Each year during the state Evangelism Conference, the Missions Team of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention offers churches an opportunity to meet and connect with local, national and international Southern Baptist church planters.
A meet and greet dinner is provided the Sunday night before the conference begins for church leaders to hear a personal message from each of the planters. Each church planter is given time to introduce themselves, talk about their ministry and share ways that Arkansas Baptist State Convention churches can partner with them in the future.
The same church planters also attend the state Evangelism Conference where they mingle and meet potential church partners. The planters gather signatures of those who commit to serve as prayer partners.
Mission Connection church planters for this year were: Carlos Lollett of Miami, Florida; Daniel Naberezhny of Boca Raton, Florida; Demetrick Andrews, El Dorado, Arkansas; Rick and Jill Thompson of Brazil.
If you were unable to attend the Evangelism Conference this year, you are still invited to connect with any of these church planters. You will find more information on all the Mission Connection planters beginning next week on the Arkansas Baptist News website, www.arkansasbaptist.org.
Today, we want to introduce you to Rick and Jill Thompson.
ABN: “Where do you serve and how long have you been there?”
Thompsons: “We have been in Brazil for almost 20 years. We have lived in five different states in Brazil and we currently live in Rio de Janeiro.”
ABN: “What would you like Arkansas Baptists to know about your ministry?”
Thompsons: “We are church planters, church revitalization strategists, trainers of evangelism and discipleship, and developers of leaders as well as missionaries that work with both home and international missionaries in Brazil.
We are currently working on an app that will bring theological education to remote and rural places in Brazil for free.
We love working with, partnering with, and serving alongside of Arkansas Baptists!
If your church or association has a need for a pre-packaged week-long mission trip to Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, or Brazil, America’s Connect is made for you.
Ask us how we can send you a prayer card, or a video saying thank you for giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, or even speak in your church the next time we are in Arkansas.
We love Arkansas Baptists, the state convention folks, and the association leaders and can’t wait to work with you soon.”
ABN: “How can Arkansas Baptists pray for you specifically?”
Thompsons: “Please pray for the church planters of Brazil to connect with other church planter and to stay committed to the task and please pray for us to start an app of theological education this year.”
ABN: “What are some specific ways that Arkansas Baptists can partner with you?”
Thompsons: “Churches can participate in an Americas Connect one-week international mission trip. You can pray for us in your worship service as well as adopting us as your international missionaries and staying in contact with us monthly. We would also love for you to send us your high school and college students for a week to work with us as we plant a church on a college campus in Rio.”
Connect with the Thompsons by email or phone at:
Rthompson@imb.org
276-698-2763