Series on Hebrews 11 - Christ the founder and perfecter of our faith

Tomorrow Stefano will conclude the shared series on Hebrew 11.
The goal is to see Hebrews 11 as a museum gallery full of portraits, but each one of them is pointing to the end of the gallery: that is Christ!

This Sunday Stefano will preach on Hebrews 11:39 - 12:3 

Christ the founder and perfecter of our faith!
 

And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

Hebrews 11:39-12:3 (ESV).

John Owen:

The foundation of our stability in faith and profession of the gospel, in times of trial and suffering, is a constant looking unto Christ, with expectation of aid and assistance; he having encouraged us unto our duty by his example, as in the following words. — Nor shall we endure any longer than whilst the eye of our faith is fixed on him. From him alone do we derive our refreshments in all our trials.

John Owen, The Works of John Owen, An exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews, Volume 23, The Ages Digital Library, Albany, 2000, p. 297

Porterbrook Italia - Video Interview with Steve Timmis

Video Interview with Steve Timmis at the Second Residential of Porterbrook Italia

Steve Timmis is the co-founder of The Crowded House, an international group of church planting networks, and the co-director of the Porterbrook Network, an initiative that trains church planters. 

He's also the director of Acts 29 in Western Europe and the co-author of Total Church.

My Space - Starting Again

On Saturday afternoon at 4 pm we'll have our first meeting for My Space 2012-2013.

This will be a special event with a Skype phone-call with the team that came from College Church in Weaton (Chicago) to help us during the Exch@nge 2012 camp!

Please pray that many of the campers will come regularly at the My Space Club!

Porterbrook Italia Second Residential

From the 27th to the 29th of September will have
the Second Residential of Porterbrook Italia
at the Serenissima Bible Church.

We'll have seminars on:
- Gospel and relationships
- How to apply Biblical exposition to Biblical Theology
- Global Impact
- Apologetics

and the introduction to the Porterbrook modules 5-8
that we'll teach at the Bologna Local Center.

The main speaker will be Steve Timmis.

Steve Timmis is the co-founder of 

The Crowded House, 

an international group of church planting networks, and the co-director of the  

Porterbrook Network, 

an initiative that trains church planters. 

He's also the director of Acts 29 in Western Europe and the co-author of Total Church.

Info about the book

Total Church pleads for two key principles for church and mission. First, the gospel as content: being word-centred (for the gospel is truth) and being mission-centred (for the gospel is truth to be proclaimed). Secondly, the community as context: sharing our lives as Christians and offering a place of belonging to unbelievers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Watch this video of Steve Timmis on what the church is and what the church is for:

Pastors' Fraternal of the Bologna Area

Tonight Stefano at 7.30 pm will participate at a Pastors' Fraternal of the Bologna Area held
in Sasso Marconi Church.

These are the pastors from the churches we cooperate both in evangelistic events and in the training programme of Porterbrook.

We'll have a time of sharing about our churches' lives, encouragements and challenges.
Then we'll have a time of prayer one for another and for our churches.

Interdenominational Prayer meeting with Pastors from the Bologna area

Tonight at 6 pm Stefano will participate at the
Bologna Evangelica Prayer Meeting,
an interdenominational prayer meeting for
church and mission leaders from the Bologna Area

Baptismal Classes

Tomorrow afternoon Stefano will start a series of Baptismal Classes for a young man from Sasso Marconi church who was attending our former Young People group.

We'll study a series of doctrines following the 1648 Westminster Shorter Catechism in the 1864 "Baptist Version" edited by C.H. Spurgeon 

From the Westminster Shorter Catechism:

Question 1. What is the chief end of man?

Answer. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

Porterbrook - training session

Tomorrow from 5.30 pm onward Stefano and three pastors from the Bologna area
will have their second training session to interact as facilitators to teach the Porterbrook material.

In October 2012 we will start the
second year course in Bologna!

From the Porterbrook website:
Porterbrook helps Christians learn how to serve Jesus and his people better — whether they are church leaders, church planters, or simply Christians wanting to become more mission-focused. Porterbrook has been designed to be integrated with your whole Christian life in whatever context you are serving. It’s not theology for theology’s sake:
the Porterbrook Learning material is written by practitioners for practitioners.

Italian Ministries - annual assembly

Tomorrow from 11.30 am to 5.00 pm we'll be at the Italian Ministries annual assembly.

We'll an opportunity to be exposed to what many missionaries are doing across the whole Italy and to pray one for another


Italian Ministries (IM) exists:
• to facilitate the development of missional vision and action for the church in Italy.
• as a missional network in Italy bringing together like-minded missionaries to form a field-based. fellowship.
• to offer a window of opportunity for Italians to be involved in mission service (in close collaboration with GMI and 9.37).
• work alongside local churches, organisations and individuals (in Italy and elsewhere) to facilitate a vision for mission.

