Three Churches in João Pessoa

LUNA CHURCH OF CHRIST

We started meeting publicly in the church building again in July, but we continue to transmit the meeting online. We have half the church in person and half online. Even when the pandemic passes, we will continue online because several people from other cities who have moved away from João Pessoa are now able to participate.

MANGABEIRA CHURCH OF CHRIST

This congregation has gone completely online until the pandemic passes. It didn’t make sense to pay rent on a building that wouldn’t be used for months.

INDUSTRIAS CHURCH OF CHRIST

The Industrias church of Christ, taking a different approach to the crisis, didn’t miss a single meeting in person. It meets in a neighborhood on the outskirts of town, easily unnoticed by officials shutting down church gatherings. When the pandemic started, they met and decided to continue without fear, and if anybody got sick, the church family would take care of them, if the police came to disband them, they would meet in someone’s house. Following God without fear has paid off: no one got sick, and the church has grown. The world locking down can be an opportunity for God’s people to open up!

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For the Kids, Part III

In the USA, there are two special days during the year that children love: birthday and Christmas. Brazil adds one more: Children's Day. On this day, children receive a present and since it coincides with Our Lady of Appeared Conception, Brazil's patron saint, it is also a national holiday. Each week we get kids from the Castelo Branco neighborhood together at the square in front of Dona Terezinha's house to talk about Jesus. For Children's Day, we invited the parents to watch the kids perform a play of the "Prodigal Son," then each kid receives his or her fill of cotton candy, cake, and a sack full of goodies. The parents who came received a Today's Portuguese New Testament and an invitation to the weekly Bible study at Terezinha's. Lori Hagewood has organized this activity for three year with the help from Terezinha, Joseph, and Michel (from the China Taiwan restaurant). Michael, Ashton, and Tif...

The Planting, the Watering, and the Increase

Emesson started coming to Bible Club over a year ago, when Neil Schultz and Cait Beckloff, our AIM team, were teaching it. For several months, they planted the seed in his and his sister's hearts. Unfortunately Neil and Cait's time in João Pessoa ended. In 2014 Bible Club received a boon when Erick and Jenny Paddy, former AIMers, returned to the field and picked up teaching the Bible Study for English speakers. They watered the sprouting seed in Emesson's life until God's Word became more important for him than just practicing his English. Last Wednesday night, God gave the increase, adding Emesson to the Family of Christ. Sometimes things don't happen when we think they should, but God is in control; His time is best, and we must thank Him for playing a small part in His plan.

Weekend VBS

The end of April, my wife, Monica, traveled to Patos with the AME (Adventures in Evangelistic Missions) group to have VBS with the church there. It was the first VBS for the AME class and for the church in Patos, the first one in about 10 years. Monica said that there were 24 children on the first day and 26 on the second. It was a weekend VBS, Saturday morning, afternoon and Sunday morning. They also did a campaign around the church building inviting people to the VBS, the church meeting, and an adult class on Friday night. They also had a couples meeting as well as a youth group meetings happening in between other activities. Needless to say, they were pretty busy. They all came back exci...

McKinney Report

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