Category Archives: Ministry
I know it is actually day 5. but here is the recap of day four of our team’s journeys in Brazil. Giving the recap: Holly Smithwick, Andy Six, and Jeremy Armstrong.
We’ve been having a blast here! We had a great day of ministry yesterday and today started off with a bang as we had the privilege of worshiping this morning at Templo Batista Biblica here in Jacarei. Here’s a few shots of yesterday and today.
Sam Cirrincione sharing his testimony with translator Patrick McClure.
Our group singing in Portuguese and English at the favela (slums).
Our team doing the drama called “The Woman”, which is about finding hope and peace in Christ in the midst of a chaotic world.
This drama is called “King of Hearts”, which is about how we all hide beyond masks but Christ helps us realize who we can be in and through a relationship with Him.
I had the great honor of preaching at TBB, the first church I worshiped with in Brazil in 1998.
Our CPC team with some of the staff and members of TBB hanging out after church.
All in all, it has been an incredibly fruitful trip thus far! God has multiplied blessings here. The best highlight so far: our team leading 9 people to Christ last night… IN PORTUGUESE! It was awesome.
Keep praying for us. Hopefully the next update will be by Tuesday.
We had the whole team contribute to today’s recap… Quite a humorous operation.
A blogger/pastor/comedian named Chris Elrod posted this recently. It made me think. Some parts I agreed with, some I didn’t. But it made me think. And I appreciate that. Some of these “things I don’t understand” tie in with life and some with ministry. Hope it fosters some thoughts in your mind too:
———————————————————————————
There is some stuff I just cannot comprehend. Try as I may to get it…it doesn’t make any logical or Scriptural sense. Here is a partial of things I do not understand.
1. Folks that show up to church only a few times a year but expect the pastor to drop everything to provide them with his undivided attention.
2. People that put nothing in the offering plate but still have the stones to expect that their opinions on the church should count.
3. Parents who ground their children from church or the youth group…the very things that could help them with their behavior, future and afterlife.
4. People that expect the pastor to tolerate their political views…but leave the church because of his.
5. The occasional volunteer that expects the church to throw a parade in their honor just because they finally did what the Bible commanded.
6. People that have basked in the grace of God…but fail to give grace to anyone else.
7. Pastors that leave one church for another…for better pay.
8. The need for church growth plans, programs, books, conference, seminars and resource kits…when we already have the Bible
9. Women that tolerate their husbands having multiple affairs…”for the sake of the kids”.
10. Pastors that would rather be political pundits or civil rights leaders…instead of just preaching the life-saving message of the Word of God.
11. People that have one spiritual standard for their pastor…and another for themselves.
12. Folks that think the word ‘disciple’ is a noun…and not a verb.
13. People that make comments about needing to go “deeper” in God’s Word…as if there is a Scripture in the Bible that isn’t deep.
14. Pastors that think accountability means never asking them the tough questions or taking the hard line when it comes to their failure to follow Scripture.
15. Men that think being the head of the household has something to do with the amount of money they are bringing in or the title they acquire at work.”
———————————————————————————
Again – I don’t necessarily sign off on all of these. But they made me evaluate some things. What about you?
What resonated with your spirit? What did you disagree with? Did this make you think?
