Series: "Praying with Paul" - Ephesians 1:1-23 - A prayer to know!

Tomorrow Stefano will start a new series: "Praying with Paul", in which we'll engage with Paul's prayers in his letters.

For this sermon: "A prayer to know",
we'll engage with Ephesians 1:1-23.

To introduce this sermon we'll interact with the question: what did spur you to pray and for what did you pray the last time you prayed suddenly and spontaneously?

   
These will then be the three main points: 
1. A prayer to know the person of Christ. 
2. A prayer to know the work of Christ.
3. A prayer to know the power of Christ.

"I do not cease to give thanks for you, 

remembering you in my prayers, that the 

God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him"

Ephesians 1:16-17 (ESV)

 

To dig deeper in the themes we'll engage with in this series,
Stefano will encourage the church to read and interact 
with the book of  D. A. Carson: 
A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers, 
which is available in Italian.

The Gospel Coalition: Ministry Events in Italy

Today begins the series of conferences promoted in Italy by The Gospel Coalition.

TGC began with informal conversations between D. A. Carson and Tim Keller in 2004. Today is a fellowship of evangelical churches deeply committed to renewing our faith in the gospel of Christ and to reforming our ministry practices to conform fully to the Scriptures. TGC want to generate a unified effort among all peoples—an effort that is zealous to honor Christ
and multiply his disciples, joining in a true coalition for Jesus. Such a biblically grounded and united mission is the only enduring future for the church.

Chris Castaldo, author of the book: Holy Ground: Walking with Jesus as a Former Catholic and  

Collin Hansen, author of the book: Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist’s Journey With the New Calvinists will be teaching in several networks of Gospel-centered church leaders across Italy.

Pastor Chris Castaldo says: "At this time in history, evangelical churches on the Italian peninsula are like a growing flame. Thanks to an unusual movement of the Spirit, they are experiencing a deeper level of gospel-centered worship and outreach. Many of these ministries, however, are fragile and needing help.Over the next two weeks, I am scheduled to visit Italy to provide evangelism training through lectures, preaching, and gatherings with pastors.
We will also have a few venues that are open to the public."

Please pray for Tuesday when Chris and Collin will spend the whole day in Bologna.
Despite the manifold challenges of ministry on the Italian peninsula, a work of gospel renewal is currently advancing in the country. After highlighting this work, Pastor Chris Castaldo invites viewers to support the movement.

Paul's speeches in Acts - Shared Bible Study Series - Acts 20:17-38

Tonight Stefano will continue the Shared Bible Study Series on Acts, that we are
doing as church this summer.

In this series we are interacting with all
Paul's speeches in the book of Acts and
we are using the Italian translation of
John Stott's Bible Study guide for groups:
"Acts: Seeing the Spirit at work", based on
the IVP Bible Speaks Today Commentaries.


This evening Stefano will lead the discussion from Paul's speech to the elders of Ephesus in Acts 20:17-38

"But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

 Act 20:24 (ESV)

This is the only speech in the Acts which is addressed to a Christian audience. All the others are either evangelistic sermons, whether preached to Jewish people (2:14ff.; 3:12ff.; 13:16ff.) or Gentiles (10:34ff.; 14:14ff.; 17:22ff.), or legal defences, whether made before the Sanhedrin in the early days of the church (4:8ff.; 5:29ff.; 7:1ff.) or the five speeches before the Jewish and Roman authorities, which come near the end of the book (22–26).

 

Stott, John R. W.: The Message of Acts : The Spirit, the Church & the World. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill. : Inter-Varsity Press, 1994 (The Bible Speaks Today), S. 323

Sunday Service 18/08/2013 - Serenissima Bible Church (Pordenone)

Tomorrow we are invited at 
the Serenissima Bible Church,  
in Fontanafredda (Pordenone), 
near Venice.
 
The Serenissima Church is part of the Acts29 Network of local churches working together 
to plant new churches in Italy.
The name "Serenissima" is taken from the Republic of Venice, which existed from the late 7th century until 1797, formerly known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and so often referred to as La Serenissima. "Serenissima" literally means “most peaceful” and as a church they have chosen as the best equivalents of the word shalom in the Italian language.  
 

The Serenissima Church is also the Italian Hub 
for the Porterbrook course, where men and women from all of Europe partake in the Porterbrook Network’s strategic training co-operative for churches.
Many of our students from the Bologna course have benefited by the 3 residential weekends organised in the Serenissima Church throughout the year.


For the Sunday morning service Stefano will preach on John 14:1-17.
To introduce this passage we'll interact with the question: 
"What makes "home" a house?"

Then we'll answer to these two questions which will be our points:
1. Lord, how can we know the way?
2. Lord, can you show us the Father?
 

