Update from Tom M in Brazil

Arrived in Brazil a bit late on Saturday morning because of our late departure. It is very hot here and has rained each day.

Saturday was spent doing what Brazilians do best...eating, talking, being together, laughing, investing in each others lives.

Our Sunday was also well invested in a Brazilian cookout (churrasco) with all kinds of meat, veggies, bread and soda (but no Mountain Dew...bummer). The service started at 7:30 and went til 9:30.

There are three guys that are recognized as Pastoral Leadership...Denilson, Fernando and Vinicius. These guys are committed to the idea that the Church MUST be lived out where people do life on a daily basis.

The new body (Koinonia Christian Church) is thriving even at only one year old. The essence of this church plant is to be an Organic Church that finds its “feet“ by being Jesus in the neighborhoods and workplaces of the members.

The service was attended by 60 or so and meets on the 16th floor of a hotel in the middle of the city. Denilson preached and I translated from Portuguese to English as we have some other English speakers here. The question that drove the message was, “Why am I a Christian?“. In a nutshell Denilson answered this by saying...I am a Christian because the Cross is empty, Jesus has overcome all of my sin/faults and now I will serve Him with all of my life.

There were constant reminders of our need to BE JESUS “out there“ because of what Christ did on the Cross. Following Christ is realized by getting out of our seats on Sunday and living out our faith in the trenches of life.

Now it‘s Monday and we are meeting with the Pastors of the church. There are 4 partners around the table as we are meeting (I am multitasking and taking a break from translating to write this)...the partners are Koinonia Christian Church, University Christian Church (Manhattan Kansas), Mountain Christian and Christiam Missionary Fellowship. Our goal in meeting in these few days is to see how we can partner together to multiply church plants, employ Community Health Evangelism (CHE www.chenetwork.org) and encourage the body that has grown throughout this past year.

I will write more soon with some take aways from our time together.

Please PRAY for God‘s presence as we meet, pray and dream about what God can/will do through this local body! [Tom M]