A Season of Growth and Challenges
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2024
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Dear Friends,
As we step into the new year, I want to share some updates from our personal life, ministry, and the exciting Miletus House Project. Each area reflects God’s faithfulness and the unique challenges He is guiding us through. Family Life: Joys and Challenges This Christmas was a special time for our family. We enjoyed being together, cherishing moments of laughter and love, and reflecting on the gift of Christ. However, this season has also been challenging in many ways. In November, I traveled to the United States for a month, the longest I’ve been away from my family in years. It was a fruitful trip filled with preaching, conferences, and partner visits, as well as celebrating Thanksgiving with new friends. Yet, it was tough for Buse and the kids. Please pray for us as we continue to navigate the balance between ministry and family life. On a brighter note, David has been blessed by new friendships at church. A new family recently joined to serve at our church, bringing with them children who have quickly become David’s friends. Their arrival has brought excitement and renewed joy to our community and has been an incredible encouragement for David after a season of loneliness. Josiah has been busy at the gym, enjoying basketball, and preparing for university—an exciting yet challenging stage for all of us. Parenting a teenager brings its own set of trials, and we deeply appreciate your prayers for wisdom and strength, especially for Buse, who juggles family care and ministry work so gracefully. |
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Via Christus Ministries: Growth Amid Challenges
Via Christus Ministries continues to move forward with exciting developments and tough realities. We are thrilled to welcome two new team members, Ferah and Ilgaz, who have joined both Via Christus and the Acts 29 Turkic Regions team. Their contributions are already proving invaluable across our ministries, supporting Church Planting efforts, the Academy, and our book production and online outreach. We’re excited to see how God will continue to work through them in the days ahead.
Under the Via Christus Academy, we recently completed a 5-day session on Systematic Theology I taught by Greg Cline, one of our faculty members and a leader at Antalya Protestant Church. The session, as always, was held at our Academy building and provided deep theological grounding and inspiration for those in attendance. These classes continue to be a cornerstone of equipping leaders for the ministry.
On a heavier note, we face growing challenges as Turkey has begun expelling foreign Christians from the country. Early in January, we said a painful goodbye to Pastor David Taylor and his family, who have been vital to the church in Fethiye and to the broader ministry of Acts 29 and Via Christus. Please pray for their transition and for the many believers impacted by these changes.
This year, my preaching schedule has been adjusted to twice a month at Antalya Protestant Church, freeing me to visit other churches once a month. Fethiye Community Church, in particular, needs our help. Please pray for strength and guidance as we extend our ministry to meet these needs.
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Antalya Protestant Church: Christmas Joy and Community Growth
The ministry at Antalya Protestant Church has been a source of joy this season. Our Christmas celebration was especially encouraging, as we welcomed 15 new visitors to join us in celebrating the birth of Christ. It was a powerful reminder of the hope we have in the Gospel and the impact of our witness in the community. David, our youngest, has particularly benefited from new friendships at church. The arrival of a new family to serve at our church has been a blessing to our community, and their children have brought joy and companionship to David. Seeing God at work in our family and church community fills us with gratitude. As we look to the year ahead, we trust God to continue growing His church and strengthening our community in Antalya. |
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Miletus House Project: A Vision in Motion
I’m thrilled to share that the Miletus House Project has officially begun. This initiative is more than a building; it’s a cornerstone for our ministry’s future.
We’ve raised $78,000 of our $750,000 goal to secure a new facility. This project was a significant focus of my U.S. trip, and I’m encouraged by the progress we’ve made. Thankfully, our current lease has been extended until March 2026, giving us time to secure and prepare a new location.
This is a lifetime project for me, and your prayers and support are vital. To learn more about the project, watch our video, or find ways to support, please visit our project website. Your involvement can make a lasting impact as we work together toward this vision.
Thank you for walking this journey with us.
I’m thrilled to share that the Miletus House Project has officially begun. This initiative is more than a building; it’s a cornerstone for our ministry’s future.
We’ve raised $78,000 of our $750,000 goal to secure a new facility. This project was a significant focus of my U.S. trip, and I’m encouraged by the progress we’ve made. Thankfully, our current lease has been extended until March 2026, giving us time to secure and prepare a new location.
This is a lifetime project for me, and your prayers and support are vital. To learn more about the project, watch our video, or find ways to support, please visit our project website. Your involvement can make a lasting impact as we work together toward this vision.
Thank you for walking this journey with us.
Gratitude and Prayer Requests
Through all these joys and challenges, we are deeply grateful for your love, prayers, and support. You are a vital part of what God is doing here, and we thank the Lord for each of you.
Please join us in praying for:
- Wisdom and strength for our family as we navigate ministry and parenting.
- Encouragement and support for the churches in Fethiye and beyond.
- Provision and progress for the Miletus House Project.
May God continue to bless and guide each of you in your journey of faith.
Grace and peace,
Kerem
P.S.: If you’re wondering why my English sounds better, it’s not because I suddenly became fluent—it’s because I’ve been using AI. Don’t worry, I still write the heartfelt stuff; it just polishes the grammar for me!
Our Journey Forward
APRIL / MAY / JUNE / JULY 2024
Dear Friends...
Greetings to you all!
Family
We are grateful for God's blessings in our lives and ministry. Our children had a successful year at school, and we thank God for their well-being. They are now done with the school year, and after a very busy season, we have had the opportunity to take things easy for two weeks. My wife Buse has been extremely busy as she actively helps with the ministry, prepares and cleans our academy for visitors and pastors, and manages church duties. Even though we are trying to rest a bit, she still actively ensures our lives are in order.