After the service there will be a "missional lunch" which they call "Converge",
with some Christians that are opening new works in the surrounding villages and towns.
Stefano will share some Porterbrook material and exercises that have been helpful for us in Bologna. The goal is to share our mission together over lunch and help the brothers in their contexts for outreach and discipleship.

To introduce this afternoon seminar we'll watch this funny clip in Italian that challenges us in thinking about the way we share the gospel in our communities.

Series: the 7 "I am" sayings of Jesus Christ - 7 "I am the true vine, my Father is the vinedresser, you are the branches"

 
Tomorrow Stefano will conclude the series
on the 7 "I am" sayings of Jesus in the
Gospel of John engaging with John 15:1-17:
"I am the true vine, my Father is the vinedresser, you are the branches.".

 
To introduce this sermon we'll interact with the question: "What does give you joy in your life?"
 
 
These will then be the two main points of the sermon:
1. I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
2. I am the vine; you are the branches
 
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser...
I am the vine; you are the branches. 
Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, 
for apart from me you can do nothing...
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

John 15:1, 5, 11 (ESV)

Sunday Service 04/08/2013 - Ravenna

Tomorrow we are invited at the Chiesa Evangelica di Ravenna,  
an Independent Baptist Church in Ravenna, 
a very nice and historical town by the Adriatic Sea. 

 
 
Stefano will preach on Matthew 13:31-35
and together we'll see how Jesus describes 
the work of his word as characterized by: 

"Explosive Growth & Intensive Transformation"

San Lazzaro's Town Fair 2013 - 01-04/08/2013

Tomorrow from 3pm to 6pm Stefano and Gioele will set up the church literature stand at the 183th edition of San Lazzaro's Town Fair 2013.

The Fair lasts four days from Thursday to Sunday, and for
the last 30 years, every year the church had a stand with
free Christian literature.

 

During the Fair days, everyday from 6pm
to 12pm, a couple of Christians will be at
the stand giving free New Testaments and
Bibles in many languages including Arabic,
and free literature such as John Blanchard's Ultimate Questions also in many languages!

Join us in praying for the town
of San Lazzaro in these days,
that the Lord will prepare people's hearts for His Word and that
we'll be able to share the Gospel message to those who will come to visit our stand.

San Lazzaro's Town Fair 2013 - Prayer meeting

Tomorrow night we'll have a special prayer meeting for the 183th edition of San Lazzaro's Town Fair 2013.

Last year about 25.000 people visited the Fair and similar numbers are expected for
this year too from Thursday
to Sunday.

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.

Sunday Service 28/07/2013 - Nuova Vita Church

Tomorrow we'll be at the
Nuova Vita Church, the main independent baptist church in Bologna.

Stefano will preach in the morning on Luke 11:1-13
"Lord, teach us to pray".


"And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened." 

Luke 11: 9-10 (ESV)

Series: the 7 "I am" sayings of Jesus Christ - 6 "I am the way, and the truth, and the life"

Tomorrow Stefano will continue the series
on the 7 "I am" sayings of Jesus in the
Gospel of John engaging with John 14:1-14:
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.".

 
To introduce this sermon we'll interact with the question: "What makes "home" a house?"
 

These will then be the two main points of the sermon:
1. Lord, how can we know the way?
2. Lord, can you show us the Father?
 
Jesus said to him, "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. 
From now on you do know him and have seen him."  

John 14:6-7 (ESV)

Summer Camp Exch@nge 2013 - The Video

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Exch@nge 07 - Closing Service

Tomorrow to conclude Exch@nge 2013, the day camp for teens in Bologna organized by Youth for Christ Italy, we'll have a special service!

Five churches from the Bologna Area will join together: Nuova Vita, Forte Torre, San Lazzaro, Sasso Marconi and Nuova Speranza.
A special presence will be the team of American teens from College Church in Wheaton (Chicago) that worked so hard alongside us in running this "English Camp" to reach out Italian kids!

We expect about 150 people and we are really praying the Lord that all the Italian kids were at the camp will come with their parents.

Following the Camp's theme,
where we watched clips from the movie
"The Hunger Games" and the book of Isaiah,
Stefano will preach on Isaiah 53:1-7.
We'll see how Jesus' atoning sacrifice for us is far greater than Katniss fro her sister Prim.

Jesus entered in our world of lost sheep,
he became like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers.
But His substitutionary atonement it's not like of someone be ready to lay his life for a loved one,
in His death we saw the death of death, and in His resurrection we can now be healed and have peace with God!

Exch@nge 05-06

Tomorrow and Saturday at the Exch@nge Camp we'll have a whole day at the swimming pool!!!

In the evening we'll go at a hostel on the hills surrounding Bologna and we'll stay there till Saturday morning. 

