Bits February

Servant Leaders has begun! Not that we have not been doing seminars in the past for Servant Leaders, but last week we started from the beginning of the program and are working towards bringing our people through the entire program. We first started looking into Servant Leaders in 2013 and so it has been a long time researching and developing and I am thrilled to have already started. We have started with low numbers, but that does not matter a ton to me. I know that it will catch on. Yesterday we had our main couple in Tupanatinga present for Old Testament Survey which was really special for us. Just being able to train them is worth it! 

The women are taking charge! This month one of our ladies decided we needed a women’s prayer group. They organized and had a meeting and it was fabulous. From that a couple ladies that live close to the church decided to come. Since then they have been in services and wanting to be more involved despite their catholic background. They have really enjoyed the Bible study that our church offers. Our neighborhood is developing even more and there has been interest in the church by some of them, including showing up or taking English. Pray for us as we develop ways in which they can enter the church.

Esio was talking to me a couple days ago and asked which church I was in and what I did in the church. He did not know that it was the certain building. He is a non-practicing catholic and said, “I should try it out; it could be that I actually like church.” We would love to reach the many people in our neighborhood who are like Esio. Several have already come to services. You all would be pleasantly amazed at the questions some have asked like when one neighbor walked in and said: “I have never really been in a church, what do I do?” I replied to come in, sit down, sing and listen. Pray for more like these two that will come in and hear God’s Word and that we would be a light in this neighborhood!

Our official inauguration of the church will be April 7! We are excited as we will be receiving a bus from the mother church in Recife as well as our bosses and several others! As we prepare for this event we are also preparing for membership as we take our people through our core values and doctrine. This month the preaching will be focused on those very topics and we will be giving them membership packets to look through. 

Please pray for the activities we are involved in that aim to make disciples at all different stages: English, football, cheerleading, events at the church, short term mission trips (we have 4 this year coming-three from the US and one from Word of Life Brazil), small groups starting up, the group in Tupanatinga, and the daily interactions we have that our great opportunities to lift up the gospel. We have been very blessed in our area of influence in the community. Pray that we know how to leverage this for God’s glory! We ask for prayer because we know of the many faithful prayer warriors out there who partner so well with us to make disciples here in Brazil. 

All for HIS glory,

David, Sarah, our responsible firstborn, and our little chatter box that now likes to go into the office with her daddy during the day.