(1/10/2025)
Volodymyr Bogomaz, recent past Director of Khmelnitsky Regional Bible College, shares details of his ministry's last quarter of 2024, with goals and prayer requests for 2025.
Greetings to you, brothers and sisters, and supporters of READ Ministries.
May the Lord be close to you in this New Year, guide you in everything, and support you by His grace.
Autumn for me was the beginning of many changes in my ministry.
Ministry in Teofipol
I temporarily took responsibility for another church located in the town of Teofipol, 115 km from my home. The one-way trip takes about 2 hours. The previous minister had a problem, and I had to take responsibility for the congregation. I see my task in strengthening the church, forming a new team of ministers, and resolving other urgent issues.
We have already elected two brothers for a probationary period for deacon ministry, and I hope that early in 2025, they will be ordained. 2 Bible study groups have started in the villages of Turivka and Katyuzhyntsi. In these villages, internally displaced persons live in the premises of secondary schools and were invited to attend such meetings. I was only at the first two meetings, brought some humanitarian aid, and conducted the meeting itself. Now, a team from Teofipol comes to each of these villages every week.
Ministry in Yarmolyntsi
In the Yarmolyntsi church, we elected three brothers for a probationary term as presbyters in my place, and they divided up various areas of responsibility for the church. I visit Yarmolyntsi once a month during Sunday services, and they conduct the service independently on other Sundays. I conduct meetings of the Brotherhood Council for other meetings with responsible leaders. In a previous letter, I wrote that I was thinking of transferring responsibility for this church from the new year, but now I see that this should be a smoother process so as not to harm the ministry. These are new things for me, and I am already understanding a lot in practice. God's wisdom and balance are very much needed in all these actions.
Ministry with IDPs in Yarmolyntsy
We continue to meet with IDPs in Yarmolyntsy. About 60 family representatives come twice a month, and 5-6 people per Bible study group. There are stable people who come not for a gift, but to read God's Word. At the last meeting, one young woman, Lyuda, prayed a prayer of repentance.
Teaching & Counseling
In the fall, I taught for several days in Kremenets, Ternopil region, and also at a conference for child and adolescent ministers in Khmelnytskyi. I am convinced that spiritual care is a wonderful way to evangelize, so I often teach and share about it.
Individual Spiritual Care Meetings
In the fall, I held regular meetings with four people. One of them is a middle-aged man, an army officer. He is an unbeliever, but he turned to me for help because his family was starting to fall apart. He turned to the Lord for help, and after a few meetings, peace and understanding returned to the family. He decided to stop drinking alcohol and smoking and start reading the Bible and praying. I am amazed at how God can change people.
Bible College
I handed over responsibility for the Bible College to another brother, and he was already responsible for the last training sessions and the graduation of a group of students. In December, there was a graduation, which I also attended. 13 brothers and sisters graduated and received their diplomas. War, mobilization, problems with electricity, and transportation created many obstacles, but by God's grace, they made it to the end of their studies and graduation.
My Studies
In the summer, I entered the Khmelnytskyi National University, Faculty of Psychology. God willing, I hope to finish my studies and receive a Master's degree in Psychology at the end of 2025. I also take a number of wonderful courses from CCEF, in the online school Help for Heart. These courses help me see a person’s problem more deeply and teach how to lead a person to dependence on Christ.
Resource Center “Priceless Pearl”
I still plan to create a center for spiritual and psychological help in Khmelnytskyi. I hope to start group and individual work with internally displaced persons in January. Now, we are solving issues with the premises and organizing this ministry. God’s guidance and help are necessary; it is difficult to think through and foresee everything.
My family
The children continue their studies at school, although in the fall, there were many air raids, and there were difficulties with the electricity supply. The two eldest go to school for one week, and in the second week, they have online studies. Therefore, there is movement at home all day, someone goes to school, someone is already returning, someone listens to lectures over the phone, and someone has to do homework. Such learning is difficult for children; they get inadequate knowledge and grades. It is difficult for Oksana; she is at home all day because she works online and has to guide the children. Oksana's health is now, thank God, better. She continues to take medication and undergoes examinations by doctors, and the results are better. The middle son, Serhiy, repented in the fall, and I see some positive changes in him.
We thank God for:
- Forgiveness and great grace in Jesus Christ
- For spiritual changes in my life, the strength and ideas that He sends, for ministry
- For His care for our physical life, safety, food, warmth
- For new people who come to faith in Christ
- For friends all over the Earth
Please pray for:
- Formation of new ministers in the church of Yarmolyntsi and Teofipol
- For the organization of a center for spiritual and psychological help in Khmelnytskyi, for the premises, team, participants, and program
- For my studies at the University and a successful completion
- For the development of churches in the Khmelnytskyi region, for ministers, for awakening
- For the end of the war in Ukraine
Thank you for your prayers and support of our ministry.
With God,
Volodymyr, Oksana
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