UETS Holds Its Annual Soul and Word Conference

On May 24-25, UETS held its annual ‘Soul and Word’ conference on its campus. Today, maintaining hope for the future is more crucial than ever. We believe the war will eventually end with Ukraine’s victory, but our society will still face numerous challenges, many of which are already becoming apparent.

So, this year’s conference theme ‘Trauma, Healing and Growth in the Time of War’ addressed several critical issues:

– How to help people who have lived through traumatic experiences?

– How to increase the resilience of Ukrainians in the context of war?

– How to support families, couples, and children who have experienced domestic abuse?

– How to overcome psychological trauma and PTSD?

– How to support the military returning from the frontline?

– How to take care of oneself during times of war?

The conference featured seminars and panel discussions focused on different especially relevant in Ukraine these days themes, like:

– Soul Wounds and Healing through the Prism of the Bible

– Compassion Fatigue: Resilience in the Face of War

– Toxicity in Family Relationships: How to Overcome It

– How Not to Break Down During the War and Become Psychologically Stronger

– Serving People Who Have Lost Their Limbs

– Being Close to Those Experiencing Loss

– My Story of Recovery from Addiction

– Domestic Abuse: A Biblical Perspective

The panel discussions we held during the conference provided an opportunity for everyone to hear multiple expert opinions on topics such as: Cooperation between Pastors and Psychologists; Psychological and Spiritual Support of the Church for the Military and People Who Survived the Occupation; Modern Psychology and Christian Anthropology; First Psychological Aid; Stress, Trauma, PTSD – How to Understand and Help Yourself/Loved Ones; Importance of Support Groups.

During the conference the speakers emphasized that “we need to work on becoming a community where we try to understand each other, become a community of healing, where a person with an open wound still hurting can come with no fear of being rejected or judged and get help.”

Beyond the educational sessions, participants were able to enjoy the campus area located in the beautiful forest area near Kyiv, engaging in conversations and sharing experiences with one another. We are grateful to God and thankful to our Armed Forces for enabling us to hold such meaningful gatherings.