Umbertide Initiative
The word: “partnership” best describes the Umbertide Ministry Initiative. There are two families serving with TEAM in the church planting work in Umbertide: The Aguirres and the Kröckertskothens. The two missionary couples have other partners as well. They are working in partnership with the nearby Brethren assembly of Città di Castello. They also enjoy close fellowship with other assemblies in the immediate area and those a little further away.
Achieving the goal of seeing a church established in Umbertide has taken time and required perseverance. For years there was no public meeting place for the believers to gather for worship or the proclamation of God’s Word. Today the small church group meets in a new spacious rented hall in an easily accessible part of the city. Having out grown the first location, this new one offers room for numerical growth and is more than adequate for hosting evangelistic activities for children, youth activities, music concerts, Bible studies as well as fellowship and meal times together.
Besides the activities held in the meeting hall, we are continuing to seek new opportunities to share the Gospel with those we meet. Some of this takes place as we meet people informally in stores, on walks, at the weekly open air market, at sports events, at schools, visiting neighbors or people in the hospital and getting together with people for meals. Other meetings are more intentional such as women’s Bible studies, children’s English club, Christmas caroling, evangelistic music concerts in parks & public auditoriums, children’s park ministry outreach, literature & Scripture calendar distributions and English conversation “lessons”.
We purposely concentrate on “disciple making” as we train others so that they in turn will be equipped to train others. This is done through one on one discipleship studies and small group Bible studies.
Our desire is to see many Umbertidesi come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and as this takes place, that they would be vibrant witnesses for Christ and faithful members of the emerging local church. We are actively seeking to set in the mind and heart of all a conscious choice to see other churches established in the immediate area and far beyond.