Katia Malykh is a student ministry leader with IFES / InterVarsity in Belarus.
When did you trust Christ?
I was born into a Christian family, and I have gone to church since I was a child. I always considered myself a good child. But one day, at a camp, when I heard again about how Jesus died for my sins, I realised how dirty and corrupted I was on the inside, even though I was a normal and even a good teenager on the outside—there was darkness inside. At that moment, I saw myself in the light of His holiness and realised how far I was from God. But He found me and freed me from all the dirt and darkness inside, and He cleansed me.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
After my baptism, there was a long and challenging period of spiritual growth, with more moments of falling and feeling powerless than joyfully following Christ. However, He never let go of my hand, and I continued to look to Him, no matter my circumstances. When I became a student, I was drawn into the IFES student ministry team in my city. In all the time I have been on the team, I have grown a lot spiritually, my relationship with God has come to life, and I have become more aware of following Him in ministry and in life. It is so interesting that I am now the leader of this ministry in my city, and I really want to be a good leader so that God can use me to strengthen students and me, and we can become mature Christians together.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
My colleagues had already attended the Forum and talked a lot about it, inspiring me to attend as well. Leadership is not something that comes easily to me, but I believe that God has called me to this ministry, and I am willing to put in the effort to become a good leader.
What is your ministry?
I am the student leader in my city for IFES / InterVarsity. I really want to inspire the team of students to serve, to guide them, and to walk alongside them. I want to cultivate leadership qualities in every student on our team, so that we can be mature Christians and good leaders in our ministry.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
I never thought that I would be a leader, but when the leaders we had decided to leave in 2024, I was offered this role. I was scared, and it wasn't something I had always aspired to do. I would have immediately declined the offer, but I didn't want to stay in my comfort zone, so I decided to pray and find out what God had to say about it. I received a clear answer from God. He showed me a passage from the Scriptures that says God's power is revealed in our weaknesses. And this is what influenced my response. I agreed because I love God and want to serve Him; I want to be a tool in His hands.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
I know that the Forum has played a big role in shaping many leaders. As a young and aspiring leader, I want to learn as much as I can to be a good leader for my team. I want to learn not just theoretical knowledge, but practical skills that I can apply in real life. I know that the Forum is all about that. I would also like to meet leaders from other countries and ministries and learn from their experiences. As a leader, I want to do everything with quality and for the Lord, but I lack the knowledge and skills to do so.
