Friday, October 01, 2004
Major prayer needs as we start October
In terms of prayer needs in October, this is the month where we really get back into the normal rhythm of ministry. Please pray for...
Ministry with the Peregrinos.
We are now a church, and looking to change our name in order to reflect the new identity of the group. There are many practical matters to be sorted out - but we need a firm common understanding and theological base to do that well. We are looking at Genesis on Sundays; and meeting on Fridays to discuss who we are and where we are going. The group is growing - I am concerned that numerical growth doesn't outpace our capacity to make wise definitions of identity and direction.
You can imagine that life in a new church has its potential stresses, and involves a level of pastoral work.
IBE - Baptist Institute, Florianópolis.
Next Tuesday I return to the classroom, and will be in the following pattern until Christmas in all weeks when we are in the city. Tuesday night - 3 hour class - Homiletics (preaching) III. Wednesday night - 3 hour class - Ecclesiology (doctrine of the church.) This will be a key semester. I hope that members of our church will attend the Wednesday classes as part of our gaining a good basis for discussions.
First Baptist Church, Florianópolis
Our work in the English group continues – now in Exodus, and is a great joy, but I suspect that this series will be the last as we will need to move our church meetings to Sunday morning. We cannot really justify the English group in terms of the overall strategy of our ministry, although it has been a means to our own personal sustaining over the past year or so.
But the relationship with First Baptist remains strong. In some ways the possible loss of the English group is part of a choice to maintain the possibility of preaching at the church (and others) in the evening. Pastor Paulo Solonca will be travelling in November (Haggai Institute, Hawaii) and has asked me to preach on every available night. I thus find myself booked to do my first expository series at the PIB: we will send dates in November.
Blumenau
Two hours from us, this most Germanic town has a little church rather similar to ours, although much younger in age. (Average 23!) I first met them on-line, but we are about to make a second visit to provide some pastoral support and encouragement. (Tomorrow - 2 October)
Carianos
This neighbourhood near Florianópolis airport has a large Baptist church which is in a state of trauma following the withdrawal of its entire leadership who wished to take it into the G12 movement. (Ask me if you wish to know more!) The church resisted, but is now in a state of shock, and suffering from a lack of Bible teaching over many years. I have just preached there for the first time, and they are chasing me for more. God willing, we will be with them again on Sunday 17 October.
Jaraguá do Sul
Also this month I am starting a series of sessions in a church towards the north of ours state, planted by UFM colleagues Joe and Evelyn McCartney. They are our nearest neighbours; just 2 hours 30 minutes drive away. On Saturday 23 Oct we will go over for the day: I will do Biblical Exposition with some of their leading people, while Cora speaks to the women. The dose will be repeated twice, God willing, in November.
Aracaju
Over the last years we have developed a good relationship with a group of churches in Aracaju, Sergipe state, in the north-east of Brazil. This month we will travel, God willing, for an intensive week of preaching and training up there, focussed on the classic doctrines rediscovered at the reformation. The dates are 25 Oct - 1 Nov, with a public lecture each weeknight, an intensive training day on "How to preach the Old Testament" on Friday and preaching in two churches on the Sunday. Please pray for stamina. The journey involves about 4 hours in the air, plus airport time.
Cora
Cora is continuing her course with the Evangelical Theological College of Wales. Her Wednesday Bible Study, with women mainly from Campeche Baptist Church, is currently in abeyance, partly because of the arrival of a new pastor there (Silas, a much-loved former student from IBE) whose new ministry we do not want to “crowd” and partly because she hopes to develop work with the girls at our church. At present we have two young to mid-teens – Leticia and Talita, who need help and encouragement. It would be great to have more adolescents – a real youth group would help these two and bring a sense of life into the new church.
Other needs
We are at a stage where we need to replace or upgrade various equipment items, mainly to do with computing. So please pray for wisdom in choices to be made, priorities to be set, and resources to be found.