 

We'll have an Italian BBQ and a bonfire with games!

 

On Friday evening we'll watch a clip from the Hunger Games.  

In this clip we'll see the portray of death and grief.

So we'll ask ourselves:

Is there a light for those in darkness?

Claudia will give a talk on Isaiah 1:18-20 pointing out that crying out for help it's necessary and that Jesus says: Come to those who know their sins! 

On Saturday morning Letizia will give a talk on Isaiah 9:2 showing that Jesus is our only hope and that He can give us true joy and satisfaction in His freedom!

Exch@nge 04

Tomorrow at the Exch@nge Camp we'll have a day of Baseball, Soccer, American Football and English classes, we'll play "Freezetag Ragger".

In the morning we'll watch a clip from the Hunger Games. In this clip we'll see how the contestants are obliged to follow the gamekeepers fire.

 

So we'll ask ourselves:

 

What is freedom?
Have we experienced being trapped by our friends or 
by ourselves?

Matteo will give a talk on Isaiah 61:1-3 showing the reality of freedom in Christ. 

Jesus can let us out of the prison of our sin and declare us right before God!

Exch@nge 03

Tomorrow at the Exch@nge Camp we'll have a day of Baseball, Aerobics, Cheer Leading and English classes, we'll play "Kick-ball and Bang/Splat".

In the morning we'll watch a clip from the Hunger Games.

In this clip we'll see how the sponsors are evaluating every move of the contestants.  

So we'll ask ourselves:

 

What would you want the viewers to remember you for?
How would you behave differently knowing that someone's watching you?

Simone will give a talk on Isaiah 2:11-21 showing the reality of Judgement. 

The arrogance of man will be brought low and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day!
We'll ask ourselves, we'll be rejoicing or fearing on that day?

Exch@nge 02

Tomorrow at the Exch@nge Camp we'll have a day of Arts&Crafts, games and English classes, we'll play American Football & "Sharks & Minnows".

In the morning we'll watch a clip from the Hunger Games.

In this clip we'll see the weird Capital city life style, 

especially their cheering the Hunger Games' contestants.  

So we'll ask ourselves:

 

How do the Capitol people relativise morality for its own convenience?
Is that a picture of today humanity’s pathetic pleasure & 
messed up morality?

Markino will give a talk on Isaiah 59:2-6 showing how in those days no one called for justice. 

They relayed on empty arguments, they conceived trouble and give birth to evil. 

But today Jesus says of us all we’re traitors and so in trouble!

Exch@nge 01

Tomorrow we'll start our fourth Exch@nge Camp!

We'll have a day of games and English classes,

we'll play Frisbee, Dodge-ball, Football & Volleyball.

In the morning we'll watch a clip from the Hunger Games.

In this clip we'll see Katniss & Gale's life in the District 12 and 

how they dream a different world. So we'll ask ourselves:

 

How does District 12 communicate bleakness & despair? 

How are the people powerless?

How are the woods so starkly different 

to other scenes in the movie?

Stefano will give a talk on Isaiah 65:17-25 where God shows us the "World we All want": a world where the wolf and the lamb will feed together. 

We'll see that our "world of suffering" is not the end of the story and that Jesus promises there will be a new world with new life in Him!

Sunday Service 30/06/2013 - Sasso Marconi

Tomorrow we'll be at the
Chiesa Evangelica di Sasso Marconi, a Brethren church
in a village near Bologna.

Stefano will preach in the morning 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) 

 

 

Then we'll have a fellowship lunch where all the American and Italian volunteers for the Exch@nge camp will join us in Sasso Marconi.

 

In the afternoon the church of Sasso Marconi will host the 2nd training meeting for the volunteers of Exch@nge.

Exch@nge 2013 - Training meetings

Tomorrow afternoon and Sunday afternoon we'll have two training meetings to prepare Exch@nge 2013.

Exch@nge is a day camp for teens in Bologna organized by Youth for Christ Italy in partnership with Nuova Vita Church, Forte Torre Church and San Lazzaro church.

Every year a team
of American teens
from College Church
in Wheaton (Chicago) come to help us in running this "English Camp" to reach out Italian kids!

In these two days we'll have seminars on "The vision of Exch@nge", "Caring for individuals",
and Stefano will take one on "Italy: its culture and the spiritual climate in which we live".
We'll have also workshops on "How to share your faith with an Italian teen" and on the programme of this year, which will include baseball and football, English classes and games,
a swimming poll day and a trip to the hills near Bologna.

This year the theme of the camp will be the "Hunger Games" and every day we'll look from the book of Isaiah at how Jesus is an answer to all our deepest needs raised by the "Hunger Games".

"Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed."

Isaiah 53:4-5 (ESV)