| Harvest in Brazil - 2012 |
Reaping the harvest in Imperatriz
A special moment for Christians in Imperatriz, Brazil. A time of harvest. A move of God’s Spirit. All of the above were used to describe the evangelistic meetings with Sammy Tippit during the month of May. Tippit preached two nights to venues packed with hungry hearts that found the source of the bread of life.
Tippit not only conducted evangelistic meetings in Imperatriz, but also in Maceio, the capital of the state of Alagoas. Hundreds responded to Tippit’s messages, making life changing decisions for Christ. Church leaders asked Tippit to return next year STM helped the churches to hire buses to bring many to the meetings. Many of the Christians stayed at the churches praying while their friends and family members who needed Christ rode on the buses. Scores of people who traveled by bus made commitments to Christ. Counselors were strategically placed on the buses to minister to those making commitments to Christ as they traveled back to the church pick up and drop off point. Even though church leaders were anticipating a great harvest, it was much larger than they had imagined.
Evangelists Trained and Multiplying the Ministry
Twelve evangelists from throughout Brazil gathered with Sammy Tippit one year ago in Goinia, Brazil. The purpose was to raise up a new generation of evangelists who would take the vision, strategy and message of the gospel to their people. Tippit shared the spiritual and family life with the evangelists, saying that he wanted to see a generation of evangelists who had a heart for God and their priorities in line.
The American evangelist also taught the Brazilian evangelists principles and strategies of evangelism. Each of the Brazilians committed themselves to implementing the strategy during the following year. Tippit met with some of the evangelists on this trip to Brazil and was thrilled with how the evangelists have followed through with what they had learned during the “multiplying evangelists” meetings.
Fabricio Freitas, Missions and Evangelism Pastor for the large Memorial Baptist Church in Brasilia, caught the vision that Tippit presented last year. He recruited 94 churches to participate in the plan to reach the capital for Christ. Pastor Freitas has more than 1000 people who have committed themselves to pray for five people each for the next three months. They will be trained to share their testimonies and share the gospel with those people during June. Each of the 94 churches will then host an evangelistic meeting during the end of July. They are praying for thousands of people to come to Christ.
Pastor Freitas has shared the vision and strategy with national leaders. He’s hoping that the training that he received from STM will soon become a national strategy.
One of the evangelists from the state of Alagoas also took the strategy to a small town. He trained the believers in Operation Andrew, praying for five friends, colleagues, or family members who need Christ. He then gathered the churches in an evangelistic outreach, including a “Jesus March” and an evangelistic event in which he preached the gospel. Many came to Christ.
Plans are being made to continue the training of the evangelists in 2013. Those that have been through the training will continue their training at another level. Also, new evangelists will be brought into the group. Tippit said, “I’m so excited about what God is doing with these evangelists. God has been faithful to bring the vision to pass. Pray for the evangelists that have been trained in Brazil and India and those who will be trained in Africa later this summer.”