In terms of prayer needs in October, this is the month where we really get back into the normal rhythm of ministry. Please pray for...
Ministry with the Peregrinos.
We are now a church, and looking to change our name in order to reflect the new identity of the group. There are many practical matters to be sorted out - but we need a firm common understanding and theological base to do that well. We are looking at Genesis on Sundays; and meeting on Fridays to discuss who we are and where we are going. The group is growing - I am concerned that numerical growth doesn't outpace our capacity to make wise definitions of identity and direction.
You can imagine that life in a new church has its potential stresses, and involves a level of pastoral work.
IBE - Baptist Institute, Florianópolis.
Next Tuesday I return to the classroom, and will be in the following pattern until Christmas in all weeks when we are in the city. Tuesday night - 3 hour class - Homiletics (preaching) III. Wednesday night - 3 hour class - Ecclesiology (doctrine of the church.) This will be a key semester. I hope that members of our church will attend the Wednesday classes as part of our gaining a good basis for discussions.
First Baptist Church, Florianópolis
Our work in the English group continues – now in Exodus, and is a great joy, but I suspect that this series will be the last as we will need to move our church meetings to Sunday morning. We cannot really justify the English group in terms of the overall strategy of our ministry, although it has been a means to our own personal sustaining over the past year or so.
But the relationship with First Baptist remains strong. In some ways the possible loss of the English group is part of a choice to maintain the possibility of preaching at the church (and others) in the evening. Pastor Paulo Solonca will be travelling in November (Haggai Institute, Hawaii) and has asked me to preach on every available night. I thus find myself booked to do my first expository series at the PIB: we will send dates in November.
Blumenau
Two hours from us, this most Germanic town has a little church rather similar to ours, although much younger in age. (Average 23!) I first met them on-line, but we are about to make a second visit to provide some pastoral support and encouragement. (Tomorrow - 2 October)
Carianos
This neighbourhood near Florianópolis airport has a large Baptist church which is in a state of trauma following the withdrawal of its entire leadership who wished to take it into the G12 movement. (Ask me if you wish to know more!) The church resisted, but is now in a state of shock, and suffering from a lack of Bible teaching over many years. I have just preached there for the first time, and they are chasing me for more. God willing, we will be with them again on Sunday 17 October.
Jaraguá do Sul
Also this month I am starting a series of sessions in a church towards the north of ours state, planted by UFM colleagues Joe and Evelyn McCartney. They are our nearest neighbours; just 2 hours 30 minutes drive away. On Saturday 23 Oct we will go over for the day: I will do Biblical Exposition with some of their leading people, while Cora speaks to the women. The dose will be repeated twice, God willing, in November.
Aracaju
Over the last years we have developed a good relationship with a group of churches in Aracaju, Sergipe state, in the north-east of Brazil. This month we will travel, God willing, for an intensive week of preaching and training up there, focussed on the classic doctrines rediscovered at the reformation. The dates are 25 Oct - 1 Nov, with a public lecture each weeknight, an intensive training day on "How to preach the Old Testament" on Friday and preaching in two churches on the Sunday. Please pray for stamina. The journey involves about 4 hours in the air, plus airport time.
Cora
Cora is continuing her course with the Evangelical Theological College of Wales. Her Wednesday Bible Study, with women mainly from Campeche Baptist Church, is currently in abeyance, partly because of the arrival of a new pastor there (Silas, a much-loved former student from IBE) whose new ministry we do not want to “crowd” and partly because she hopes to develop work with the girls at our church. At present we have two young to mid-teens – Leticia and Talita, who need help and encouragement. It would be great to have more adolescents – a real youth group would help these two and bring a sense of life into the new church.
Other needs
We are at a stage where we need to replace or upgrade various equipment items, mainly to do with computing. So please pray for wisdom in choices to be made, priorities to be set, and resources to be found.
# posted by Andrew and Cora @ 3:28:00 pm 
