Ministry to people with disabilities

Celebration of 16 years of ministry to people with disabilities at Fimiam Church.

On the first Sunday of December each year, Fimiam Church celebrates the anniversary of the ministry to
people with disabilities, and this year was no exception. And so, on the occasion of the 16th anniversary,
people related to this work participated in a celebratory service on December 5.
It is important to remember that the work for people with severe health problems was begun by Serhiy
and Natalia Bolchuk in 2005. In the beginning, they visited the families of people with disabilities,
attempting to offer support and, if possible, financial assistance to buy medicine, diapers, and food.
Eventually, they were able to form a larger team of volunteers by joining together Christians from
several churches.
The couple and the ministry team started Creativity Studio for children with disabilities, then summer
retreats and the active rehabilitation center. Some time later, these activities gave impulse to the
formation of the non-profit organization «Agape Ukraine». During the church service, Roman Antoniuk,
administrator of the organization, spoke about the various directions of work. Additionally, the band
«About You»; provided the musical accompaniment and Serhiy Bolchuk shared his thoughts from the
Word of God.

The story of Serhiy and Victoria Romanchuk.

Everyone present was impressed by the story of Serhiy and Victoria Romanchuk, who both work at the
Agape Rehabilitation Complex. Serhiy is a caregiver and Victoria, despite having a disability and utilizing
a wheelchair for mobility, is an occupational therapist.
Some time ago, this couple began to consider adoption. They encountered many complicated
bureaucratic procedures and obstacles. There were misunderstandings on the part of some who said to
Victoria, “You have a disability. Why do you do this? How can you raise an orphan? It’s hard!” But
despite all of this, the couple managed to adopt a boy, Oleh. He will turn 2 years old in a month and in
May the couple will celebrate their 5th anniversary. They also dream of adopting a girl.
The example of Serhiy and Victoria’s life destroys all the stereotypes that a person with a disability is
worthless and cannot be useful in society. After all, people with serious health problems also need
friendship, support and faith in their abilities and success.