One of our goals this year is to
strengthen the Luna congregation in João Pessoa. After the Luna birthed the
Mangabeira congregation, things haven’t been the same. The potential is great,
the obstacles are big also.
While
Mangabeira is a neighborhood church with its members living close to one
another, having more opportunity to be in contact several times a week, having
a smaller area focus for evangelism, Luna is the opposite. I took a map of the
whole city and put a pin where each family lives, so everyone could visualize
where the church is: we are spread out all over the place. That is wonderful,
because we have a Christian or family in most neighborhoods and even in
neighboring cities, but it is difficult to connect more than once a week
because of the distance.
By
building up Luna, the church will be ready to spread to another neighborhood,
and we already have access to any spot in the city. We are doing this through
events to involve and mature Christians. We had a Ministry Fair, every area
reporting on their service and needs. We have stepped up visitation. The youth
are getting involved, planning several activities, some including the whole
church, like the Purim celebration, in which the story of Esther was enacted.
We are also having intensive courses
for the church, the latest, an introduction to the Field of Christian
Growth. This course was developed from
several sources by the church in Curitiba, Brazil, over 20 years ago, and it
has helped several churches get back on track in the mission work. Quite appropriate for soccer-loving people of
Brazil, it compares spiritual growth to a soccer player heading for the goal,
each person being prepared to grow, mature, becoming God’s representative along
with the church in this fallen world.
The
whole process lasts twenty hours, divided into five sessions, the plan being
for each member to go through them all. So when someone is converted, the new
member starts at the beginning and discovers the gifts, given by God, and puts
them into practice in Christ’s body. The sessions are continually repeated so
no member is left behind. In this way,
every single Christian is challenged to grow and keep growing into a mature man
or woman of God.
I taught the introduction to the
Growth Field two weeks ago to twenty people, each eager to open their Bibles
and discover God’s purposes for the church. It was an eye-opener for some, like
Clodoaldo, who saw for the first time how the Great Commission applies to him
and the church.
The
month of May, the Introduction and First Module will be taught simultaneously
to further the twenty and start more people on the process. Please pray that
the Luna church of Christ will become strong, each member reaching the goal
through God’s wisdom and strength to further the Kingdom in this city of a
million people.
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