Greetings my friends,
For the past 10 days, I have been back in Ukraine on a mission. As you know, this past year the Regent Center for Entrepreneurship - Dr. John Mulford and I - have forged the development of a business development center with my good friend, Ivan Papish – whom I met 12 years ago while here with YWAM. Jason Benedict and I arrived on Monday, December the 8th. You have probably realized how passionate I am about Kingdom Business. I believe with all my heart that the primary reason we are in business is to change lives.
I first came to Ukraine back in 1996 - over 200 people made decisions to follow Christ with their lives but I realized that while many had come to know the Lord in a personal relationship – their lives were in dire need of help in generating incomes to support their families and creating businesses that could provide employment in this region of Ternopil.
Today, this is summarized in discussing the difference between the Gospel of Salvation and the Gospel of the Kingdom. It is not enough to only encourage those God brings into our lives to come to Him – to be saved. I believe we are called to go beyond and serve in a more holistic way – to be salt and light in the marketplace and to replicate our entrepreneurial spirit in the lives of those we have made deposits into – teaching them how to fish, so to speak, so they can provide for their families and the families who will eventually work for the companies and businesses they will launch.
This past week, this dream of ours at RCE to see Kingdom Business transforming lives and nations took one more step to fulfillment. On Thursday and Friday, December 11th and 12th, RCE held its first Business Plan Competition in Ternopil, Ukraine!
RCE and its 'Founders' have invested over $30K this year to bring Biblical Entrepreneurship – 3 entire courses that teach believers in a developing nation how to launch a Kingdom business – to Ukraine. The final component of the year program is a Business Plan Competition which we held in the 'Center for Entrepreneurial Success' which John Mulford and I helped my good friend Ivan Papish launch last year here in Ukraine.
The Christian Center for Entrepreneurial Success has served over 300 emerging business leaders here in the Ternopil region of western Ukraine. CBN Kiev helped produce a short video on what the Center has accomplished (which will be up on RCE's website shortly). We had 51 Ukrainians participate in each of the 3 Biblical Entrepreneurship courses this year (2 leaders came to Christ in BE 2). While 31 made it all the way through BE 3 (Business Plan Development) – we had 14 BE Students present B-Plans at the competition last week. Several have already launched their own small businesses (SME's) and many are in process. We had the pleasure of having Galina from Operation Blessing in Kiev serve as one of the judges in the competition – OB is looking to provide initial start-up funds for Ukrainians to launch their own small businesses.
We had 3 local Ukrainian businesspeople serve as judges in addition to Galina, along with Jason Benedict (RCE Strategist), Tim Judy (IMB Kingdom Business Missionary), and Mark Boyce (Kingdom Business Investor), and myself.
This Center in Ternopil has impacted so many lives and we have won the respect of the local community – a feat in and of itself because it takes a lot to earn trust in this society where Communism ruled for over 70 years.
The first evening I arrived in Ukraine, I had the opportunity to visit a dear friend in Kiev that I had gotten to know this past summer while working with one of the largest banks here in Ukraine on a consulting project--I'll call him Victor.
Victor and I became friends while launching a national company here in Kiev with Tony & April Creed. He is a leader in the business community and has worked as the CFO of several national companies here in Ukraine – currently developing his own investment capital firm ARPA Investments. We spent many hours together last summer – even a few 'all-nighters' while preparing for several Board Meetings to present our business plan to the shareholders of Eurostandard. During that time, I was able to share my faith with Victor and we talked at length about the Kingdom of God and how Christ came to the Earth.
I am excited to say that Victor dedicated his life to Jesus Christ a week ago Monday, my first night back in Kiev! The seeds that were sown through this Kingdom business opportunity brought my good friend to Christ! He contemplated this decision for months and I know his seed of faith has been deposited on fertile soil.
I wanted to share the news with all of you, and ask you to be praying for me. I return to the states Dec 22nd.
Hoping this holiday season brings you much joy and peace - even in the midst of trying times. Remember that our hope is in Him, not in the things of the world.
