Csaba & Ilona Veres
Csaba and Ilona have been serving as global mission workers in partnership with the Hungarian Reformed Church in Romania since 2000.
Latest mission report
Csaba and Ilona's mission work
In January 2024 they moved to Hungary to serve in the Transtibiscan district of the Hungarian Reformed church as church planters and gypsy mission workers in an Intercultural church plant in the village of Bodaszőlő, Northeast Hungary. The Bodaszőlő church plant is a ministry of the Kalvin Square Reformed Church in the town of Hajdúböszörmény.
Ilona and Csaba work together with leaders and members of the mother church (Kalvin Square Reformed church, Hajdúböszörmény) and also a small team of local Hungarian Reformed church gypsy mission workers and a part time pastor. The team aim to faithfully preach the gospel of Jesus to the Hungarian and Roma residents of Bodaszőlő, calling them to become disciples of Jesus. There has never been a church in the village of Bodaszőlő before and it is the prayer of the team that God will bless this church plant with a vibrant, living fellowship where future local leaders can be trained, and God’s name is glorified through transformed lives.
In their initial period Csaba and Ilona will focus on building relationships and exploring opportunities for introducing patterns for evangelism, Bible teaching, pastoral care and worship, helping to form the vision and strategy for missional church. Importance is placed on communicating the gospel in such a way that it is understood across cultures and organising programs where all cultures feel welcome and included. As an intercultural church plant working in an area of social deprivation, the ministry calls those who love the Lord to serve the poor and needy in the community through diaconal work.
The church plant currently run activities from a rented house in the centre of the village and Csaba and Ilona are involved in pastoral family visits, bible studies and evangelistic outreaches. Ilona leads a women’s bible study and a women’s service group who find practical ways to help struggling families.
Summer ministry is spent organising and leading Bible camps, football outreach, evangelistic youth events and programmes with children and young adults, in partnership with the youth in the mother church.
Ilona grew up in Sloan Street Presbyterian Church, Lisburn and Csaba in the Hungarian Reformed Church in his hometown of Zalău. Csaba and Ilona have two adult daughters.
Prayer points
- Give thanks for the work of God through the Kalvin square Reformed church, and for their vision for the church plant at Bodaszőlő.
- Praise God for those seeking the Lord and for the small group of 15 Hungarian and Roma who have come to faith and attend bible studies, services, women’s group and serve the disadvantaged in the community.
- Pray for Csaba and Ilona and the team at Bodaszőlő as they minister to this diverse community daily. Pray the team would walk closely with the Lord, be gospel focused, fervent in prayer, and set God honouring goals.
- Pray for the witness of the Hungarian Reformed church among Hungarians and Roma in the country.
Csaba and Ilona have recorded a short film clip which can be downloaded and used in church services, prayer meetings or events to raise awareness and prayer for what God is doing across the world, as we seek to go deep and wide in global mission involvement.
Latest report July/August 2026
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18
Summer can be a great time to reach young people for Christ, to grow in their relationship with God and to make stronger connections with the wider church family. Over the past few years, we have noticed a growing consistent attendance during the summer and want to take every opportunity for the gospel.
In late June, as the heatwave swept across Europe, and temperatures crawled into the low 40’s in Hajdúböszörmény, our first holiday Bible club’s most popular day was a chance to cool down with water games. During the week we looked at five important questions of life and faith in a daily programme from 8am-4pm with 35 children. The highlight was hearing a personal testimony from a little 9-year-old boy who shared of how he trusted the Saviour and another boy who shared how he had witnessed to his class in school. We pray that all the children will experience the living God and grow in grace and knowledge of him.
From July 13-17 we will be helped again by Ben and Ellen and an enthusiastic team from Kilbride, for a week of sharing the gospel through daily football skills training, music and drama club, and an evening youth outreach.
Our evening outreach will focus on helping young people with discipleship questions and challenges, encouraging them to establish spiritual disciplines and become active in the church plant fellowship where they can be nurtured, encouraged and grow in their faith.
As the world cup ends, as well as a Gypsy mission camp, we will help organise the REFO REformed church FOotball championship. August 15th is championship day and we are hoping for many teams across the church district to register, compete and experience faith and friendships in the wider church family.
Prayer Points
- Pray the summer work would be discipleship focused, helping young people to grow in grace and knowledge of the Saviour.
- Pray for the spiritual and practical development of leaders and young volunteers throughout the summer.
- Bi-weekly inductive Bible studies in the Psalms with the women have been encouraging, and it is good to see this small group spur on one another as they learn new skills and use Bible study tools they have never used before. Pray the women would continue to encourage one another in their faith.
- On 4th July we will have our annual summer trip to a Church family festival in Abaujvár. Pray for good fellowship together.
Mission report archive
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