Interactive Bible Study - Romans 12

Tonight Stefano will lead an interactive Bible-Study on Romans 12.


We'll focus on practical ways in which we can be individually members one
of another in
order to be that community which lives and testifies to the world
the love of God!

Second Earthquake in Bologna Area - By God's Grace we are fine!

Dear Friends, yesterday we had a second earthquake in our area.

At about 9.00 am our house shook quite a bit, but apart being a bit scared we are more than fine!

By God's grace also Stefano's parents and everyone in the church is fine.

We are praying for the families of the 15 people who died yesterday and for the 14.000 people sleeping in tents and the many that lost their homes and jobs.

There are many towns and villages severely affected by the earthquake, so please do pray for us in our witness
and practical ways in which we can show God's love for these people.

BBC In pictures: Italy hit by quake


For those who asked us about practical ways to help, Renata di Francia,
the Evangelical Association of the Reformed Baptist Church in Ferrara
is collecting offers to help the people affected by the earthquake.

Renata di Francia,
Via Livello n. 45 BORSEA – 45100  ROVIGO

Tel/fax: 0039 0425 404136  Mobile: 0039 348 8101416

IBAN:  IT 39R 07601 12200 000089867048

In your offer specify: Ai terremotati dell'Emilia
(to the people affected by the earthquake in Emilia)

EMF - Sicily Trip

Today we'll have the visit of
Martin Leech director of the EMF (European Missionary Fellowship)  to talk about our ministry in Northern Italy.

Then will head to Sicily where Stefano will act as translator
during the visit to other EMF missionaries working in the isle, especially Vito Tangorra, pastor of the Refomed Church Maranatha in Santa Elisabetta (Agrigento).

Porterbrook Local Group

Tonight Stefano will lead one of the four local group to interact with the material
we studied at the second plenary session
of Porterbrook.

The goal is to challenge the students not
only to think about practical applications
in their lives, but also at how what they
are learning can be implemented and transmitted in their churches.




This week we'll look at:

Module "Church": Missional Community Life
1. Missional context
2. Missional community
3. Missional engagement
4. Missional intentionality

Module "World": Evangelism
1. The message
2. The messenger
3. Building relationships
4. Talking about God
5. Presenting the gospel

Bologna earthquake - we are fine!

Between Saturday and Sunday we had a serious earthquake in the Bologna area.

"At least seven people died and more than 50 were injured when the quake struck in the early hours of Sunday.
The magnitude six tremor, centred north of Bologna, destroyed or badly damaged many historic buildings.
Italian officials say the priority is to find safe accommodation for an estimate 3,000 displaced people."

(Click here for more info http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18140543)

By God's grace we are fine, and also my parents and everyone in the church is fine and our house didn't have any damage!
Thanks ever so much to everyone who prayed for us and wrote to us!

Jenny and I were away since I was speaking at a Conference at 250 Km from Bologna,
so we didn't feel much the earthquake.
But everyone in the area was very scared and shocked and we are still expecting some minor tremors.

Please do continue to pray for the people who lost their homes and the families of those who died during the earthquake!

Coram Deo - Weekend Conference

Tomorrow and Sunday we'll be at Chiesa Evangelica di Luni,
for the Coram Deo Conference on the Family.

Tomorrow Stefano will take two seminars:
- A biblical view of Marriage
- False myths about Marriage

On Sunday Stefano will preach about:
- A biblical view of Children

Monthly House Prayer Group

Tomorrow night we'll have our monthly house prayer groups.

We will pray specifically for the work in Senegal and in China.
  

We'll focus on the work of WEC Italia and we'll pray specially for the team of Italians that in June will go for a short-term mission trip to help a Christian Hospital in Gambia.

 

YfC - 3Story Evangelism

Tonight Stefano is leading the last session of the YfC Italia training scheme for volunteers working with teens.

This training scheme
is called 3Story
and the goal is to help
Christians to connect
in a natural way with
non Christians and
to help them to know God!






Tonight Stefano will teach the session on: "God's Story"

12/05/2012 Series on the Parables of our Lord – 33 “So Close, So Far...” Luke 16:13-15; 19-31

Tomorrow Stefano is continuing
the series on the Parables taught by our Lord,
preaching on Luke 16:13-15; 19-31
"So Close, So Far..."

 

 

 

  How can it happen?

How can't you see?

 

 

  How can it not be sufficient?