Literature Stand @ San Lazzaro weekly market

Tomorrow morning from 8.30 to 10.30 am we'll be at the weekly market in San Lazzaro with our Literature Stand.

We'll offer free Bibles in many 

languages and Christian literature.

Pray that the Lord will bring people interested to know more about Him 

and His Word!

My Space - 2012/2013 planning meeting

Tonight we'll have the first meeting to plan the social activities and Rock Solid Bible Studies for the first three months of the Bologna My Space Club.

Please pray for wisdom and passion in reaching out kids from the Bologna area, we also pray that many of the kids that came at the Exch@nge camp this July will come regularly at My Space.

We are really encouraged that this year there are four churches cooperating together for this project!

Sunday Service 26/08/2012 - Ravenna

Tomorrow we are invited at 
Chiesa Evangelica di Ravenna,

 

 

an Independent Baptist Church in Ravenna, a town which is about an hour from Bologna by the Adriatic Sea.

Stefano will preach on Mark 4:1-2; 21-29 about "The Farmer's Patience"!

Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them...

..."Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." And he said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

Mark 4:1-2; 21-29 (ESV)

Sunday Service 19/08/2012 - Sasso Marconi

On Sunday Stefano and Jenny will be at
Chiesa Evangelica di Sasso Marconi,
a Brethren church in a village near Bologna.

Stefano will preach on Matthew 21:42-22:14:
"What I'm wearing for the Wedding?"


Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him." When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet. And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.' But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.' And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. "But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen."

Matthew 21:42-22:14 (ESV)

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Interactive Bible-Study - Hebrews 11 - Christ in the faith of Jacob

Tonight Stefano will lead an interactive Bible-Study on the series on Hebrew 11.

The goal is to see Hebrews 11 as a museum gallery full of portraits, but each one of them is pointing to the end of the gallery: that is Christ!

Tonight  we'll answer in groups at these questions:

1. Would you use Romans 9:13 (see Malachi 1:1-3) to explain the biblical concept of election to salvation? Why?
2. Why do you think God allows that Jacob tricks Isaac, or that Laban does it to Jacob, or that Jacob marries Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah without really loving them?
3. Would you say that in your life your have "fought" with the Lord or that you have tried to "get" something from God outside His will? In which way does Matthew 11:28-30 answer to this?

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Matthew 11:28-30

Series on Hebrews 11 - Christ in the faith of Jacob

Tomorrow Stefano will continue the shared series on Hebrew 11.
The goal is to see Hebrews 11 as a museum gallery full of portraits, but each one of them is pointing to the end of the gallery: that is Christ!

This Sunday Stefano will preach on Hebrews 11:21 - Christ in the faith of Jacob!



By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. 

Hebrews 11:21 (ESV)

 

John Owen:

We may see herein the infinite purity of the divine will, effectually accomplishing its own purposes and designs through the failings and miscarriages of men, without the least mixture with or approbation of their iniquities or miscarriages. So did God accomplish his purpose and promise unto Jacob, by ordering the outward circumstances of the irregular actings of him and his mother unto his own blessed ends.

John Owen, The Works of John Owen, An exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews, Volume 23, The Ages Digital Library, Albany, 2000, pp. 153-154

San Lazzaro 2012 Town Fair Video

Yesterday we finished our witness at the 2012 Town Fair.

We had quite a few conversations and we distributed more than 20 Bibles in Italian, 10 in French and English and 20 Gospels in Arabic.

San Lazzaro 2012 Town Fair

Tomorrow evening from 6.00 to 8.00 pm Stefano and Jenny will be at the stand of the church with free Bibles in many languages including Arabic and free literature as
John Blanchard's Ultimate Questions
also in many languages!



Every year for the last 30 years the church
of San Lazzaro had a stand at the annual summer Town Fair. In the years we had quite a few contacts from this evangelism so please pray that the Lord will prepare the people we'll be able to talk with this year.

My Space Summer time

Today we'll spend the day in Porretta at the swimming-pool with some of the kids from the My Space club and others from the 2012 Exch@nge Camp we run in July.

We trust it will be a day of fun and that we'll have good time with these kids, showing them in practical ways God's love for them!

San Lazzaro 2012 Town Fair

Tonight we'll have a special prayer meeting for the San Lazzaro 2012 Town Fair.

Last year more than 23.000 people visited the Fair and similar numbers are expected for this year from Thursday to Sunday.


Tomorrow afternoon from 3.00 to 6.00 pm Stefano and Jenny will be setting up the stand of the church with free Bibles in
many languages including Arabic and
free literature as John Blanchard's 
Ultimate Questions also in many languages!