One Year in Palmas!

On April 14, 2022 we moved to Palmas. Since then, we have constantly been seeking ways to connect with people, intentionally but organically, as part of a daily-life routine.

As much as that has been intentional, connecting at even a superficial level is difficult in a larger city (in Pacajá, everyone knew we were foreigners and were visibly curious). Out of those superficial connections, fewer still arrive at any semi-significant level. Intentionality, and seeking God for orientation is our part; making things happen is God’s part. 

And it turns out we have made some contacts. Some are the fruit of our own intentional efforts, but probably more than not, completely outside our own planning and intentionality. Like a family, we knew only as acquaintances who decided to move to Palmas for work/family reasons. Four couples who are friends of our other church friends, our electrician who has worked through our constant eclectic issues, and at least two others who thought Keith was the gardener and stopped to ask how much he charges. But all of these relationships are, at best, superficial semi-significant contacts.

Even so, and with one significant couple slow in actually moving to Palmas (it was October, then December, then March, now June??), in late January, we sensed a conviction that a sufficient relational mass had been achieved and that it was time to invite people to gather weekly. February was all about working out the logistics, format, how to invite, and exactly how we would articulate and practice who we are as a church.

Actually, we have spent much of the last year thinking, praying, testing, and working out our distinct vision as a local church and how to articulate and present that.

So, confident in God yet unsure of exactly what would happen, we started our first official small group meeting on March 1, 2023! We are very excited to have finally started doing something “concrete”.

We’ve Begun

We’re trying to bring together people from different socioeconomic backgrounds and religious experiences. People who respect God generally but are skeptical about religion and “the church.” People who don’t know each other and who barely know us.

We’re trying to provide a context where this diverse group can interact with the basics of Christianity and engage their own formed ideas, process their experiences, and come to personal conviction about the things they say they think and believe.

We share a meal and fellowship, listen to a short and contextualized explanation of a key Christian belief, and then discuss personally as a group how we understand that, do we agree or disagree, and what some of the implications might be for us.

Obviously, we know what we believe, and normal church service is about teaching and admonishing the Word of God concretely. However, at this stage, our small group is evangelistic, apologetic, instructive, and designed to help people move out of giving superficial and “canned” religious and philosophical responses. 

Most people have not critically thought through some of life’s and Christianity’s biggest questions at a personal level. Fewer still can articulate their views with confidence while also demonstrating grace and humility. This group gives people a safe environment to process while we also seek to model this humble confidence. As long as it is respectful and civil, no question or comment is off the table.

We’re only four weeks into it, but we believe these humble roots will form the foundation of a solid local church in Palmas, Tocantins. Please continue to pray with us as we try to faithfully, intelligently, and gracefully model the Kingdom of God.  Pray that God will continue to bless us with new relationships and that He will bring curiosity and conviction in the hearts of our new friends.

Other Happenings

As we get to know people and hold a small group, we also continue training leaders in Anapu from a distance. We prepare and send video teaching to accompany material the national church has already developed. They gather, watch, and discuss the video and their reading. We will be teaching the same course in person at our sister church 15 miles from the center of Palmas.

We look forward to seeing potential leaders from both churches grow in their giftings and increase in service to their communities.

Prayer

Please pray with us for God to connect us with key people in this new city and for direction as we continue to develop a specific strategy for initiating a new church here. 

Please pray for our health, especially Marsha for full healing from the effects of a mosquito virus contracted in May of 2022.

Blessings in Christ,

Keith and Marsha Wilson