MATT
was born in a house with parents who were looking for meaning in all the wrong places. As a child, the Lord graciously opened the eyes of my parents through a Bible study and they brought the gospel into our house. My walk with the Lord took form when I was finishing high school and this brought me to attend a Christian University. It was there that the Lord put a call for me to take his gospel to other countries. So after I graduated, I returned home to work and raise support for three years before embarking on a plan to come and start a church in Trieste, Italy. With a little under a quarter of a million people I found less than 100 believers upon my arrival. Through preaching, Bible studies, street evangelism, English courses, guitar lessons, and of course chiefly prayer, we have seen the formation of a church in Trieste. After the first four years I had to take a job as a teacher to sustain my young family in the city. Now 14 years since I moved to this port city between eastern and western Europe, the church has grown to around 60 and we have a clear vision for the future!
BARBARA
was born into a catholic family in northern Italy near Milan. My father, not satisfied with religion, began to research what the Bible really teaches about true justification and was saved in when I was 13 years old. I quickly embraced my faith in the work of Christ, was born again and was baptized. As I grew in faith and knowledge, I did my final thesis project in University on Yugoslavia. Then in 2000 I met Matt and moved to Trieste, bordering Slovenia (once part of Yugoslavia), to teach him and another missionary the Italian language. It was there I felt the call to remain and work on the church plant in Trieste and eventually marry Matt. Now I try to balance ministry and work and family (our three kids Simone, Zoe, and Stefano) as we make a difference in Trieste!
What is our Ministry vision?
We want to see lives transformed by the Gospel and more churches established in and around Trieste by His grace. This will be done through the formation of church leaders and by the church’s testimony towards the unbelieving that our hope is in Christ alone. Our proclamation of the Gospel will be seen in Gospel Communities where we demonstrate our love for Christ and for our brothers and sisters as well as through establishing businesses that are geared to serve the city and its citizens.
What is the Schvaneveldts role and mission in this vision?
- The ministry of preaching the word and praying for the saints
- to lead, give pastoral care, and train both present and future elders
- to train and establish worship leaders in the churches
- to lead, set goals, and and have accountability of our full time team (Missionaries and pastors)
- leadership training for our future Gospel Community (cell group) leaders
- to participate in the establishment of, God willing, Gospel Communities (3 in the first 2 years, 7 in the first five years, 20 in the first 10 years) and churches in Trieste, Monfalcone, Gorizia, Sezana and Koper
How can I support the Schvaneveldt’s?
They need prayer support as they take the gospel deeper into Trieste. They need financial support for their family and ministry.