Micah 3:11 NLT

For those of you in ministry, or aspiring to be ministers, here are the questions I’ve been chewing on:

1) What are my motives for doing ministry?
2) Why do I serve the way you do?
3) Am I in this for the Lord?
4) Am I merely doing ministry for some kind of vain glory?
5) Has ministry turned into a paycheck for me?
6) Am I really depending on the Lord, or simply claiming to do so?
7) What needs to change in my life so that this verse isn’t true of me?

We have had an amazing week that has been full of activity! God is moving powerfully not only among the people with whom He’s allowed us to share the Gospel, but also in the hearts of our team members. We got to attend church on Sunday night and worship with other believers at IBABI (Igregia Baptista Biblica – Bible Baptist Church) which was incredible.

On Monday, a group of 64 elementary school kids came to the farm and we played and shared Christ with them. Monday night was full of laughter as we went to the mall and to a popular pizzaria in Jacarei. On Tuesday, we worked removing tile and painting on the Haven of Hope property and then got to go to a middle school where we presented the Gospel through skits, testimonies, and music. We sang the song “Umbrella” with the students and danced with umbrellas, which made everyone laugh! Later, we went to an English school and conversed with students who are learning English. On Wednesday, the children who regularly attend AME (Associacio Morada De Esperenca) came to spend time with us and we got to love on them and sing with them. We also worked on the property some more and then went to a famous Brazilian steakhouse where we consumed horrendous amounts of food.

Overall, the team has absolutely loved it here. God has been so good to us! Pray for us this afternoon as we go to another public middle school to share Christ, and then tonight as we get to share the gospel at a professional English school.

Here are a few pictures from the past few days:

Blaire Wickham & Cynthia Gover with Ann-Janel McClure (caught off guard) sharing Christ with children.

Gheorge Rugila, Matt Webster, Vernie Daniels, & Joan Callaham praying for the day's ministry opportunities.

Penny Germinaro, Randi Campbell, & Erica Campbell playing with the children.

Vernie Daniels running with a young girl during the relay races.

Steph Cassidy had the opportunity to share Christ with this little girl.

Some of the children we spent time with from a local school.

The Haven of Hope children had a blast singing with our group!

Group share time at the end of Wednesday night.

John Foraker, Rena Curry, Erica Campbell, and Claudia Rejane at the Pizzaria Vila d'Aldeia.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Everyone is doing great. The team is filled with excitement and anticipation for the week. They love spending time together and the fellowship is incredible. Today, we got to see somewhere close to a dozen people come to Christ — PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!

Here are some photos from the day:

The group loves being on the bus together!

JohnMark Powell and Corey Thweatt sharing Christ with Brazilians

Cynthia Gover had the chance to lead this man to Christ on the street.

Pray for us — lots of ministry ahead!

Our early team of 5 CPC’ers have arrived safely and settled in. We’ve enjoyed a great day of fellowship with 3 sets of missionaries already! The Deans, McClures, and Faircloths all came together with us tonight for a fantastic dinner. We shared stories and talked about God’s calling on our lives.

Here are some pictures from our travels yesterday and today as well as dinner tonight:

Lexington Airport

Laughing on the flight to DFW

Look closely... I found a fellow proud Apple supporter in São Paulo.

My favorite restaurant in São Jose: BABY BEEF! Deliciousness.

Me & Holly Smithwick at the Deans at dinner time.

Gary Mabley with the McClure kids

Holly Smithwick & April Pilcher with Ann Janel McClure

Me, Diane Dean, & Patrick McClure hanging out after dinner.

Matt Webster & Russ Dean getting in a few laughs at dinner time.

Tomorrow & Friday, we get to help the missionaries with preparations for our group. That entails grocery shopping, trips to the open-air market, and preparing for the work project for next week. Pray that we accomplish all we need to and bless the missionaries through our service and time with them.

Thanks!

This is my 7th trip to Brazil (4th time as leader of a group) and I’ll be co-leading with good friend and pastor Tim Parsons. The team consists of 25 CPC members. Many of them are first-timers, not only to Brazil, but to missions ventures in general. I’m pretty stoked to see what God does in their lives.

We made a quick video to introduce the team (minus me and Tim). Each team member stated why they are excited about going on the trip. Check it out below:

Check back here for the next two weeks for more updates. We also covet your prayers… we want to see the Lord move in big ways. Thanks!

Deus te abençoe! (God bless you)

Here’s a repost of his article which you can also read on Brad’s website:

I’ve been reminded recently of the constant tension on a team. And…. the Tension is Good. We talked about this and leaned into this phrase at our Catalyst event earlier this fall in Atlanta. The right kind of tension is important for teams, as well as for individuals. It stretches and shapes and allows for growth.

But there are other things that can creep into a team and poison it quickly. Things that sneak up fast and before you know it, start to define the team and take everyone off course. In the wrong direction. Headed the wrong way.

Here are a few of the poisons to make sure and avoid:
1. Arrogance- Pride comes before the fall, and for teams, the same holds true. Jim Collins talks about this at length in his book How the Mighty Fall. Humble confidence is the ticket.

2. No communication- this one is the most common poison for all teams to have some form of. The remedy? Overcommunicate. Be intentional and make sure folks are in the know. For team leaders, this one is tough. I struggle at this.

3. Me first, vs. We first- see this alot on high profile sports teams. Or with celebrities. As they say, there’s no “I” in team. A WE first mentality starts at the top with the leader who has to set the tone in word AND deed. If you are hearing “it’s not my job,” then it’s time for a gut check.

4. Jealousy and Cynicism- many times these go hand in hand and one follows the other. The remedy? Confronting it head on. Don’t allow jealousy or cynicism or cliques to form. Stomp it out immediately.

Hopefully this is as helpful to you as it was to me. I wholeheartedly agree with Lomenick. We need to fight off these poisons at all costs.

It reminded me of my call. I was in 9th grade, and God used a camp speaker named Ken Gillming from Springfield, MO to awaken my heart to God’s call. I am eternally grateful. My life has never been the same since.

We didn’t know what to expect, but Tim laid the challenge for our people to respond to God’s call on their life if they sensed it. They responded. 14 people total between our three morning services. We had a time of prayer over them. My heart was moved beyond explanation. Many thoughts ran through my head in those moments… Here’s a few:

1) Why would God ever call me? His grace is so real in my life. I am overwhelmed every day that I — a sinner deserving of no good thing from the Lord — gets to give my life for the cause of the gospel.

2) The missionaries that took the gospel to Kerala, India. I was moved to tears thinking about this. Someone answered God’s call and took the message of the cross to the region where my family is from. Because of that, our destinies were altered forever.

3) The pastors/leaders who responded to the call to ministry and had an investment in my life. Dave & Kathy Vandenbergh and Doug & Becky Williams in New City, NY. Jamie Gillespie, Dave Watkins, and Jeff Miller in Youngstown, OH. Chip Collins, Dave Adams, Jimmy Scroggins, Chad Brand, etc. from Southern Seminary. Russ & Diane Dean in São Paulo, Brazil. I am sure this list could go on. I am so grateful that they responded. My soul has been blessed to know them.

4) Stewardship. We need to be thankful and obedient to God’s voice. This is a privilege, not a right. May my life always glorify The One who called me.

This is an exciting time. We are going to do our best to pour our lives into those who sensed a call. From the middle schooler to the 50 year old man, our hope and desire is to equip and encourage. May the God who called them do marvelous things through these servants who surrendered their lives to the gospel ministry.

Thanks to all who gave, sent, mobilized, prayed, etc. to make this trip possible. You made an impact for the Kingdom of God! Here is the video recap from the trip: