Brazil: South America Mission Center

Missão SAIM

SOUTH AMERICA

MISSION CENTER RECIFE, BRAZIL

“And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”

—Ephesians 1:22-23

For the good of the world and the glory of God.

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he worthiness of Christ and a passion for sharing the gospel of grace led South America Mission’s founders to Paraguay in 1914. Today, our missionary team reflects that heritage whose essence is best captured in the summary representation of our vision: Redeemed Lives, Beautiful Churches, Transformed Communities.

We rejoice in the progress of the gospel over the last century, and our zeal for God’s glory among the nations grows greater.

Our international team translates that growing zeal into visible form across Latin America as we proclaim the gospel, love our neighbors, plant churches, reproduce authentic disciples, train leaders, and equip God’s people to minister transformationally.

We’re active in these ways because we have a longing to see the church transforming communities as the people of God embody the Kingdom of God. Our longing finds its roots in the conviction that the Bride of Christ is central to God’s redemptive plan for creation.

REDEEMED LIVES | BEAUTIFUL CHURCHES | TRANSFORMED COMMUNITIES

Missão SAIM

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raig and Mary DeLille

are tangible expressions of Christ’s love to the vulnerable and marginalized. Since 2008, Brazil has been their home where they’ve lived out their calling as part of South America Mission. In Brazil, South America Mission is known as Missão SAIM. The DeLilles have worked tirelessly— and sacrificially—to demonstrate the good news of the saving grace of Jesus to thousands in communities across the urban area of Recife. But their reach has also extended into isolated communities of the indigenous and rural poor.

Craig and Mary’s passion is for the church to be the church­— ”the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.” They believe that the people of God assume a proactive role in God’s redemptive plan. Meeting felt, physical needs, and encouraging the spread of salt and light are catalysts for spiritual transformation. The church’s role in society is to proclaim and demonstrate the gospel through an outpouring of grace and mercy. The DeLille’s work in Brazil has been about accentuating the beauty of the Bride of Christ as they encourage local churches to embody the Kingdom of God to a watching world.

SOUTH AMERICA

MISSION CENTER

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heir robust view

of the church and its mission, and the fruit born through their years of ministry make the DeLilles ideal catalysts to develop the South America Mission (SAM) Center.

The Center will promote Christ-centered community engagement that leads to wholistic, gospel transformation.

We hope YOU will have a hand in this project!

Send a note for more information to the DeLilles at fdbrazil@samlink.org.

The DeLilles have built homes for families, provided food in times of need, opened a music school for youth, held conferences for churches and pastors—in the city and in the jungle. More than advocates, they’re “doers” of the gospel, modeling what it means to engage the community to the glory of God.

Missão SAIM

the

Need

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he SAM Center will be based in the city of Recife, an urban hub of 4 million in Brazil’s northeast corner. Cities like Recife, which are growing rapidly across Latin America, need dedicated efforts to shape gospel influencers for the masses as they swell beyond the capacity of the church to reach them.

While based in Recife and poised for

340+ and 160+ distinct indigenous tribal groups living and tongues spoken in Brazil

impact on this urban area, the Center’s work of developing church leaders and missionaries will also emphasize the need to go to the isolated, rural places of Brazil that are home to millions. Brazil—the 7th largest country on earth by population, the 5th largest by land mass—boasts more than 340 distinct indigenous people groups in its jungles and dry forests, millions of descendants of African slaves, large Gypsy populations, and marginalized rural peoples.

The Center’s vision is shaped by a strategy to train and develop the most leaders to reach the most people. We maximize this potential by locating the Center in a major urban area that is also a launching point out into Brazil’s remote northeastern region. continued

110 million people live in poverty in the shantytowns of Latin America

54 million

80%

people live in Brazil’s northeast region where Recife is the capital

of Brazil’s extremely poor live in Recife’s area of influence

the

Need

The Center casts its vision in the context of these demographic, socio-economic and spiritual realities of Brazilian society and culture.

The ultimate words of Jesus before he ascended into heaven were an exhortation, known as the Great Commission, for his followers to “go into all the world and make disciples of all nations�.

