Campinas Churches Send Missions Teams to Uruguay

 Twenty-one people (4 adults and 17 youth) from threee different FWB churches in Campinas went on a missions trip to two different locations in Uruguay: Melo and Rivera (on the border with Brazil). The team I led worked in Melo for 10 days.

Campinas missions teams: Rivera and Melo.

Signing at one of the home services.

The FWB church in Melo almost closed a few years back. Pastor Julio and his family went there three years ago to restart the work. A new church building was built and the parsonage is being remodeled. The group is now running about 35 in attendance. There is no other non-charismatic evangelical church in the town of 50 thousand people. Other than the 2 teenage sons of the pastor, there are no youth in the church. 

Home service in the back yard.

Singing with the children.

Our team went to help them make contacts, especially youth, and do evangelism. In the late afternoon we went from door-to-door and in the market to distribute tracks, talk to people, and invite them for a special outreach event in a nearby park on Saturday evening, the 17th. Each evening we held services either at the church or in the homes of the members. Both Saturdays our team helped the church with a special outreach to children.

Crafts with the children.

The church members seemed to be tremendously encouraged with the help they received. They were very receptive. It rained on the Saturday that was supposed to be our biggest event. We had to change the venue from outdoors in the park to the church. Even so we had over 70 people present, more than the chairs available. The program included activities by a clown, music, drama and an evangelistic message.

Melo FWB Church and parsonage.

Melo team.

Altar call with team in the background.

On our last night there we had a 12-year old girl to get saved as well as the pastor's 13-year old son. Many people heard the gospel and were invited to go to church. Not only do we hope to have made a difference in Melo, but the hearts of our team members from Campinas were changed. There is a greater awareness of the need to be involved in missions worldwide. Our Campinas churches have increased there giving to missions this year and we are hoping for a much greater involvement next year.

Passing out literature from door to door.

Passing out literature in the market.

Taking children to church.

"Door knocking."

Saturday evangelistic event.

 

Kenneth preaching.

 

Evangelistic drama.

Today is an historic one! Single Brazilian missionary, Kely Barduzzi, along with her 8 year old daughter, are leaving this evening from the airport in São Paulo to go to South África where she will serve. Kely is serving under Frontiers Mission (Brazil branch) and will go first through language learning before she ministering to peoples there where they are planting churches.

Kely is a member of the Nova América FWB Church in Campinas and is being entirely supported by Brazilian FWBs (although she is leaving without full support). After several years of training she is finally getting to the mission field. Praise the Lord that the Brazilian church is catching on to the vision of world evangelism.

Marincek FWB Church Dedicates New Building

Rejane and I went to Ribeirão Preto for the first Sunday service in the new building at the Marincek FWB Church where Bobby and Geneva Poole serve. The church building dedication was Saturday evening, but we weren't able to go for that because of Marcelo's ordination the same evening.

The service was beautiful with an unusual decoration: many crosses! This was because the church presented a drama about carrying your cross. The drama was the message and at the end several raised their hands for prayer and 2 men came forward for salvation. One of them had been Geneva's English student 10 years ago. Bobby led both men to pray the sinner's prayer in front of the congregation. It certainly made all the hard work that the church had put in to the preparation of the play led by Geneva Poole.

We were told that they had about 220 on hand for the dedication service on Saturday evening, when John Poole preached. The attendance Sunday was about 100 with local visitors as well as visitors from our churches in Jaboticabal and Araras.

Bobby and Geneva Poole on the front row. They are to be commended on their hard work at the Marincek Church.

Rubens, Bobby's right hand man at the church.

The church members presented a drama about carrying our cross and at the end they joined in prayer while Bobby gave the invitation.

Bobby stands with the two men who came forward indicating they were turning their hearts over to the Lord.

Marcelo Ordained to the Ministry at Campinas First Church

Marcelo Baço (sitting beside his wife, Fabiane) was ordained to pastoral ministry Saturday evening, July 9, in a special service held at the First FWB Church in Campinas.

Marcelo graduated from the Campinas Bible Institute last year and is currently pastor Lucas' assistant at the First Church.

We had pastors and representatives from six FWB churches in the region to attend.

Pastor Lucas (1st Church Campinas) preached.

I brought the charge to the ministry.

Pastor Osmir presented the Bible.

Pastor Elizeu prayed the prayer of dedication.

Eight of our pastors participated in the laying on of hands.

Campinas First Church holds 3-day Camp

Pastor Lucas

The First FWB Church in Campinas held a 3-day camp over the long Corpus Christi weekend, from June 21-23. The theme of the camp was "Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed", taken from Rom. 12:1-2.

Thursday and Friday we had a total of about 60 people present and nearly 100 on Saturday.

Youth activity.

Small discussion of day's lesson.

The children, ages 6-12, had their activities separately with a total of 15.

Cooks worked hard and did a wonderful job.

Practice for service.

Bible study and service.