José Carlos Pezini - November 2019 Update
Portuguese-Language Ministries Coordinator
Dear brothers and sisters,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is hard to believe that 2019 is almost over. It was an intense year in our ministry here in Brazil. The Lord guided us and opened many doors. Through SARA Ministries, Odete and I spent time caring for pastors and helping them in numerous ways. We saw the lives of many pastors from different denominations being transformed through mentoring and as a result of this transformation, we saw their churches grow in enthusiasm and membership.
The mentoring program includes monthly video conferences and participation in two annual retreats. Through these we work on three fundamental areas in the pastor’s lives:
The pastor and his life with God
The mentee sets aside at least one hour a day, five days a week to be with God, to hear from him, to know him, to develop intimacy with him, and to understand his purpose for their life and ministry. This is not a time for exegesis or sermon study, but a time to feed on God's word and nourish the soul.
The pastor and his physical and emotional lifeThe mentee is committed to taking care of his health by exercising one hour a day, five days a week and eating healthily. The pastor can develop a healthy church only if he is healthy.
The pastor and his ministerial life The pastor makes a commitment to develop a daily reading habit. He must supply his mind with good books. To help with this, we offer them a list of good books for intellectual development.
During retreats, we counsel on the importance of solitude and good time management and provide tools for ministry development in the local church. As a result, many pastors have recovered from burnout and become effective in ministry again. There are 15 mentoring groups spread out across several states in Brazil, each with two retreats per year. And five new groups are scheduled to start early next year.
Rev. Martins is one of the pastors in the mentoring program. Here is his testimony:
My name is Fabio Cardoso Martins. I am 35 years old and a pastor of the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil. I discovered SARA Ministries in 2017 during a time when my life was completely disorganized. I was serving as an associate pastor in a relatively complicated congregation. The senior pastor was a workaholic and demanded the same attitude from me. I served this church as a part-time minister. I was also a business owner, into which I had invested all our financial reserves from the last 5 years. The business required so much of me and my wife. I woke up early to meet the ministerial requirements in the church I served and because of this I had no time off and felt exhausted. In spite of all the work, however, the company did not yield the expected financial returns, something that worried me a lot because it was our primary source of income.
The stress of work and lack of time off meant that my wife and I didn't have time to spend together. As a result, we begin to have serious problems in our marriage. We fought constantly. I became very seriously depressed. My anguish was so great that I began preparations to commit suicide. I researched the most painless and peaceful ways, where to get the materials, and where to do it to have the least effect on those around me.
During a fight with my wife, I showed her the list I had made of the motives of suicide to provoke her, but instead, by the grace of the Lord, my healing began. She understood what was happening to me and together we decided to seek help from the SARA Ministries. I was paired with a mentor and referred to mentoring retreats. I began to understand why I was in this situation. Through mentoring and retreats, I overcame depression and joy has returned to my life. My relationship with my wife is restored and I regained my passion for ministry. I learned from other colleagues that time with God is non-negotiable and taking care of my physical and emotional health is my responsibility. What I value, I prioritize.
The help I received through SARA Ministries was critical to my recovery and the maintenance of my emotional, spiritual and intellectual health. I am grateful to God for allowing me to connect with SARA. Through this ministry, my life was saved and my ministry rescued. Rev. Fabio Cardoso Martins
In addition to mentoring we offer congregations a revitalization program consisting of eight modular courses with 20-hour and 10-hour online video lessons. To be part of this program the pastor needs to commit to having a mentor, attending SARA mentoring meetings, and bringing lay leaders to attend lecture classes. We understand that a church will only be revitalized if its leadership is revitalized first. To date, we are offering this revitalization course in four different places with 18 churches participating.
I would like to thank the brothers, sisters, churches and partner institutions in our ministry. Without you, it would not be possible to accomplish what we are doing. Also, without your prayers and contributions, we would not have grown and helped transform the lives of these men and women of God who are serving the Lord here in Brazil.
Thank you so much for being our partner in expanding the Kingdom of God.
In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Pezini
Read more about Pezini’s ministry HERE.
THE NEED
The Outreach Foundation is seeking gifts totaling $95,000 for support and ministry funds for Pezini and $5,000 to defray costs of attending SARA retreats for pastors who cannot afford them. Make a gift HERE or by sending a check to our office.
