love, grace and humility. (Mark 10:42-45).
- We value SIMPLICITY. We believe that nothing should be done for show or religious effect, but that we must overcome our own name to work fully in His name. (Matthew 6:1-4).
- We value TRAINING AND EMPOWERMENT. We believe that leaders have a God-given responsibility, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to reproduce themselves, equipping and enabling others to go and do likewise. (Ephesians 4:11-16, Luke 10:37).
- We value SENDING AND RECEIVING. We believe that God has called us to send and receive trained volunteers on short-term assignments for cross-pollination purposes in order to build up the body of Christ. (Acts 13:1-3).
- We value CULTURAL SENSITIVITY. We believe that it is important to be sensitive to the culture of others while advancing the Kingdom of God in the world. (I Corinthians 9:19-23).
- We value becoming INDIGENOUS. We believe that we are full and equal partners of faith and that the goal is for nationals to take ownership for the ministry. (Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 5:12-14).
Other Areas of Ministry
Sports programs, Dental and Medical Clinics, Counseling, Training and Empower