In Him,
Tom Stansbury
For the past 10 days, I have been back in Ukraine on a mission. As you know, this past year the Regent Center for Entrepreneurship - Dr. John Mulford and I - have forged the development of a business development center with my good friend, Ivan Papish – whom I met 12 years ago while here with YWAM. Jason Benedict and I arrived on Monday, December the 8th. You have probably realized how passionate I am about Kingdom Business. I believe with all my heart that the primary reason we are in business is to change lives.
~~ ~~ ~~
I first came to Ukraine back in 1996 - over 200 people made decisions to follow Christ with their lives but I realized that while many had come to know the Lord in a personal relationship – their lives were in dire need of help in generating incomes to support their families and creating businesses that could provide employment in this region of Ternopil.
Today, this is summarized in discussing the difference between the Gospel of Salvation and the Gospel of the Kingdom. It is not enough to only encourage those God brings into our lives to come to Him – to be saved. I believe we are called to go beyond and serve in a more holistic way – to be salt and light in the marketplace and to replicate our entrepreneurial spirit in the lives of those we have made deposits into – teaching them how to fish, so to speak, so they can provide for their families and the families who will eventually work for the companies and businesses they will launch.
~~ ~~ ~~
This past week, this dream of ours at RCE to see Kingdom Business transforming lives and nations took one more step to fulfillment. On Thursday and Friday, December 11th and 12th, RCE held its first Business Plan Competition in Ternopil, Ukraine!
RCE and its 'Founders' have invested over $30K this year to bring Biblical Entrepreneurship – 3 entire courses that teach believers in a developing nation how to launch a Kingdom business – to Ukraine. The final component of the year program is a Business Plan Competition which we held in the 'Center for Entrepreneurial Success' which John Mulford and I helped my good friend Ivan Papish launch last year here in Ukraine.
The Christian Center for Entrepreneurial Success has served over 300 emerging business leaders here in the Ternopil region of western Ukraine. CBN Kiev helped produce a short video on what the Center has accomplished (which will be up on RCE's website shortly). We had 51 Ukrainians participate in each of the 3 Biblical Entrepreneurship courses this year (2 leaders came to Christ in BE 2). While 31 made it all the way through BE 3 (Business Plan Development) – we had 14 BE Students present B-Plans at the competition last week. Several have already launched their own small businesses (SME's) and many are in process. We had the pleasure of having Galina from Operation Blessing in Kiev serve as one of the judges in the competition – OB is looking to provide initial start-up funds for Ukrainians to launch their own small businesses.
We had 3 local Ukrainian businesspeople serve as judges in addition to Galina, along with Jason Benedict (RCE Strategist), Tim Judy (IMB Kingdom Business Missionary), and Mark Boyce (Kingdom Business Investor), and myself.
This Center in Ternopil has impacted so many lives and we have won the respect of the local community – a feat in and of itself because it takes a lot to earn trust in this society where Communism ruled for over 70 years.
~~ ~~ ~~
The first evening I arrived in Ukraine, I had the opportunity to visit a dear friend in Kiev that I had gotten to know this past summer while working with one of the largest banks here in Ukraine on a consulting project--I'll call him Victor.
Victor and I became friends while launching a national company here in Kiev with Tony & April Creed. He is a leader in the business community and has worked as the CFO of several national companies here in Ukraine – currently developing his own investment capital firm ARPA Investments. We spent many hours together last summer – even a few 'all-nighters' while preparing for several Board Meetings to present our business plan to the shareholders of Eurostandard. During that time, I was able to share my faith with Victor and we talked at length about the Kingdom of God and how Christ came to the Earth.
I am excited to say that Victor dedicated his life to Jesus Christ a week ago Monday, my first night back in Kiev! The seeds that were sown through this Kingdom business opportunity brought my good friend to Christ! He contemplated this decision for months and I know his seed of faith has been deposited on fertile soil.
~~ ~~ ~~
I wanted to share the news with all of you, and ask you to be praying for me. I return to the states Dec 22nd.
Hoping this holiday season brings you much joy and peace - even in the midst of trying times. Remember that our hope is in Him, not in the things of the world.
In Him,
Tom Stansbury
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