Encontro Event

Encontro Events are weekends that are dedicated to a life reset.

Last weekend a church from across town used the mission property to host an Encontro Event for their people.

About half the people are helpers and half the people are participants.

The participants are new believers or those who sense their lives need a reset.

From Friday night to Sunday morning, the participants give up their phones and take a vow of silence.

The idea is that they will give 48 uninterrupted hours to attend to their spiritual lives.

The helpers make sure there is plenty of coffee, cold water, and good food, and do everything possible to make the participants feel loved and undistracted.

The teaching includes how to repent, give and receive forgiveness, how to celebrate, how to pray, and how to bless others.

The weekend ends with a great celebration at their church, with worship, testimonies, and reuniting with families.

Our Experience

The idea of separating time to seek God with friends is a good idea.

The Old Testament rhythms of church life included many annual feasts, and some were a week long. Every year.

I wonder if the next season of revival/renewal will include something like this.

The Encontros started in Brazil with the G12 cell group movement, which included a top-down system of government and was difficult for many. The strong hierarchical system didn’t work for me, for example.

There are many challenges to gathering with Christian friends for days on end to seek God.

a) If you are poor, how can you leave work, and how can you afford to go?

b) If you are wealthy, do you want to use your discretional time this way?

Maybe the only way to do this is to prioritize your whole life around your spiritual values. Your thoughts?

Thank you to everyone who helped us build and maintain these facilities so people can reset their lives here.

In light of eternity,
Seasons of getting away
With friends to seek God
Is a good idea
And worth
Serious
Consideration.
Your thoughts?