PMI Missionaries
Luciano & Luciene Pires
Ministry Area: Brazil
Responsibilities: University students, discipleship, theological training, church equipping.
E-mail Address: lupires@yahoo.com
Luciano and Luciene returned to Brazil in 2002 after completing degrees at Covenant Theological Seminary. Luciano received an M.Div. and Th.M., while Luciene earned a MA in Theological Studies. They established a home-based Christian Institute called Colloquium in Goiania, Brazil, a city of 1.2 million people with over 20 universities which are home to about 65,000 students.
Their mission at Colloquium is to present the truths of the Gospel in a way that will challenge the hearts and minds of this generation, aiming as a result to reach out to non-believers and to equip Christians to live all of life under the Lordship of Christ.
During the first five years of ministry, the average attendance has been of 25 people per week through their Bible Studies and various outreach activities. The annual Colloquium Conference attracted 350 people. Their hope to one day open a Center for Theological Education to serve Brazilians and leaders from Portuguese-speaking countries.
Latest Report: (updated 5/21/2010)
Greetings from Brazil,
We pray this finds you well, and resting under our Lord's care. We apologize for not having written in the last couple of months, but we hope you can join us in prayer and thanksgiving as you read this update.
Our family is doing very well. Mila (6) is going to school for the first time and has began first grade in February. She is already reading and writing short phrases. She is growing in beauty, in stature and in the understanding of our Lord’s grace. She surprised us lately by saying that she wants to go to Covenant, be a missionary and work at Colloquium when she grows up! Pedro is also a handsome little boy (3) and is truly keeping mom and dad busy with lots of questions, and demands to play just about everything that goes into his imagination. He said to daddy that when he grows up he wants to be just like him — be a pastor, have diabetes and wear glasses! Well, we pray foremost they be who God created them to be for His glory. Please, pray for our children, that they may love God with all their soul, mind, heart and strength!
We are also experiencing some new dynamics in our ministry. Our local church went through a decreasing on its numbers of pastors, from 4 to 2 in these last two months. One of the pastors that stayed is focusing on a church plant. As a result, Luciano was asked to step in and help the church. In the last two months he has been preaching every week, having many counseling sessions, performing weddings and filling in other pastoral roles. Luciene was also caught in this "hurricane" helping Luciano counsel women and couples. Luciano spoke to a senior's retreat at the beginning of May, and will speak at a children's retreat two weeks from now and at a Youth conference at the beginning of June. We do have our schedule booked up to mid November. We are truly experiencing church's life and its "business", as we have never had before. The Lord has being working through this situation confirming and adding new elements to our call, especially related to how the 21st century church has to remain rooted in the Bible, but nevertheless it must bring forth a message understandable and relevant to the culture.
You might be wandering, and how about Colloquium? Colloquium was not put on standby. We continue to have great discussions, as the Lord continues to bless Colloquium. We also continue to have new people coming to every event, Christians and non-Christians. We are glad that non-Christians continue to attend, as before Luciano was ordained. Some of you may remember from 8 years ago, that one of the main goals for Colloquium is to be a "safe" place for people who do not go to church. Please, continue to pray that Colloquium be a place where anybody from any faith can come and discuss why Christianity is true and relevant to all areas of life, and why Christ is the only way to God.
Our new adventure serving our local church more pastorally, our love for Colloquium and our love for the Brazilian church have surely challenged us lately. We covet your prayers for faithfulness from us to our Lord, so that we may always seek His kingdom for His glory. He has been with us and we are certain, that because of His faithfulness, He will continue to guide us in our call and ministry.
Thanks again for all of your support and prayers.
In the Lamb,
Luciano, Luciene, Mila e Pedro.
Popcorn & DVD
Popcorn & DVD
Debate at the end of the movie "Surrogates" about what it means to be human.
Mila
Pedro
Presbyterian Mission International
12330 Conway Road
St. Louis, Missouri 63141
Telephone: (314) 434-4044
Fax: (314) 434-4819
