Church Spotlight

Post from an Interview with Pastor Assuerio

Community Church of Ameixas

The Community Church of Ameixas is the furthest inland Church plant for World Renewal Brazil. It is a good three hours away from the ministry headquarters (Alcance Brasil). This Church was originally started from outreaches by the Community Church of Carpina and the Community Church of Guadalajara.

The Town of Ameixas is a very poor place that is dominated mostly by the Catholic Church that emphasizes Mary worship. This has made it extremely difficult to reach the people of Ameixas with God’s love and they have a difficult time understanding a “personal” relationship with Christ.

Since Assuerio has come back from Africa about a year and a half ago, he has been ministering in this small town along with his wife, Miriam and two kids, Loriana and Tiago. This Church a few years back received a generous donation and they were able to purchase land for a permanent Church location. But, it wasn’t until this January that the dream of building the church was fulfilled, when a group of 50 Baptists from Rio de Janeiro drove up to help build the Church. With the financial help from the Community Churches in the US and from individuals the dream of a Church building became a reality.

There are a lot more Picture Here

The Church is still fairly small with about 30 people attending the main service, but the impact that Assuerio is having in the community is growing. Assuerio has 5 house Bile studies that lets him teach the gospel on a more one on one basis. The Churches main service is Saturday night and then on Sunday night they hold a Bible study. That study is split into two groups that meet every other Sunday. It is setup this way in order that the whole family can come study God’s word. One week the wife will come while the husband watches the kids and then the next week the husband will come. This works out really well in this poor community where they can’t pay someone to look after their young kids and the Church doesn’t have enough people to help watch the kids yet. Along with this Bible study there is small group Bible studies on Wednesday night and then a prayer meeting on Thursday night.

Last week Assuerio was talking about a young couple that was at one of the house bible studies when Assuerio was talking about creation and the beginning of sin. He also went into how Jesus paid the price for our sin. After the study was over the girl of 17 said with tears in her eyes that before this study she had never believed that God even existed. When Assuerio asked her what changed she responded by saying that something inside of her changed and she can see the truth now.

God is working in this community and has Assuerio here for a special purpose even though Assuerio’s heart is still yearning for Africa. He has expressed that no matter what he wants to do the will of God. He has prayed that if he isn’t suppose to go back to Africa that God take away the desire that is in his heart for that country. Assuerio still has that passion and desire in his heart for Africa and would like to head back there in 2010 Lord willing.

Quick summary of Assuerio’s Africa desire

In Mozambique Africa they speak Portuguese along with several tribal languages. Assuerio has always had a heart for these people and when he went to South Africa he made several really good contacts of strong Christians serving in Mozambique. His desire is to go to Mozambique and start a Community Church and also raise up leaders to start other Community Churches in that country.

If you feel lead to start supporting Assuerio and his family as they guide the town of Ameixas to the Lord and start to transition toward heading back to Africa near 2010 please send a check earmarked Assuerio-Brazil and make out to:

WORLD RENEWAL
P.O. Box 399
Greenfield, IN 46140