Our Online Bible Group

Our M.O. of evangelism and edification has concentrated on neighborhood Bible Study groups. Nothing can substitute the face-to-face telling and living the Gospel in small groups. In this same way, many churches were birthed through a Christian, inviting friends and neighbors to study God's Word in their home, bringing about a community of believers in the same part of town.

But a lot of times people don't live in the same neighborhood, and sometimes brothers and sisters in Christ move to other cities, even other countries, possibly finding themselves alone in their quest to live for Jesus.

Till 2020, we let geographical barriers keep us from fellow-shipping regularly with those far away. Because of the pandemic we started our virtual small Bible groups in April 2020. Mine began with four members, but after a while, people started inviting others, others from other cities, and countries.

In addition to Edda and me, there are Julian and Bel, Ana Paula, Lucila, Maria do Socorro, all living in João Pessoa, Then there's Regina from Recife, Terezinha from Natal, Jeane in the USA, and Magarete in Italy. Some are visitors, studying the Bible for the first time.

This month we are studying Hebrews chapter 11, discovering the stories of men and women who were great examples of true faith in God. We share needs and pray together.

The pandemic isolated a lot of people, but it opened my eyes that in the absence of in person studies, online studies can be a pretty good plan B.

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"What About Baptism?"

Edda and I went to a nearby city to study the Bible with a family, Genilda (who is already a Christian), Ana, Mariana, Luiza, and Jefferson. While we were reading God's Word, Ana's husband, Silva, came in and sat down, and then blurted out: "What about baptism?" It took me by surprise because he has barely studied with us, but, most certainly, is already thinking about spiritual matters. Our Bible study then took a lot of detours, answering this question or that. Silva said he still has a lot of questions, and we pray that the Lord will use us to answer them, bringing him to understand the Good News!

One More Goodbye

This year has been rough for Borges's family. They lost a pillar in their family, his wife's mother in February. Now her brother has passed, buried today. He was diagnosed with prostrate cancer 18 months ago. A policeman, used to taking care of the family, he had to settle with being taken care of by the family as his body gradually shut down when the cancer metastasized to his bones. Borges and Geilza have spent every free moment taking care of Demilson's needs, and it has been torture watching him slowly wear away. His colleagues in the Military Police carried his casket, played taps on a trumpet, presented his family with a Paraiba flag, and thanked his family for supporting him in defending society for nearly thirty years. It was a nice gesture, but the event that gives us believers hope in the face of death is Jesus winning over the grave. He is our certainty that a grave is not the end.

Men Preparing Themselves in the Word

Every Tuesday night for the last month we have been getting together to study God's Word. The subject is controversial but needed because it affects relationships and families in the church, and we as spiritual leaders will be more effective if we are united in teaching Jesus' will on marriage and divorce. Just like Jesus, we want to go back to beginning and uphold God's ideal when He created marriage: “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew 19:4-6

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