Greetings to you all!
Family
We are grateful for God's blessings in our lives and ministry. Our children had a successful year at school, and we thank God for their well-being. They are now done with the school year, and after a very busy season, we have had the opportunity to take things easy for two weeks. My wife Buse has been extremely busy as she actively helps with the ministry, prepares and cleans our academy for visitors and pastors, and manages church duties. Even though we are trying to rest a bit, she still actively ensures our lives are in order.
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Church
This past period has been exhausting due to numerous national meetings, academy sessions, international trips, and busy times at the church. By God's mercy, many beautiful things are happening in our lives. God has blessed our church; lately, our church has been active with new youths, and seeing them developing friendships has been great. Additionally, a new family will soon join our church and, hopefully, assist in leadership. This is very exciting for us, as we have been in need of another family to serve alongside us. One particularly proud moment was when Josiah did his first sermon translation, and he did a great job. It was emotional to see him serve Christ like this. We praise the Lord for all the developments at our church.
This past period has been exhausting due to numerous national meetings, academy sessions, international trips, and busy times at the church. By God's mercy, many beautiful things are happening in our lives. God has blessed our church; lately, our church has been active with new youths, and seeing them developing friendships has been great. Additionally, a new family will soon join our church and, hopefully, assist in leadership. This is very exciting for us, as we have been in need of another family to serve alongside us. One particularly proud moment was when Josiah did his first sermon translation, and he did a great job. It was emotional to see him serve Christ like this. We praise the Lord for all the developments at our church.
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Friends
One of the highlights for our family was visiting our dear friends Hakan and Luda in Moldova. This trip was both a holiday for Buse and me and an encouraging time with our pastor friend and his wife, who were expelled from Turkey. It was a blessing not only to visit them but also to have some of our friends come and visit us. These visits made the time even more special, filled with mutual encouragement and fellowship.
One of the highlights for our family was visiting our dear friends Hakan and Luda in Moldova. This trip was both a holiday for Buse and me and an encouraging time with our pastor friend and his wife, who were expelled from Turkey. It was a blessing not only to visit them but also to have some of our friends come and visit us. These visits made the time even more special, filled with mutual encouragement and fellowship.
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Via Christus Academy
In our academy, we recently had a Homiletics class taught by Dr. Tony Merida and a Pastoral Theology class led by Pastor Tim Bice. These sessions were very encouraging for all our pastors. Over the last twelve months, we have hosted pastors from 7 different countries, including our latest attendee from Turkmenistan, which was a great encouragement for all of us.
This summer will be a bit slower, focusing on writing projects and preaching at our local church. I will be going to England next week to build further partnerships with academics for our Pastors Academy. At this point, we need some help on the academic and financial side for our academy.
Building Project
We are working on a major project at the moment and appreciate your prayers, especially for our plan to buy a building. Our current rent will end in November 2025, and the costs are too high for us to continue renting. Purchasing a building will be financially and legally beneficial in the long term. Your continued support and care are deeply appreciated.
Also we have some minor health issues lately, we need your prayers on that end as well.
Blessings,
Kerem
In our academy, we recently had a Homiletics class taught by Dr. Tony Merida and a Pastoral Theology class led by Pastor Tim Bice. These sessions were very encouraging for all our pastors. Over the last twelve months, we have hosted pastors from 7 different countries, including our latest attendee from Turkmenistan, which was a great encouragement for all of us.
This summer will be a bit slower, focusing on writing projects and preaching at our local church. I will be going to England next week to build further partnerships with academics for our Pastors Academy. At this point, we need some help on the academic and financial side for our academy.
Building Project
We are working on a major project at the moment and appreciate your prayers, especially for our plan to buy a building. Our current rent will end in November 2025, and the costs are too high for us to continue renting. Purchasing a building will be financially and legally beneficial in the long term. Your continued support and care are deeply appreciated.
Also we have some minor health issues lately, we need your prayers on that end as well.
Blessings,
Kerem
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Family and Ministry: The Latest News
MARCH 2024
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Dear Friends,
I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to share a bit about what's been happening with us over the last few months. Health Challenges We've faced some health challenges lately. My sister Senem had to go through a big surgery, which was a scary time for us. I've also had some health issues that led to a few minor surgeries. Despite these tough times, we keep smiling and feeling blessed because of our faith and your support. A Much-Needed Break After dealing with health worries, we managed to take a short trip to the mountains. It was so nice. Josiah and David really enjoyed the snow, making the most of our time there. This break gave us all a chance to relax and have fun together. Exciting News from Our Church Things at our church are looking up. A new family will be joining us this summer, and they're eager to help out with our work. We've been praying for more hands to support our church, and their arrival is truly an answer to our prayers. A Special Class at Our Academy Our ministry is also doing well. We had a really interesting Church History class taught by Dr. Andrew Newell. Leaders from five different countries came to join us. It was held at our Academy for five days. We learned a lot, had great discussions, and encouraged each other a lot. It was a very uplifting time for everyone involved. Looking for More Helpers We're in need of more team members to help with our ministry work. We've been a bit short-staffed, so finding more people to help would be great. If you can, please pray for us to find the right people to join our team. Despite some of the challenges, we've also had some really good times. We're thankful for everything - the good and the hard times. Thank you for your prayers and support. They mean so much to us. Kerem |
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