Thanks to you, Dima’s life is forever changed. Generational brokenness turned into generational healing through the power of the gospel.
“I was following in my dad’s footsteps. I knew it was destructive, but it was all I knew.”
Dima grew up in one of the worst criminal districts in Kiev, Ukraine. His dad was an alcoholic and by the time Dima was a teenager, alcohol and computer games ruled his life.
“At that point, I had no interest in God. I had a negative experience with the orthodox church and that turned me off.
“But God, in his grace, had great interest and love for me! I just never thought He would use Hip-Hop.”
At 15 years-old, one of Dima’s friends invited him to a dance studio to learn breaking. His friend only lasted one month, but Dima was drawn into the dance.
“I loved this dance from the start. I felt alive in a strange way, like this is what I was made for.”
Dima’s dance teacher was also a Christian, and when he invited Dima to study the book of John, Dima said yes.
“I had a lot of free time, so I said yes. When we read about the blind man receiving sight, God opened my heart to the gospel. I was that blind man, and desperately needed the healing power of Jesus!”
God saved Dima that day in a dance studio. Dima realized his calling was not ultimately to dance, but to use this dance to reach the Hip-Hop culture with the gospel.
“Because God saved me through breaking, the idea of being called to a Hip-Hop ministry was natural for me. I started teaching kids and teenagers, and God was using me to make an impact in their lives.”
But Dima was still turned off by the Church.
“Many Christians in Ukraine told me that dancing was a sin. That was crazy to me! But I equated the Church with this message and wanted nothing to do with the them.”
Thanks to you, God was able to change Dima’s view of the Church through a Break Free missionary, Artem Usov.
“I met Artem at a breaking event and we immediately connected over our love for the Lord and breaking.”
After meeting, Artem and Dima started to meet together to pray and dance.
Over time, their relationship and ministry to the Hip-Hop community birthed a house church at Artem’s apartment.
“I had no idea the Church could meet in a home or be an active part of Hip-Hop. My whole paradigm for the Church was changing. God was preparing me for a ministry that was much bigger than I could imagine.”
Gifted in teaching, Dima would often teach from the Bible at this home church. He and Artem prayerfully navigated this community.
Over a two year span, they saw people saved and launched out with a new mission and purpose in life. They saw a community come together.
For me,” says Dima, “my faith and community helped me get through some really hard life circumstances.
“I lost my dad to cancer, which was very hard for me, and then the war started. That changed all of our lives.”
Once the war started, Artem and his family moved west to a safer city.
Still called to Kiev, Dima moved into the City Leader position for Break Free. He and his community decided to transition their house church to a local church in the city.
“My experience with the house church drastically changed my view of the Church. It gave me the freedom to explore this other local church. And they accepted us!”
Not only is Dima and Break Free accepted, but this church partners with their vision, hosting three practices every week.
“My goal is to now make disciples in the spiritual family of the church. We can use many different expressions of it, but I am confident that I am called to raise up teams and churches all over Ukraine.
“I want men and women to experience the healing power of the gospel in the family of God. I am excited to give my life to this.”