Managing family crisis experience of Ukrainian protestant churches

Abstract

The institution of the family is going through difficult times in Ukraine. According to Eurostatistics, the highest rate of divorces in Europe is in Ukrainian society - 61 %; more than half of the couples arebusted up. Beside that, the latest government policy in Ukraine is not stable when it comes to saving traditional institution of family based on christian values. This became a serious cause for raising a question about family ministration in church.
 In this article it has been researched that in protestant’s segment of christianity of Ukraine a family ministration takes an important place. There are two strong directions in this particular ministration of Ukrainian Protestants: 1) ministrations oriented to prevent family crisis; 2) ministrations that involve direct work with marriage problems and family relations in general.
 It has been analyzed that the scale of family ministrationss consists of 1) organization or co-organisation of family forums and conference at the national, regional, and city levels by Ukrainian Protestants. The purpose of these events is to join the efforts of public employees, scientists, pedagogues, social workers, psychologists, journalists, family activists and volunteers for assertion of family institution, popularization of family values, maintaining ideas and suggestions for developing national family politics. 2) Ukrainian Protestants initiate many social movements, alliances and missions which aims to develop healthy civil society based on christian family values. 
 It has been identified that ministration of Ukrainian Protestants in the field of family matters is noticed to be multidirectional – organizing trainings for men, women and youth, seminars and conferences, helping destitute children and orphans through adaptation and creation family type housing units, running of christian holiday’s camps, rehabilitation centres, services via mass media.
 In addition to the public services, Ukraine Protestants assign huge importance to individual ministry by pastors, teachers and family consultants who pays great attention to consultations and prayers. During the years of religious freedom in Ukrainian Protestant church the cohort of professional psychologists, pedagogues, physicians has appeared, and helps to overcome relational, family and marital conflicts on a personal level as consultants and soulpastors.
 As a conclusion, the article reveales that Protestant church in Ukraine has developed different methods in prevention and settlement of family crisis through different methods and forms of public service as well as counselling. This experience consists of: consolidation of family and it’s traditional model, popularization of christian family values, support of underprivileged men and women due to family crises, guardianship of orphans and children from dysfunctional families, adoption of orphans, formation of family type orphanages. Accumulation of experiences of Ukrainian Protestants could be useful for Ukrainian government as well as for the other churches.