ESCALE 1 - Summary of Ministry

ESCALE is the pastor-training ministry led by Nelson Salviano in Brasil. Nelson recently sent us a mid-year review of his ministry, a summary of what God is doing and where Nelson wants to take the ministry, and how we can pray for him. I am going to post Nelson's update in a series of smaller entries. Take time to read about Nelson's work in Brasil, and as you do, please pray for him, his family, the pastors he is training, and their churches.

In the first half of this year we started what we call “ESCALE Preacher’s Club”. The purpose is to meet weekly on Wednesdays to study the Expository Preaching. We are a small group of 12 Pastors, but many others have heard of us and want to take part in the club. At the moment I am translating David Jackman’s Preaching & Teaching the New Testament. We are studying the Gospels and have produced 8 expository sermons, two of each Gospel, and have preached in class for discussion. It has been a wonderful experience for all of us.

The in situ training is happening in 9 regions: Governador Valadares, Bangu, Ecoporanga, Resplendor, Ipatinga, Vespasiano, Arapongas, Miranda and Ouricuri. Due to financial difficulty we had to stop having a theological course at our training centre in Belo Horizonte, and also were unable to go to Ouricuri (in Pernambuco State, Northeast of Brazil), the farthest ESCALE in situ training where around 20 pastors are trained. Now we are meeting in Belo only as the ESCALE Preacher’s Club on Wednesdays and the in situ training in Vespasiano (in the Great Belo area) on Mondays, and we are praying that God will allow us to go to Ouricuri sometime in the second half of this year.

I have already been to Miranda twice, which is the second farthest in situ training we have. The first trip I went by plane in April and the second I went by car in July, this time with my family. It was an exhausting two days trip both ways, yet very enjoyable. There we train a group of 16 indigenous pastors – it was a thrilling and gratifying experience. The other in situ training centres have had their normal activities as planned.