Buda Benedek Váczi is a software developer and a youth leader in Hungary.
When did you trust Christ?
I trusted Christ about four years ago after I graduated from high school. I was there for eight years, and I heard stories from the Bible and sang traditional songs. I prayed as well, but I never really thought about giving my whole life to Jesus. Then, the summer after graduating, my friend invited me to join the local youth group, and I started to go weekly. After a year, I went to a summer camp and realised that I needed God in every aspect of my life. I loved reading the Bible every day. So, I fell in love with God that summer.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
My first youth leader had a significant impact on my life. Bogi, my girlfriend, and her family have been very kind to me since we first met. Bogi and I started teaching Sunday school; we guided the kids and tried to get closer to God. It was very impactful. 2020 was a challenging year, as Bogi went to London for eight months as a volunteer. We were separated for all that time, but God strengthened our relationship with each other and Him. Her faith grew so much, and I was happy for her and benefited from her growth.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
I'd like to learn from other people and share my experiences. I also want to learn how to reach people who are not currently following Jesus Christ. I'd also like to meet people from the past years and make new friends and connections at the Forum.
What is your ministry?
I currently work as a youth leader in our church with 10-15 other youth leaders. We have around 50-70 youth who come to different groups each week. I am also a member of the elder board and am currently involved with one-to-one Bible study and mentoring. I also have a day job this year, and I am trying to learn how God wants to reach the people around my workplace through me.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
I led a Sunday school group for two years with my girlfriend. I started to help my youth leader three years ago, and since then, I have been in the leadership group with others. In the last several years, we have led a group of 15- to 17-year-olds. We had a mentorship program, and I mentored several teenagers. I was there for them, spoke about their lives, and shared my experiences with them.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
I am responsible for delivering God's voice without changing it. It is a huge responsibility. I am young and passionate about sharing how great life is with Him, but I need guidance because I don't know how to do many things. I have kids and teenagers who look up to me. So it is crucial to how I respond to things, how I handle my relationship with my girlfriend, how I speak with my friends, how I care for others, how I react to strange things, etc. I need to live my life in light of that.
