Brazil is one of the largest and most populated countries in the world, presenting an urgent and vast mission field. Your prayers are vital as Brazilian pastors like Raimundo, Lourisvaldo, Flávio and Sidney take the true Gospel to the lost. Join them in praising the Lord for the fruit that our training has borne in this country and discover how to pray for Brazil.
Spiritual Growth Leads to Church Planting
Pastor Raimundo, who has already planted two churches, confirms that our mission has been fruitful. He embraced Harvesters’ church-planting method “wholeheartedly.”
Consequently, he experienced the powerful ability of the Gospel to bring about spiritual growth in the lives of individuals who, in turn, allow this growth to multiply by making disciples and planting churches.
From Disciple to Pastor
Stories like Pastor Lourisvaldo’s illustrate the outcomes of the seeds being sown in Brazil. After being discipled, God called him to be the pastor of a church-plant in Betim. He is now being trained by Harvesters and recently completed Phase E, surveying the New Testament. “This is just the beginning!” he rejoiced.
It remains our mission that every pastor who receives training should plant at least one church per year and disciple and train another pastor to lead that church. Our aim is to see healthy churches self-replicating through evangelism and discipleship.
Pastor Lourisvaldo’s testimony resonates with this aim: “I see this training as a very useful tool. Not only for today, but also for the future leaders that we will train through this church-planting programme that Harvesters brought to Brazil to help us. Amen!”
Understanding the True Meaning of Church
Church planting and discipleship, however, is not without its challenges in Brazil. Catholicism remains the dominant religion and the vestiges of traditionalism sometimes thwart radical discipleship.
Pastor Flávio admits that, for many years, they viewed the church as a temple – a building. But as a result of the pastoral training offered by Harvesters, the Holy Spirit has convicted them anew that they themselves are the true church and that means church can be anywhere.
By applying the Biblical teachings they have received from Harvesters, Pastor Flávio believes that the Lord is bringing them into “a new season”. “We, as a church, have a mission to spread the Gospel,” he declares. Your prayers today will lift them up in this mission.
Prayer Points
- Pray that Harvesters’ church-planting training will assist Brazilians in preaching the true Gospel with boldness.
- Pray that the Biblical training provided by Harvesters will assail doubts among pastors and enable them to address doubts in others.
- Pray for true disciples who will make even more true disciples.
- Pray for future leaders to be equipped to reach the lost, make disciples and plant churches in unreached communities.
- Praise God with local pastor, Sidney, for “new horizons” that have opened in Brazil.
