August 2020

Rev. Michael Brown of Chiesa Riformata Filadelfia and Rev. Humberto Arisa de Oliveira of Chiesa Presbiteriana di Legnano.

With the final days of August, summer in Milan is almost at its end. Temperatures are beginning to cool, the Milanese people are returning from their vacations, and schools are preparing to reopen for the first time since February. Summer 2020 has been a welcome season in northern Italy after the heavy trial of the covid-19 outbreak and a strict three-month lockdown earlier this year. Yet, we are eager to enter fall and recommence our catechism service, prayer meetings, and free English classes for the community. Our prayer is that the ministry of the Word at Chiesa Riformata Filadelfia will continue to flourish amid the many challenges of life during a pandemic, especially if there should be a second-wave of the virus here in Milan. What a comfort to rely on Christ’s promise in the Great Commission, that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him, and he will be with us always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:18-20).

New relationship with a local Presbyterian church…HERE IN MILAN!
During the summer, I met Rev. Humberto Arisa de Oliveira of Chiesa Presbiteriana di Legnano, a confessional Presbyterian church just outside the northwestern border of the Milan province. Rev. Arisa de Oliveira is a minister and missionary of the Presbyterian Church of Brazil. Desiring our churches to begin a relationship, the session of Chiesa Presbiteriana di Legnano invited me to preach during their Sunday services on August 2. I found the young and growing congregation to be warm, welcoming, and hungry for the Word of God. What a joy to meet these Reformed brothers and sisters so close to home! Their church is only about 30 minutes from ours.

On Saturday, August 8, the consistory of Chiesa Riformata Filadelfia met with the session of Chiesa Presbiteriana di Legnano so that we could get to know one another better. We found so much in common with regard to our doctrine and our convictions about worship, evangelism and pastoral care. The leadership of our two congregations will begin praying together once a month, and we hope to have a local Reformation conference sometime in the future as a form of outreach to the community and mutual building-up of our churches. We are grateful to God for this new relationship! We pray that it will bear fruit for the kingdom of God here in Milan.

Update on other work.
This Sunday, God willing, I will finish preaching through the book of 1 Peter, which I began five months when our church went into quarantine with the rest of the city. I plan to return preaching through the book of Genesis after concluding the series on 1 Peter. I am also working on a devotional commentary in Ephesians. This is the first book I have written in Italian. Sacred Bond, which I wrote with Zach Keele in English, has been translated into Italian, but this is different. Writing in Italian has been challenging but fun. Pray that this book will communicate clearly the glory of Christ’s gospel so that Italian readers will know our Lord better and be grow in the Christian faith.

Trip to the States postponed.
Due to covid restrictions on travel from the United States to Italy, we had to postpone our trip for a second time. This has come as a disappointment, as we long to see our family and meet our first grandchild. Nevertheless, the Lord has been gracious to us, and continues to sustain us. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve him and his people here in Milan, a city with such a profound need for the gospel.

Janie, Iain and I are well. Janie stays busy with the technological needs of the church, recording the sermons and posting lots of content online. She loves spending time with people in the church and strengthening our relationships with our neighbors. Iain will begin scuola superiore (high school) on September 7. Recently, he has begun lifting weights, going to the gym with me five days a week. I am amazed at how well Janie have adapted to the Italian language and culture. God is good.

We are humbled and grateful for your prayers, encouragement and support, apart from which we could not be faithful to this mission. We ask that you continue to remember us in prayer, asking the Lord of the harvest to grow his church here in Milan in grace, maturity, and number.

May the Lord continue to strengthen your faith in Christ our Lord, who rules and protects his church in this present evil age until the last trumpet when he returns visibly as the King of kings.

~ Pastor Mike

This mission to Milan is only possible with the faithful prayers and generous contributions of people like you. If you would like to help us meet our goal by making a donation, you may send a check to: 

Escondido United Reformed Church
1864 N. Broadway
Escondido, CA 92026
Attn: Mission Milan

Checks should be made out to Escondido United Reformed Church. Please indicate that the support is for Rev. Michael Brown as a missionary to Italy.