Our Story
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
— Matthew 25:35–36
A Ministry Founded on Faith, Mercy, and Compassion
Christian House Rehabilitation and Mercy Center was established in Chernihiv, Ukraine, in 1994. From the very beginning, the ministry was built around a desire to serve people who were facing difficult circumstances and, above all, to help them discover the love, mercy, and truth of Jesus Christ.
The first major focus of the ministry was evangelism and service in correctional facilities. What began as a small effort gradually developed into a broader ministry that included prison evangelism, practical assistance, children’s ministry, and support for people rebuilding their lives after incarceration. Throughout the years, the Center has sought to remain faithful to the calling God placed on the hearts of those who founded and served in the ministry.
The Beginning in 1994
The first stage of establishing Christian House was completed in late 1994.
For the founder and director of the Center, Alexey Nikitovich Veresotsky, the beginning was not easy. Establishing relationships with the regional administration, law enforcement authorities, and correctional facility leadership required patience and perseverance.
But these administrative challenges were only one part of the work.
The greater challenge was finding a way to reach the hearts of people who had made serious mistakes, become lost in difficult circumstances, and found themselves serving sentences in prison.
The ministry began by writing to the authorities responsible for correctional facilities, asking for permission to conduct Christian worship services and to bring humanitarian assistance, including food, to prisoners. Eventually, doors began to open.
The first regular ministry took place at the women’s correctional facility on Promyshlena Street in Chernihiv.
Finding a Way to People’s Hearts
The women in the facility came from very different backgrounds. Some had struggled with addiction, others had been involved in theft, robbery, violence, or other serious crimes. Some were serving sentences for murder.
Yet when the members of Christian House met them personally, they saw something more than their past mistakes. The ministry sought to treat each person with dignity and compassion while sharing the message of Christ.
Over the years of our ministry in correctional facilities, more than 1,700 women have repented and changed their lives through faith in Jesus Christ.
Over time, the ministry observed significant changes among many women who embraced Christian faith and began living differently.
For Christian House, these were not simply numbers. Every person represented a life, a family, and an opportunity for change.
The combination of spiritual and practical care became an important characteristic of the ministry.
As the ministry became established, Christian House began conducting regular worship services together with local Christians. The team preached the Gospel, sang spiritual songs, distributed Christian literature, and spent personal time talking with prisoners. The literature included Gospels, Christian booklets, newspapers, magazines, and other materials that allowed people to continue reading and learning about the Christian faith after the ministry team left. The Center also looked for people among the prisoners who were sincerely interested in following Christ and who could eventually help others. With the help of these believers and facility staff, a prayer room was established. It became an important place for prayer, Christian teaching, fellowship, and access to spiritual literature. Over time, the ministry became a regular part of life for many of the women.
A Growing Ministry
The ministry did not remain limited to worship services. Christian House sought to respond to the practical needs of people as well. The Center provided clothing, shoes, food, medicine, personal hygiene items, and other necessities. In some cases, assistance was also provided to help people obtain identification documents. The goal was never simply to provide material assistance.
The practical help created opportunities to demonstrate compassion and communicate a deeper message: you have not been forgotten, and your life still has value.
The ministry sought to show through both words and actions that the love of God reaches people even in the most difficult circumstances.
Expanding Beyond Prison Ministry
As Christian House developed, it became clear that the needs of people extended far beyond the prison walls.
The Center began supporting children and organizations serving children, including schools and boarding institutions, as well as the Zeleny Hai Regional Children’s Tuberculosis Sanatorium in Chernihiv.
The ministry also became involved in supporting children living with their mothers in the women’s correctional facility. This eventually became an important part of the Center’s children’s ministry, which included clothing, gifts, food, school supplies, Christian literature, and other practical assistance. The desire was to help children who were facing difficult circumstances and to show them through practical care that they were loved and not forgotten.
Reaching Men’s Correctional Facilities
After establishing a significant ministry among women, Christian House decided to expand its work to men’s correctional facilities.
The ministry began serving prisoners at the correctional facility in Makoshino, in the Chernihiv region. Later, the work expanded to another group of prisoners in Domnytsia, beginning in 2002.
… more than 400 men received water baptism. Thank You God!
The approach was similar: preaching the Gospel, worship services, prayer, Christian literature, music, personal conversations, and practical assistance. The ministry also encouraged prisoners to use their abilities in positive ways. Among the prisoners were musicians who helped organize a Christian ensemble and choir. A community of believers gradually developed, and the spiritual work continued to grow.
The historical records of Christian House report that more than 400 men received water baptism, while many more responded to the Gospel and repented.
A Ministry of Mercy and Christian Love
Although prison ministry was the first major focus of Christian House, the Center’s work gradually became broader.
The ministry sought to help people who were struggling, regardless of their circumstances.
Whether serving prisoners, helping children, supporting families, or assisting people after release, the underlying purpose remained the same: to demonstrate Christian love through both words and actions and to help people discover the hope found in Jesus Christ.
The founders and workers of Christian House believed that every person has value before God and that even someone who has made serious mistakes can begin a different life.
This conviction continues to shape the story of the ministry.