Our latest newsletter

Dear friends, here is our latest newsletter,
(right-click and open it in a new window to read it in a larger format)

My Space - Sharing the Gospel with teens

Tomorrow afternoon Stefano, Jenny & Danielle will run the
My Space program.

This week the Rock Solid
Bible Study theme will be:
"Hall of Fame" and we'll study
Habakkuk 3:2, Psalm 105:1-2.

The goal is to help our young people who are living in a society driven by the search for fame, to understand that the goal of our lives is to glorify God.
Only in this way we can find the deepest satisfaction of life!

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 - Bologna Local Group

Tomorrow from 3 to 7 pm we'll have the third plenary session of the Porterbrook - Bologna Local Group.

The meeting will be held in San Lazzaro Church and we expect about 35 students from 4 churches in Bologna
and a few from other towns and cities.

Tomorrow we'll start the third and fourth modules of the course:

Module "Church": Missional Community Life
led by Gianluca Derudas from Nuova Vita church:
1. Missional context
2. Missional community
3. Missional engagement
4. Missional intentionality

Module "World": Evangelism
led by Stefano Mariotti from San Lazzaro church:
1. The message
2. The messenger

3. Building relationships
4. Talking about God
5. Presenting the gospel

These are some of the videos from Tim Keller that we'll discuss at the meeting:

Interdenominational Prayer meeting with Pastors from the Bologna area

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

Young Adults - Bible Study

Tomorrow afternoon we'll have the monthly Young Adults Bible study.

We have a very nice group of people
in their twenties mostly from non-Christian background.

We'll study the book of J. I. Packer
Knowing God
Chapter 8 "The Majesty of God".

Sunday Service 29/04/2012 - Forte Torre Church - Bologna

On Sunday we'll be at the Forte Torre Evangelical Church in Bologna Town Centre.

Stefano will preach on Matthew 5:1-16,
focusing on the meaning of being Salt & Light!

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. 

Matthew 5:1-16 (ESV)

Audio sermon (Italian) Series on Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

Audio (in Italian) of Stefano's sermon on Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

1 Is life an oblivious circle?

2 Is my life a futile search for satisfaction?

3 What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21 (ESV)

 Listen the Audio-Sermon (Italian)

My Space - Sharing the Gospel with teens

Yesterday we had a really good meeting with the teens!

Practically all of them have Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist class-mates!

At the question:
have you ever heard the idea that God is like a mountain and that there are many ways (i.e. religions) to arrive to the top?

They all replied yes
and some said they agreed,
but at the end of day they all understood that there is only one way to God: Christ Jesus!

Jesus said:
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you had known me, you would have known my Father also." John 14-6-7 (ESV)

My Space - Sharing the Gospel with teens

On Sunday afternoon Stefano, Jenny, Danielle & Valentina will run the My Space program.

This week the Rock Solid Bible Study theme will be:
"Other Teams in the League"
and we'll study Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 and John 14:5-9.

The goal is to help our young people who are living in
an increasingly multi-cultural and multi-faith society,
to understand that Jesus is the only way to God and,
at the same time, to learn at how to respond in a wise,
godly way to followers of other faiths in order to respect
while evangelising them.


Jesus said:
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you had known me, you would have known my Father also." John 14-6-7 (ESV)

Bible Study on Ecclesiastes - Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

Please pray for tomorrow evening when Stefano will continue the series of Bible Studies on Ecclesiastes.

What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?
Ecclesiastes 1:3 (ESV)



To illustrate the meaninglessness of a life's search for satisfaction apart from Christ, we will look
at the figure of Sisyphus.

In Greek mythology Sisyphus was a king punished by being compelled to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, and to repeat this action forever.

The word "sisyphean" means "endless and unavailing, as labour or a task".

Porterbrook Local Group

On Monday night Stefano will lead one of the four local group to interact with the material we studied at the second plenary session of Porterbrook.

The goal is to challenge the students not only to think about practical applications in their lives, but also at how what they are learning can be implemented and transmitted in their churches.

This week we will look at:

Module: Character - Gospel living
Unit 5. Looking forward: to eternity
Unit 6. Living now: decisions
Unit 7. Living now: friendships
Unit 8. Living now: horizons
Unit 9. Living now possessions

Module: Bible & Doctrine - Reading God's Story
Unit 5. The story of promise
Unit 6. The promise of a people who know God
Unit 7. The promise of a place of blessing
Unit 8. The promise of a king and a kingdom
Unit 9. The promise of blessing to the nations