A teen from Madison Heights Baptist Church helps a Slavic girl during a Backyard Bible Club in Asheville, N.C. Carla Wynn Davis photo

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The sound sent chills. The youthful sound of American and Ukrainian teenagers voicing a worship song together – it brought tears, too.

"It gave everybody chills because you felt real unity [of] Christians together," said Mandy Allen, minister of youth and children at Madison Heights Baptist Church in Madison Heights, Va. "It was a real worship experience, but [my youth] realized it was bigger than them."

For more than 20 youth from the Madison Heights church, a weeklong trip in Asheville, N.C., helped build community across cultural lines. Their work with Slavic immigrants helped Fran and Mike Graham, two of CBF’s Global Missions affiliate personnel serving among Asheville’s more than 8,000 Slavic immigrants.

The Grahams started Western North Carolina Slavic Ministries, through which they minister holistically to immigrants relocating from 15 republics of the former Soviet Union. Some come as refugees because of religious persecution and others come to reunite with family.

In this first summer accepting church teams, the Grahams have welcomed groups from five Fellowship partner churches. Most minister through backyard Bible clubs in apartment complexes where large numbers of Slavic families live. Each church is paired with a local Slavic church so that cross cultural friendships and understanding can develop.

"You are having a great effect on these American young peoples’ lives," Fran told a group of Slavic pastors. "It’s going to change lives of young people on both sides. It gives me chills to talk about … because it’s going to be so wonderful."

CBF Global Missions affiliates provide or secure their own ministry funding but are a part of the Fellowship’s Global Missions network. Appointed as affiliates in 2005, the increased connection with Fellowship Baptists has "helped us better get the word out about what’s going on here with the Slavic community," Fran said.

With awareness of their ministry growing, more and more churches are contributing resources, time and talents. Local churches like Calvary Baptist Church have adopted new immigrant families like the seven-member Korolchuk family, who arrived last year from the Ukraine.

"They gave us everything that we need," Lyubov Korolchuk said of the church.

From large local churches like First Baptist Church of Asheville to smaller churches like Enka Baptist Church, assistance comes in the form of food, furniture and other donations. But this summer’s teams will hopefully take the ministry to the next level.

"Teams go in side by side with us," Fran said. "It’s community building and can [build] more lasting relationships."

And so far it’s working, according to Allen, whose youth group "got to sit at table and talk with [Ukranian teens] and get to know them and learn more about the [Ukrainian] culture," she said. "They got to learn more about each other."

To learn about partnership opportunities with WNC Slavic Ministries, contact the Fellowship at (800) 352-8741. For more information on CBF affiliate service, contact Matt Norman at (770) 220-1600 or mnorman@thefellowship.info.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.