Marcio Ciechanovicz and Noemi Celeti, Brazil
Connecting with people beyond the reach of traditional church, sharing the gospel in new ways and ministering to people’s physical needs.
From the outside, Brazil seems like a country full of Christians, but this hides a reality of many people being beyond the reach of established churches. We are passionate about seeing people meet Jesus, even in unlikely places.
Marcio has been working with CMS for four years, and through this, we have learned about the different ways CMS pioneers and people in mission are making new disciples in highly secular contexts. We are excited about applying these principles to post-Christian contexts in the big cities of Brazil.
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More about Marcio and Noemi
We are both originally from Brazil, and believe God is calling us to go back to our home country to use our gifts, background and passion to share the gospel.
We hope to settle in the state of São Paulo, near a rapidly growing area called Indaiatuba, home to many people beyond the reach of traditional church. At the heart of the city is a 15km-long park where lots of people spend time socialising, playing sports and attending cultural events. We aim to be Jesus’ presence there among young adults and families who don’t yet know that Jesus is for them.
Marcio wants to work with young adults and see them become disciples of Jesus, while Noemi’s passion is to work in community development through nutrition and health, possibly gathering people for nutrition and cooking classes, or even starting a communal veggie patch in a corner of the park.
We would like to see a new community being formed, where people who are beyond the reach of traditional church find meaningful relationships, discover spirituality, and where students, young adults and families engage with God’s love and his salvation plan.
Marcio became a Christian in São Paulo when he was a teenager. Noemi, the daughter of missionaries, grew up in Senegal, West Africa, and grew up knowing she wanted to serve God. She has long wanted to use her nutrition qualifications to help people have a better life physically as well as spiritually and loves ministering to people over meals, like Jesus did. Our four children are excited to move to a warmer climate and make new friends there.
Marcio’s upbringing was coloured by his father’s alcoholism, but after a period of healing in his teens, God placed in his heart a strong desire to shepherd and share the gospel with young people and young adults.
Marcio has now been involved in ministry with young people for over 25 years; for several years in Brazil, eight years in Italy and the past few years in the UK. Now he longs to be used by God to reach people with the gospel in his home country again. Over the past couple of years, Noemi particularly has felt God gently nudging us as a family to return to Brazil to serve him.
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