PMI Missionaries
Joel & Jessica Rinn
Ministry Area: Italy
Responsibilities: Church planting, theological education, translation
E-mail Address: joelmatthew.rinn [at] fastwebnet [dot] it
Joel graduated from Covenant with an M.Div. in 2003 and is ordained in the International Presbyterian Church, a small European denomination. Jessica has a BA in Bible Theology and is a native Italian. Besides taking care of their children and opening their home for ministry, Jessica does translating and editing work for a Reformed publishing house in Italy called Alfa & Omega.
After spending three years in the city of Ferrara, Joel and Jessica are now in the city of Verona. Verona is a fairly large city in northern Italy best known as the hometown of Romeo and Juliet. Although there was historically a Protestant presence in the city, currently there is little in terms of Evangelical witness.
Joel and Jessica moved to Verona to plant a gospel-centered Presbyterian church. They are also conducting Bible studies for the International Students/University ministry.
Latest Report: (updated 10/7/2011)
Dear Friends and Praying partners,
In our last newsletter I told you that we were looking for some new opportunities after being forced to close our worship location in Verona. This was very difficult for us and it still is difficult. At the same time, the Lord has opened several doors for ministry.
We have continued to invest in Verona and we have seen some exciting things happen. I continued leading the Bible study with university students. We tried meeting in a coffee bar for a while. It was OK, but difficult. It made it difficult for non-believers to come. In Italy, it just isn't the right kind of place for a Bible study.
We have some new people attending. A young man from Singapore and is here studying for his doctorate in computer sciences. He is very faithful attending every meeting (including Bible studies in Trent), has a hunger for the word, and is zealous in living out his Christianity. He has been a source of joy to all of us. We have also had a young lady visit looking for something more solid in her Christian experience.
Two of the young men who have been involved in our work here in Verona are currently looking for work. Please pray that they would find work in Verona. Both of these guys have been a blessing to us. We have seen both of them grow in grace. Pray that there would be others like them who would be part of what we are doing here.
For worship, we have continued, but are now holding the worship services in our home. It has been hot over the summer, but it has been a blessing as well.
So we are still investing in Verona. God is still at work. We need a door to open so that things can move forward.
An area where God has opened doors is in the direction of Vicenza. In Vicenza there is a large military base with a number of Americans. Some time back, a few families contacted us about having worship together. And after we had to close down our worship location, with encouragement from the IPC, we began to invest in that direction as well. So we are still living in Verona and trying to share the gospel with those around us with the goal of seeing a church planted here, but we are also working with a group of families in Vicenza.
The church planting Vicenza has been going quite well. We have about 7 families who attend regularly and two men who are involved in the leadership. Most of the gathering of families has been done by these other two men. This is a great blessing from God. After several years of working alone, working in partnership with others is such a blessing!
Things have been moving along quickly, so we are planning to begin weekly services mid-September. Thus far we have met regularly, but not weekly. We are growing and will soon outgrow the house that is hosting us (we have had over 40 people). We are also ready to begin with a membership role, communion and elder/deacon training.
The church service is in English. The goal of the leadership is for this church to be an International church (as opposed to an American church). We hope to attract other immigrants to the church and we have a plan to have this church be a blessing for the Italian Evangelical community. Our goal is to be evangelistic to the community around us. Our desire is to have this church be a place where we can invite Italians so that they can experience a solid functioning church that is centered around our Lord Jesus. This is a great opportunity that we did not look for, but has the potential to be a great blessing for Christ's Kingdom in Italy. Please pray that the Lord would bless this work and keep us free from the attacks of our enemy.
In August we went down to Fornaci to meet with the small group of believers there. This time I took the whole family. It was good to see those believers again and it was nice for them to meet Jessica and the kids. Please pray that we would find someone to pastor this church full-time. These believers need a shepherd who will care for them. Pray for the one man who is offering leadership ther, that he will a good and strong leader. Pray for one of the women who suffers from depression. She is fighting it, but the battle is not easy.
We will begin the school year the 12th. Nico begins High School and Emeline begins junior high. Please pray for them as they begin a new experience. It has not been easy for them with so few Christian friends. One of the blessings of Vicenza has been the number of children who have been a part of our group.
Theodore is a wonderful boy and has been a great blessing to us. He is not a good sleeper. Evidently he thinks sleeping is a waste of time. And so it's a waste of time for his parents as well — this means we have been doing ministry very tired. He's a beautiful boy with a wonderful smile and he brings joy to all of us. Pray that he will begin sleeping well.
Thank you for your prayers and support of our ministry.
In Christ,
Joel and Jessica Rinn
Presbyterian Mission International
12330 Conway Road
St. Louis, Missouri 63141
Telephone: (314) 434-4044
Fax: (314) 434-4819
