The Unique Culture of Brazil’s Southern Cone
We recently returned to the Southern Cone of Brazil to lead Catalyst Community #2 (CC2) on developing Missional Culture in our churches, in Porto Alegre and Florianopolis.
Southern Brazil’s culture is distinctively unique in Brazil. This is due to the heavy influx of Italian and German immigrants into the region in the 19th century. It is also the region that boasts the highest percentage of Atheist and Agnostics, similar to Uruguay and Argentina.
Porto Alegre is actually considered the “Spiritist Capital of the Southern Hemisphere.” Brazilian Spiritism is a religious movement whose followers believe in communication with the dead through spirit mediums and in healing illnesses by means of spiritual therapies. It is so pervasive here that 30% of the churches in this region that classify themselves as “Evangelical” also consider themselves to be “Spiritists”.
Felipe and Habigail’s Story: From Pastor to Planter
Felipe and I made a great connection last year in Porto Alegre. He was so much fun to talk to and he made great churrascaria! Felipe was a pastor on staff at an incredible church, and last year at our CC1 he shared with me that God had put it on his heart at the Catalyst Community that he needed to plant a new church. His church is currently helping him start a new church in a nearby community! Pray for Felipe and Habigail. They are an amazing couple. I got to hold their second baby girl at the event, so precious!
Philipe and Miriam’s Story: Developing a Team
We first met Philip and Miriam last year in Florianopolis during Catalyst Community #1 (first picture). They came alone. CC1 was all about Developing Leaders, because the primary hindrance to starting new churches, is not having the leaders you need to start them. This year they brought a team, and it was a great, fully engaged and excited team!
Philipe and Miriam’s church currently has 7 small groups and 16 leaders. Over the next 5 years they plan to turn that one church into 1 network of 5 churches with 50 groups and 70 leaders! I believe they can do it! Pray for the team!
Willie’s Story: Start, Stop, Continue, Change
Willie attended CC1 with us last year in Porto Alegre. In CC1 we did the “Dream Exercise” with Willie. We told him to imagine that two years had passed since he attended CC1, and he had started several new churches. Then we asked him to explain to us what he did to accomplish that imagined future scenario. Not how would you accomplish this, but how did you accomplish it? What did you Start, Stop, Continue and Change to accomplish that goal?
We did a similar exercise this year, but we switched from a 2 year time horizon to a 5 year time horizon. Willie pulled out his cell phone and showed me a picture of last year’s Dream Exercise. The man put almost every step from that exercise into practice in one year’s time! You can see in the photo that he checked off each step that he accomplished! Go Willy!
Cristian’s Story: Growing into Uruguay
We met Cristian last year at CC1. I loved his heart for authentic Christian Community. He was starting a church, and at that point in time, it consisted of his immediate family. He was lonely and bit discouraged (first picture).
This year at CC2, Christian was no longer alone. He had a team, and they had a growing vision for multiplying churches! Today, Christian and his team have one church in Southern Brazil, but in 5 years, they are planning to have 5 churches, and one of those church plants is planned across the boarder in Uruguay!
A 23 hour drive from Argentina!
In Florianopolis we met 3 guys who drove 23 hours straight from their home in Argentina to attend our CC2 in Florianopolis. People often ask how we move into new countries. It’s usually a story like this. Friends invite other friends to attend a Catalyst Community, and that opens doors in new countries. We will be connecting with the Argentinian team later this month to see if there is anything we can do to help them moving forward. They already have a robust movement with over 60 churches in multiple countries.
It’s been an expensive start to 2022!
This year is heavily front loaded with project expense and we need your help. Your partnership makes ministry impact like what you see above possible. Join us as we catalyze movements of multiplying churches around the world.