This work of going and making implies presence and pro-active engagement of the world around us. Unfortunately, and at times to the deteriment of the true gospel, churches have chosen to be isolated, inwardly-focused and without accountability. This is true of churches in the US as well as in Latin America, where the logical progression of this posture has resulted in at least appearances of greed and the spread of harmful doctrines like the prosperity gospel.

The hope of the Center is in wholistic, gospel transformation as leaders are developed “to go”, be present in communities, and radiate the beauty of Christ through word and deed. Churches are the protagonists of God’s redemptive action in the world.

Also, the COVID pandemic has brought us into an era of thinking anew about how the church, today, can most effectively awaken people to Christ’s love for the world. The gospel compels us to respond to exacerbated societal injustices, deeper levels of poverty and felt, physical needs that are now more prevalent and chronic to daily life. The Mission Center will partner with churches to cultivate an effective and gospel-centered response to suffering that enhances the church’s witness. It’s a response that reminds us that first, Christ loves us, and cares about the hardships we endure as a result of the world’s brokenness.

Last but not least, individualism, tribalism and material scarcity have forced the leadership of too many churches to prioritize activity that self-preserves and protects turfs. This has been done to the detriment of the advance of the Kingdom of God. The Center will be known for its “We’re better together!” approach and work that facilitates necessary cooperation and collaboration across ministries and denominations.

the

Response

The front entrance walkway to the property in Igarassu OUR FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN

launches in the Fall of 2020!

YOU CAN JOIN OUR TEAM and help solidify transformative gospel ministry in northeast Brazil for years to come.

Email fdbrazil@samlink.org or visit our website for more info and to give: southamericamission. org/samcenterbrazil

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ur response is to be “on mission” in Brazil, for the good of the world and the glory of God. Gospel transformation in the hearts and lives of our neighbors is the hope of our mission.

And we believe that presence, action, and the testimony of God’s redemptive work in our own lives are the most effective means God utilizes to bring redemption to the lives of others.

SOUTH AMERICA

MISSION CENTER 1

VISION To see

wholistic, gospel transformation in Recife

and beyond, in the isolated communities of indigenous, of migrant Gypsies, slave descendants, and millions of marginalized rural peoples.

Leaders will be developed to engage these communities as the body of Christ.

The next phase of our ministry calls for us to create dedicated space to prepare, equip and train leaders­—agents of change—who are steeped in the ways of Jesus and his disciples; people called to “preach good news to the poor...to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed”.

Our dedicated space on 7.5 acres, located 30 minutes north of Recife in Igarassu, will focus on training intensives and special events, gospelcentered outreach ideation, and modules geared around the strategic implementation of outreach efforts. We will also focus on soul care through retreats and counseling services. The Center will be known for promoting Christ-centered engagement of communities throughout the northeastern region of Brazil for which Recife is a strategic hub.

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ETHOS The Center will be known for advancing ministry that engages

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STRATEGY/OUTCOMES We’re developing leaders—ones on staff

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FUNDING First round funding goal is $250,000. A target purchase

communities in truth, love and mercy. We’ll also collaborate closely with other organizations and ministries to accomplish our purposes. A few of our partners are: City to City Latin America, Disciple Nations Alliance (DNA), Stephen Ministry, Pioneers, Igreja Batista Sião and Projeto Amanajé.

at local churches, lay people within, youth who want to make a difference for good and justice, professionals who see a need for transformation in the marketplace. We estimate that the Center will enable us to develop more than 3x the number we have in recent years, jumping from 200 trained and equipped in 2018-19 to 640+ in the Center’s first full year.

price of $135,000 will acquire 7.5 fenced acres already developed with facilities (a main building for events which can also sleep 30, outdoor covered chapel, pool). We will allocate $115,000 for additional construction, including 30 suites used for counseling and care. Estimated annual maintenance and overhead costs are $6,000, with projected annual revenues of $30,000.

SOUTH AMERICA

MISSION CENTER RECIFE, BRAZIL

Missão SAIM REDEEMED LIVES | BEAUTIFUL CHURCHES | TRANSFORMED COMMUNITIES

1021 Maxwell Mill Rd, Ste B, Fort Mill, SC 29708 | fdbrazil@samlink.org www.southamericamission.org/samcenterbrazil