October 2021
From left to right: Pastor Mike, Rev. Vincenzo Coluccia of Chiesa Pietra Vivente, elder Vittorio Calderaro, and elder Mimmo Altobelli.
On September 26, we were blessed by the ministry of Rev. Vincenzo Coluccia, pastor and church-planter of Chiesa Pietra Vivente in the city of Lecce, which is situated in the Puglia region of southern Italy. Rev. Coluccia is an ordained minister and missionary in the Presbyterian Church in America, and a graduate of Westminster Seminary California. Visiting Chiesa Riformata Filadelfia in Milan, Pastor Vincenzo preached a sermon on John 10:1-10, proclaiming the good news of how Christ is the open door to heaven.
His visit was particularly special for two reasons: First, it stregnthened the relationship between our two churches, marking a step forward in the long-term goal of establishing a confessional, Reformed & Presbyterian denomination in Italy. Second, it was a joyful opportunity to witness God’s answer to our prayers. Janie and I have known Vincenzo for several years, having met him in Turin in 2015. We saw how the Lord opened the door for him to move to California and attened Westminster Seminary. For two years, he was part of our congregation at Christ United Reformed Church in Santee. In 2017, while he was home on summer-break, we visited him in Puglia. We stayed with his family and I preached at a local outreach. After moving to Milan in 2018, we continued to pray for Vincenzo and his plans of planting a church in Lecce. To have him visit our church in Milan and preach as an ordained minister was a tremendous testimony to God’s faithfulness. We are very encouraged that Pastor Vincenzo and his family are here in Italy, laboring to plant a solid Christ-proclaiming church that, God willing, will be a light in the darkness for generations to come.
Italian Gospel Coalition Pastor’s Conference in Bologna
On September 25, Rev. Coluccia and I attended the Italian Gospel Coalition pastor’s conference in Bologna. This proved to be a great opporutnity to get to know other pastors in Italy and pray with them concerning the needs and challenges of laboring in the local church. Although the group is a mixture of Presbyterian and (mostly) Baptist ministers, all of these dear brothers share an appreciation for Reformed theology and a burden for proclaiming the gospel in Italy. Given that the gospel witness in this country is so small and there are precious few faithful churches, I am grateful for the opportunity to meet these men and their passion for Christ. I pray that the Lord will bless their work and that our new friendships will blossom in the future to the glory of God.
New Podcast
Janie recently created a new podcast for the church in which all of the sermons, Bible studies, and catechism lessons can be published as weekly episodes, allowing people to listen while driving, walking, on the train, at the gym, etc. Podcasts are relatively new in Italy but are slowly growing in popularity. We pray that our podcast, “Una speranza viva” (“A Living Hope”) will be used to reach many people in Italy with the gospel. If you would like to help us with this outreach, please subscribe to the podcast and give it a rating. This will help the program become more visible and accessible. When searching for the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, etc., enter “Chiesa Riformata Filadelfia” and look for the church logo below.
Friday Night Bible Study Continues
I am currently teaching through Paul’s life-changing letter to the Romans on Friday evenings. The Bible study has been a blessing as it provides us with the opportunity to study God’s Word, sing, pray together, and enjoy fellowship outside of Sunday. After the study, we eat pizza from a local pizzeria and stick around to talk.
Prayer Requests:
Please pray that our annual Reformation Conference on October 30th will be a blessing to the three churches in Milan who are participating and that it will strengthen bonds between our congregations.
Please pray that we can raise funds for the remaining work that needs to be done in the remodeling of our building.
Please pray that we will be bold in evangelism and reaching out to our neighbors.
Please pray that the ministry of the Word will be effective by the Spirit, strengthening the saints of Milan n their faith, hope, and love.
Please pray that one day in the future we will be able to establish a confessional, Reformed and Presbyterian denomination in Italy.
Grazie di Cuore!
As always, Janie and I want to thank you for standing with us in your prayers, encouragement, and support. We could not be faithful to this mission without people like you in the Body of Christ. May the Lord continue to guide, guard, and encourage you as you persevere in the faith, looking always to the finished work of the Lord Jesus and his promises!
~ Pastor Mike
“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” ~ Acts 20:24
If you would like to help by making a donation, you may give online here on our website or 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 Milan, Italy.
