March 22, 2009

GONÇALVES NEWSLETTER

March 2009

Antenor and Phyllis Gonçalves

Ala. dos Jerivás, 19

Portal de Itu

13.301-635 Itu, SP

Brazil

Phone/fax: 011-55-11-4022-0064

E-mail: impacto12@terra.com.br or phyllis@terra.com.br

Skype: phylbrazil

Dear friends and supporters,

TV PROGRAM - I just came home from a four-day trip to Belo Horizonte. F.H. Gates and I recorded ten (10) 30-minute TV programs that will go on the air on Rede Super to 16 different states in Brazil.

Recently, I received an e-mail from a young man, Paulo, de Acreúna. He watched our TV program, attended a church service in Uberlandia and was baptized. He wrote me saying: “Thank you for the program. It is helping me to strengthen my faith and commitment.” Paulo has since moved to Goias, the state Brasilia, our Federal District (Like Washington, D.C.) is located. Lord willing, I plan to go visit him the next time we go to visit my brother and his family who also live in Goias.

Every month there are THOUSANDS of new contacts calling in, writing letters, and e-mails and accessing our site – www.igrejadecristo.com – in response to our Television program. I am delighted that you partner with us in this life-shaping and life-transforming ministry!

MISSIONARY CONFERENCE IN ITU – The annual missionary conference was held for the first time ever here in Itu January 5-9. It was a great success, with Don McLaughlin as our featured speaker. Dr. Steve Allison and Dr. Cindy Roper were here teaching the men and women, respectively. The next conference will be held in Salvador, Bahia, where there is a great mission team.

PAUL AND BROOKE COME TO VISIT: We were very blessed to have Paul and Brooke with us for Christmas. This was their first visit as a married couple! It was truly a delight to have them here. The 6 of us (Mark and Ali went, too!) took a trip to southern Brazil after the missionary conference was over.

OUTREACH BRAZIL RETREAT – held in Atibaia February 5-8. Dale & Rita Brown and Tod Brown hosted this retreat for 30 couples of church leaders from all over Brazil. We were able to spend 4 days sharing our dreams and hopes for the Kingdom’s growth here in Brazil. Phyllis and I were there and I served as the translator for the speaker/facilitator, Tod Brown, from Golf Course Road Church of Christ in Midland, Texas.

Without a doubt, this was the most influential group of church leaders we have among the churches of Christ here in Brazil. We all left enthused about passing the experience on to our regional and local level.

Saturday, April 4^th: There will be a special gathering of the regional church leadership here in Itu at our building for a follow-up and talk about joint efforts to make the church more visible in our area and reach out to the lost. Please pray for our plans.

CARNAVAL YOUTH CAMP IN BELO HORIZONTE: 20 members of our youth group participated in the annual youth retreat in BH during the Mardi Gras weekend. There were over 300 young people from all over Brazil there.

40 DAYS OF PRAYER AND FASTING: As we have done for several years now, the congregation in Itu just finished a wonderful time of consecration. We focused on the growth of the Kingdom in Itu. At the end of the 40 days of prayer and fasting we had the members get together to share their experiences. One of our sisters who is having a difficult pregnancy witnessed about how the prayers offered by the members on behalf her and her baby were answered by God.

MOVING OFFICE TO THE NEW BUILDING: On February 26^th we FINALLY were able to move the church office to the site of the new building! The building is not yet completely finished, but we are able to use the money that was going to rent towards the construction expenses.

DEDICATION/INAUGURATION OF ITU BUILDING

JULY 4^TH AND 5^TH, 2009.

Plans are “full steam ahead” for the dedication/inauguration services for our building on July 4^th and 5^th, 2009. We would love for YOU to be here with us for this very special time in the history of the Itu congregation.

If you plan to attend, please let us know the dates of your trip so that appropriate hotel arrangements can be made. You can send us an e-mail, skype us (information above) or send a message on Facebook (Phyllis Sheppard Goncalves) and we will be happy to make arrangements for you.

CÍNTIA GOMES IS BAPTIZED: For several months, Cintia and Dirk have been coming to us for pre-marital counseling. This past Sunday night she came in saying “I have great news for you”! She told us of her decision to be baptized into the Lord Jesus, and we are all very happy with her decision!

“OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK AT THE FIELDS”:
A Seminar on Church Growth. I will be in Manaus, the capital of the jungle, the Amazon basin, the land of piranhas, crocodiles and the fresh water “pirarucu” fish that weighs more than 3,000 pounds offering a seminar to the 10 congregations that meet in that city. I will focus on the imperative of Jesus that commands his disciples to open their eyes, barriers for church growth, Christ’s purposes for the church, and how to live out these purposes and the secrets of churches that are growing today in the 21^st century.

Please pray for me and our ministry in Brazil.

Thanks for your support!

Please pray for these upcoming events:

March 29 – 1^st “Friendship Sunday” of 2009 in Itu

April 10-11 - ENOC(A) –– separate retreats for men and women on Easter weekend

April 24-26 – Florianópolis – marriage retreat

May 1-3 – Maceió for the Northeastern church Congress

May 23 – Jardim das Flores congregation in São Paulo for a special day to talk about marriage