Strategies for Engaging Globally Minded People into a Missional Movement in Brazil
by Jane Elizabeth Hawkins
June 1st, 2012
I am studying engaging English-speaking, globally minded people into a glocal?(global plus local), missional church movement in Brazil to discover effective strategies?that my readers can contextualize for their international cities.?This proposal has three components. The first component is to create a?transcultural, reproducible ministry model for global cities, based on the values of the?New Testament church at Antioch. Unlike the American megachurch strategy, the church?at Antioch was led without dependence on hired staff. Both the leadership and the?congregation were multi-ethnic, multi-racial, and multi-socioeconomic. The development?of the church was more organic and Spirit-led than prescriptive through strategic?planning.
Sampa Community Church is seven years old, and while it was inspired by the?megachurch approach, God has directed it to look more like the church of Antioch.?The second component is to create missional, reproducible initiatives through?which people can serve their cities in a holistic, developmental, sustainable, eternally?focused, volunteer-friendly manner. Sampa Community Church has created two formal
organizations to invest in the four million people living in Sao Paulo's shantytowns.?SPACE (Sao Paulo Action for Children and Education) is an academic sponsorship?program. YouClubes are held in local communities to gather children around Christian?values, heroes of character, reading, games, and health.?The third component is to develop transformational leaders who can start new?initiatives in their cities. This task is being done inside the church and outside in the?community, with an emphasis on empowering local, national leaders.