"Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went." -- Acts 8:4
Our Support Mission
A tiny church in Goiânia, Brazil is proof that not only can a handful of disciples make a difference; they can encourage and inspire the rest of the country.
On Sunday, September 14, 2014, a grand celebration service took place in the sprawling metropolis of Goiânia, a city of about one million inhabitants. Disciples came from all over the country: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Brasilia to share their faith, fellowship and worship our awesome God together. Churches located further away, in Salvador and Recife, participated by sending a message of encouragement for the disciples via video.
"I'm so grateful to be here," said Rose Nazário from São Paulo. "It's been a long time since I've invited people in the street, people I don't know personally. This event has really helped me regain the courage I need to evangelize."
"It was amazing seeing brothers and sisters from around the country gathered together," Manoel de Freitas Neto from Rio de Janeiro shared. "Everyone was so enthusiastic about being a part of what is happening in Goiânia. The air was electric with anticipation, excitement and hope, which was reflected in the singing, the fellowship and the smiles!"
"This is a special day for all of us from Belo Horizonte," said Marcos Araujo who leads the church in Minas Gerais with his wife Denise. "Our church planted Brasília and now Brasília has strengthened the
work here in Goiânia. It's inspiring us to do even more."
"I was confident that God was working in our little church in Goiânia, but the response to the Celebration and the participation of the churches went beyond my expectations," exclaimed Paulo Machado.
Paulo and Valeria Machado, together with their daughters Heloisa and Paula, moved to the city of Goiânia in 2007, due to a work transfer for Paulo. The nearest International Church of Christ was located in Brasília, a three-hour drive away. Nevertheless, the Machados began a small Bible discussion group in their home. God blessed their prayers and effort. Bible studies led to a few baptisms but in time, they realized they needed help. The church in Brasília stepped in to provide guidance and assistance. It was a dream of the church in Brasília to send a support mission to Goiânia in 2015 to encourage and strengthen the little group that had become a church.
Back in 2012, God was already working. In Seattle, WA, Brazilian-born Alcides Morais and his American wife Leslie, were praying and wondering how best to use their time and talents during the empty-nester years. After having been missionaries to Brazil and several countries in Africa together with Mike and Anne-Brigitte Taliaferro, the possibilities were numerous. Praying that God would use the World Discipleship Summit in San Antonio, TX, that same year to clarify His will for their lives, the Morais' eagerly attended. God did not disappoint. Meeting with old friends during get togethers for Africa on one night and then Brazil on another, the many needs among the churches in third world countries inspired the couple to begin praying about their future even more ardently.
At the airport after the conference, the Morais' ran into Jorge and Ana Bittencourt, who at the time led the church in Brasília. In response to Alcides and Leslie offering to help the church in whatever way the Bittencourts thought most necessary, Jorge asked them if giving the couples in his congregation classes on marriage and child rearing would be possible through Skype. The Morais' loved the idea and agreed to it. They returned to Seattle to prepare workshops based on training that Scott Green had provided in regards to communication and conflict resolution, as well as the discipling they had received for over ten years from Ron and Linda Brumley.
By devoting their time, energy and hearts to the couples in Brasília over the course of a year in 2013, God was preparing the way for the Morais' return to Brazil.
"Fear is a great motivator. And I feared becoming complacent with a comfortable life, where my greatest concerns revolved around work, retirement funds and planning my next vacation. There are still so many people to reach out to, disciples who need training and churches that need planting. How could we not go?" reflected Alcides.
The celebration service, with 270 in attendance, was a culmination of respecting the work that God had already done through Paulo and Valeria, strengthening the disciples in Goiânia, and inspiring the churches of Brazil to dream again of reaching every major city in the country in our lifetime.
Adapting to the Brazilian Reality
As time goes by, the realization that the traditional model of church planting may not be a viable option for Brazil or possibly other developing countries becomes more evident. The prototype of a paid evangelist and women's counselor with a team of interns just is not financially feasible in immerging nations. Instead, churches led by plural leadership of self-sustaining members committed to providing spiritual and Biblically based guidance and direction is what is evolving out of necessity. For Brazil, Goiânia is the testing ground for this model. Additionally, in view of the financial limitations of small churches, the goal of having a massive mega church weekly meeting will be replaced with extended family-sized house churches throughout the city. This model allows for a more intimate and personal interaction among Christians, greater accessibility to members in their own neighborhoods, provides more leadership opportunities for shared responsibilities among disciples, and inspires the active participation of Christians of a variety of spiritual depths and breaths in a more integral and organic family approach.
"We're rethinking everything from the format of the collective gathering to communion. We're studying out how we can fully experience and live out Acts 2:42-47," explains Leslie.
A mindset such as this opens up a world of possibilities for new churches to spring up. Disciples of Christ must not be afraid of going where the Spirit leads them in God's timing. They must rethink the criteria for who can and should spread the Word. There was an eventual plan to plant a church in Goiânia in the customary sense, but Paulo and Valeria arrived there years earlier. Thank God for that! It requires much faith, prayer and trust in God to allow his plans to unfold and develop, as he desires. May God continue to use disciples in Goiânia and all of Brazil to advance his kingdom!