December 2024

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

As another year draws to an end, Janie and I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May the Lord bless you and your family during this season of reflecting on God’s mercy to us in His Son, who took on human flesh to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. May you rejoice as you meditate upon His goodness and faithfulness to you over this past year and look with hope to the future when Christ will return and make all things new. What a joy it is to serve a King who loves us and gave Himself for us! May the Lord strengthen you by His grace in Christ as you serve Him and follow Him with joy and gratitude.

The Mission Continues
Here in Milan, we are grateful for the Lord’s mercy to us in so many ways. We give God thanks for the steady growth we see in our church, both numerically and spiritually. We are thankful that He is causing His Word to go out with power in Italy, making disciples of the Lord Jesus in this country. I am still preaching through Luke on Sunday mornings, teaching through the Heidelberg Catechism in our catechism service, and teaching on the book of Revelation in our Wednesday night Bible study. Moreover, our monthly men’s meeting and monthly ladies’ meeting both continue to thrive. Our church is slowly growing, so we are praying that the Lord will supply us with more leaders to meet the needs of service.

We give God thanks for the visitors that we receive almost every week. Most recently, a young man who lives in my neighborhood has begun attending our church. Over the past two years, I have had many opportunities to share the gospel with him, but just recently he has started coming to worship. He and I are also meeting regularly in my home to study the Gospel of John together. It seems that the Lord is working in this young man’s heart through the power of the Word.

We also give thanks for how the Lord is working in the hearts of many of the young people in our church. The Lord has given Janie and me a burden for them and we are delighted to see how many are growing in their faith. Last Sunday, we had a special Christmas fellowship meal after the service just for the young people. We enjoyed a delicious lunch and played some games. It was a fun afternoon together. Our prayer is that these young people will continue to mature in the grace and knowedge of the Lord Jesus, and that God will bring more young people to our church as we seek to reach the next generation. Please remember them in your prayers, that the Lord will continue to guide them and bless them.

We also give thanks for a new relationship that our church has begun with a Presbyterian church inTuscany: Chiesa Presbiteriana di Pistoia, one of the very few Reformed or Presbyterian churches in Italy. The church is about four hours from Milan. Last month, our Consistory invited its pastor, Rev. Samuele Baroncelli, a missionary of the Presbyterian Church in Brazil, to preach in our church. Pastor Samuele (pictured below with me in front of our church) preached an outstanding sermon from 1 Peter on suffering for the name of Christ. We were also able to spend time with him and his wife in order to get to know them better. We are now in discussion about how our churches can participate in activities together as we work toward closer unity. Relationships like these are critical for our mission to establish a confessional Reformed denomination in Italy.

We also give God thanks for the growth of our weekly podcast “Ad Fontes”, which I do with Reformed pastors Vincenzo Coluccia and Gavino Fioretti. By God’s grace, this podcast is reaching many people in Italy. It is available on Spotify and Apple Podcast. The goal is to awaken interest in Reformed theology and be a voice for a modern reformation in Italy. It is also a lot of fun to do, as it provides me with some much-needed fellowship with two of my colleagues and friends. We pray that the Lord will continue to bless it for the glory of His name and the good of Italy.

Family Matters
Just a quick note to say thank you to all who have prayed for Iain during his first semester at Grove City College in Pennsylvania. I am very happy to report that, by God’s grace, he is thriving both spiritually and academically. He finished his first semester at Grove City College and did very well in his classes. He has also made many friends and enjoys his studies. Janie and I are so grateful to God for his mercies to Iain. We are also thrilled that he made it home for the holidays. He is here with us in Milan for three weeks before heading back to Pennsylvania for the spring semester. Thank you for remembering him in your prayers!

Prayer Requests

1. That God will bring more young people to our church, as we seek to reach the next generation.

2. That God will use us to reach the lost and disciples new converts.

3. That God will strengthen our elders and deacons in the church, and that he will raise up more leaders in our church.

4. That God will be glorified in our labors for his kingdom in Italy, keeping Janie and me encouraged, healthy, and focused.

5. That the Lord will bless the work of our podcast “Ad Fontes” and use it for his glory.

Grazie Mille!

As always, Janie and I give thanks to God for all who support Mission Milan. Thank you for your prayers, letters of encouragement, and generous support. May the Lord continue to strengthen your faith in Christ, your hope in heaven, and your love for others.

Pastor Mike and Janie

How you can help

Making disciples of Christ in Milan is only possible with the faithful partnership of God’s people. If you want to get involved in the Great Commission in Italy, here are three ways you can help:

1. PRAY for the church in Milan (Chiesa Riformata Filadelfia) and for Pastor Mike and his family. Pray that the gospel will be proclaimed boldly, that people will come to know Christ, and that they will grow in their faith. Pray that more faithful churches will be planted in Italy.

2. SHARE the news about Mission Milan. Pass on this newsletter to others and tell them about the need in Italy. For more information, visit our website: missionmilan.org.

3. GIVE a donation of any amount. Your gift helps! You can give online at missionmilan.org. Or send a check to:


Escondido United Reformed Church
1864 N. Broadway
Escondido, CA 92026

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.