2020-2021 – An Invitation
Applicants are sought for a one-year 1001 New Worshiping Community residency established by the On The Way and Casa Brasil, in partnership with New Church Development Commission (NCDC).
Applications, including letters of reference, are due by March 15, 2020.
On The Way is a multicultural Christian community that Habla Español (speak Spanish) with many accents. Since November 2017, we have strived to fulfill the call to proclaim the gospel of salvation to Latinx families living in and around Lawrenceville GA. The desire to connect people is in our DNA, so our motto is “Walking Together”.
Worship God in the language of our hearts! It was motivated by this phrase that in March 2019 we began the journey of the Christian Community Casa Brasil. Nós falamos português (we speak Portuguese), and the colors of our heart are green and yellow. Our focus is to be a safe space for Brazilian families to share struggles, dreams and hopes. We are in Johns Creek, GA and await you Saturday night with worship, friendship, strong coffee and a Brazilian cheese bread.
The City of Atlanta is a source of inspiration in the fight against discrimination of any kind and is the birthplace of one of the greatest icons of the defense of civil rights, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is a pluralistic city, and when walking here, you will easily find a diversity of people, cultures and languages. Within the multiple distinct communities, the presence and growth of the Latin community is a special highlight.
It is important to note that currently there are tensions in the discussion about Latinx immigration. A climate of animosity has spread fear and division and has been the reason for much stress and anxiety among our people. Language is a substantial challenge for any immigrant, and added to the hard work and low salaries, many end up isolating themselves and disconnecting from friendships and God. There is a cry for justice, love and community. As a result, the On The Way and Casa Brasil communities emerged.
In our discernment process we found strong growth in the Hispanic community of the northeastern suburbs of Atlanta, and so we arrived in the city of Lawrenceville, where 35% of residents are identified as Hispanic / Latinx. This region is home to Latin families from many places and was also the place of choice for many Venezuelans to rebuild their lives after fleeing their country’s totalitarian regime. In this two year walk of On The Way, we have had over 12 nationalities represented among our members.
During the On The Way planting process, we begin to connect with Brazilian families as well and then found in the city of Johns Creek a growing presence of Brazilian immigrants. After discerning, exploring and praying for a few months, in March 2019 we held a missionary sending service for 6 families who formed the Casa Brasil base group. We can say that Casa Brasil is a New Worshiping Community that is the fruit of the work and dream of a New Worshiping Community.
For On The Way and Casa Brasil Communities, empathy, love, service, and commitment to God’s Word are non-negotiable values.
- Empathy – Here you need to put yourself in the other’s shoes and seek to understand the struggles facing our Latin communities. It is not decisive, but it would be very good for the resident to be able to communicate in Spanish and Portuguese.
- Love – Love is the basis of our relationships. There is no place for judgment; for us, life is most important.
- Service – Our greatest expression of love is in helping families navigate the challenges of living in a foreign land. This often involves walking one, two or many miles together.
- Commitment to the Word of God – Everything we do is because Christ Jesus has reached out to us first with his great love on the cross of Calvary, and for this reason we are centered on the Word of God. In God’s word, we find our source of inspiration.
So we can say that here you will have a great opportunity for ministerial growth. We look forward to collaborating in the development of our community service projects such as English, music and art classes and in leading small groups. The pastoral care of families with emphasis on specific outreach to children, youth and couples is a priority. We are open to the development of new ministries that can contribute to our mission of serving the Latin communities where we operate. We expect the applicant to be a musician and to assist in the development of the music teaching project.
Our meetings currently look like this:
On The Way
- Sundays – Worship Service – 6:00 pm
- Tuesdays – Small Groups – 7:00 pm
- Friday – Music and English Class – 6:00 pm
Casa Brasil
- Saturdays – Worship Service – 7:00 pm
- Thursdays – Small Groups – 7:00 pm
We are committed to assisting residents in understanding the reality and challenges of the Latin American community in the US; relationship development between missionary partners; evangelism and social media engagement; leader training; spiritual and social transformation and growth. It is helpful if you have an understanding of the various 1001 New Worshiping Communities programs and/or paths to fundraising and grants.
Residents will report directly to the Pastor (Rafael Viana) and the New Church Development Commission’s Executive Director (Lindsay Armstrong) and will take part in our leadership team meetings. There will be weekly meetings to discuss short, medium, and long-range goals for the community and the resident. At these meetings, there will be accountability for tasks assigned to the resident(s).
Financial Support: The total package available for support of this residency is $ 45,000 for the year, to include salary and health insurance support. On The Way and Casa Brasil will work with the successful candidate to organize the package to be most beneficial to the resident. The resident will be an employee of the New Church Development Commission (NCDC).
Selected applicants will take part in the National 1001 New Worshiping Communities Residency and Apprenticeship Training program this summer July 6-9, 2020. (The location is TBD, and full costs are fully covered)
Applications, including letters of reference, are due by March 15, 2020.
Site contact information
Rafael Lemos Viana, Pastor
(561) 340-9109
rev.rafael@gmail.com
Rev. Lindsay Armstrong, NCDC Executive Director
(404) 285-1936
larmstrong@atlpcusa.org
Application checklist
Cover letter including:
What attracts you to this residency?
What do you hope to gain out of this experience?
Completed application
Two Letters of Recommendation
Application deadline is March 15, or when the position has been filled. Questions? Contact Rafael Lemos Viana at rev.rafael@gmail.com or Sara Hayden at sara.hayden@pcusa.org.
Email your completed application and cover letter to the following persons:
Lindsay Armstrong – larmstrong@gmail.com
Rafael Lemos Viana – rev.rafael@gmail.com
Sara Hayden – sara.hayden@pcusa.org