How does a group of believers carry on its ministry when they have no place to meet outside of their worship hour? The Portuguese-speaking group of believers in Brussels, Belgium, is small, but growing. It started as a Global Mission project, and it’s growing larger and stronger as it reaches out to the Portuguese-speaking community in this multi-ethnic city in northern Europe.

Because the group doesn’t have a church of its own, members can’t hold meetings whenever they wish. Brazilians love to sing, and the youth crave a time to hold youth meetings, but without space and time, it’s difficult to hold regular meetings.

The church members have discovered that ministries to children bring adults to the church. They’ve held weekend camps for children and youth in rented locations and have started an Adventurers Club. Because the church doesn’t have enough Pathfinder-age children to form a club, leaders have asked the older children to help lead in Adventurers. And the club has quickly grown to 18 children, half of whom are from non-Adventist homes.

One boy who comes is 9-year-old Paul. His father swore that he would never set foot inside a church, so Paul’s uncle brought Paul to Adventurers. Paul’s mother began coming with the boy to watch the program and see what Paul was learning. She praised the leaders for the strong values they were helping to instill in her son.

But Paul’s mother couldn’t attend Adventurers on the week of Paul’s investiture. This was an important program, so Paul’s mother asked her husband to take the boy. In spite of his promise never to go to a church, Paul’s father attended the investiture program. He, too, was impressed with what his son was learning, and now he takes Paul to Adventurers often. He never objected when Paul’s mother began taking Bible studies with a member of the church.

One day Paul’s father commented, “I still don’t believe, but what you’re doing for my son and other children is a good thing. You are teaching good values.”

God is working in the hearts of parents through the lives of their children in Brussels, Belgium. And our mission offerings are helping to make this possible. A recent Thirteenth Sabbath Offering is helping to provide worship centers for the Spanish and Romanian congregations in Brussels. Giving these two groups their own churches has made it possible for the Portuguese and another language group to meet in the rented spaces these two churches once used. Thank you for helping God’s work expand in Brussels, Belgium, a city with many hungry hearts.

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