Brazil Churches Begin Massive Evangelistic Outreach
Tens of thousands of churches in Brazil are joining forces to share the Gospel beginning Thursday as part of reportedly one of the largest Christian evangelistic outreaches in history.
Millions of Brazilians throughout the country will gather around television sets tonight to watch Brazilian soccer superstar Kaka share his testimony of hope and faith in Jesus Christ during the first night of Minha Esperanca, or My Hope Brazil, which is a ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA).
"My Hope Brazil is one of the most exciting projects BGEA has had the privilege of facilitating," said Bill Conard, vice president of international ministries at BGEA, in a statement. "The churches in Brazil have put an enormous amount of time and energy into reaching their loved ones with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we expect God to do powerful things through their faithful efforts."
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My Hope Brazil, which will broadcast evangelistic programs during prime time on Nov. 6-8, is a grassroots effort by local Christians to share the message of Jesus Christ with their family and friends through television programming.
Christian volunteers called "Matthews," named after the disciple who invited friends to his home to meet Jesus (Matthew 9), are encouraged to invite neighbors, relatives and friends to their homes to watch the programs and hear the message of hope.
Following the program, the "Matthews" will share their personal testimonies and invite those gathered in their home to accept or rededicate their lives to Jesus Christ.
Organizers estimate that during the three-day period more than 48,000 churches and over 850,000 homes in Brazil will participate in the outreach.
The outreach will kick off with Kaka's testimony on Thursday night, along with a message from American evangelist Billy Graham dubbed into Portuguese. Then on Friday, Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham and the president/CEO of BGEA, will give a message.
"A Vow to Cherish," a film by BGEA, will air Saturday to close the event.
DVDs of the programs have been distributed to the "Matthews" in areas not reached by the television network.
The next BGEA My Hope project will take place in Singapore on Dec. 12-14.
