First, we have been very blessed for the past several weeks to have an extra set of hands around the house! Chelsea, a sweet 20 year old college student from Orlando, decided to take the semester off and serve our family full time. She is tremendous! Full of energy, servant hearted, and absolutely loves our children! She will be here until mid-December, after which she will return to her studies at the University of Florida.

Second, Justin recently enrolled in a theological studies program called the Porterbrook Institute. It is a part time, distance program in which he will receive a degree in church planting. It has a high emphasis on training pastors to lead their church on mission to whatever context God has put them in. I (Justin) just returned from England where I attended an initial 5 day intensive. It was a very encouraging time, and affirmed my desire to continue the training and complete the three year program.

With that said, things are about to get rolling with Salerno City Church as we begin to gather as a gospel community in our home and cast vision for the church! Please pray for us during this important season of ministry!

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If you desire to stay informed with our ministry activity, you can easily fill out the form below and you will be added to the list. Be sure to stop by SalernoChurch.com to see what we will be doing.

A video slideshow of our Easter weekend. Happy Easter!!

The decision to plant a church has caused us to make some significant changes. Primarily, this means that we will no longer be working with Campus Crusade for Christ as our sending agency. We have had a wonderful 7 years of ministry with Campus Crusade that we are very thankful for, but we both felt very strongly that the Lord was calling us to pursue change. Planting a church needs to be our full focus, and we didn’t feel that remaining on staff would give us that freedom. We are thrilled, however, that Crusade will continue to send teams to work on the university campus in Salerno, and we are eager to partner together in our efforts.

So, the question is, what does this mean? Since we are leaving staff with Crusade, we needed to pursue a different sending option. And since we will be focusing on church planting, we thought it would be best to be sent through CrossPointe Church. From it’s inception, CrossPointe has had a history of recruiting, training, and sending church planters. In fact, they have sent over a dozen church planters in the past 8 years. This means that they are very well poised to provide exactly what we need. Administrative services, pastoral care and development, and ministry coaching and support.

This is particularly important for those of you who financially support us. We will be mailing out a paper newsletter with more details about this transition, and instructions on how you can continue supporting us by transferring your donations. So, be sure to check your mail next week! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask! Thank you for your continued partnership with us. Together, we are making an eternal impact!

With love in Christ,
Justin

One Life, Changed by Jesus from Justin Valiquette on Vimeo.

The Spiritual Condition of Italy from Justin Valiquette on Vimeo.

Acts 29 Italy – Interview from Justin Valiquette on Vimeo.

I was recently interviewed by Ed Marcelle, who oversees the Northeast Region for Acts 29 in America. The purpose of the interview is to expose the Acts 29 Network, other churches, and individuals to our efforts in Salerno.

Many people won’t consider Europe to be a mission field, but the veneer of nominal religion is wearing thin as once-packed Cathedrals are turned into museums, restaurants, and even mosques. Only 4.2% of the population profess to follow Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, as per the European Spiritual Estimate.

… These stats should get our attention, but of course there is hope. God is calling men and women from all over the world to plant their lives in Europe for the sake of the gospel. Unreached peoples are being engaged, the gospel is being proclaimed, lives are being transformed, and churches are being planted. Churches are learning to think and act like missionaries. (for full article, click here)

We’re going because of 3 reasons. First, there is a detrimental need. Second, God is at work. Third, He has called us. We believe God is beginning to transform Italy, and he is bringing us there to be a part of it. As old, unfruitful churches close their doors, our passion is to start new churches that will engage every aspect of society with the hope of the gospel. Pray for us!