The JUVEP mission started because of the need to unite Christian youth groups in the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba. In the 1980’s three leaders met together to decide how they could help bring unity, Bible teaching and a missionary vision to the entire youth community. They gave this movement a name: Juventude Evangélica Paraibana (Paraiba Evangelical Youth) – JUVEP.

Sometime later JUVEP felt led by the Holy Spirit to start evangelizing a town in the physically and spiritually dry interior of the state of Paraiba. Challenged by the need, JUVEP young people decided to do a statistical study of the area in relation to how many Christians there were. In 1984 the first study was completed which included the entire Northeastern region, with more details given to the state of Paraiba. The results confirmed the fact that most people did not have access to the Gospel. Forty-eight towns had less than 1% evangelicals and 24 towns had no genuine Christian church. JUVEP designed a plan called “The Challenge of the Decade” with the objective of starting new churches in unreached towns before the end of the ‘80s. At the inaugural meeting, Dr. Russell Shedd encouraged the outreach with an in-depth Bible study and challenge.

The first church planted was in Diamante, an unchurched town, in partnership with the First Baptist Church in Itaporanga. From then on the JUVEP Mission has sponsored outreach and church planting projects during vacation time – January and July, always in partnership with churches from around the country. At this moment Juvep has completed more than 47 Projects and almost as many churches are still functioning.

Today almost all Northeastern towns have at least one Christian church, but the need is still very great. More than two-thirds of the interior towns have less than 5% of Christians and in the farm area less than 0.1%! Perhaps there are as many as 10,000 small villas with no Christian at all and some have never even heard the name of Jesus.

Besides the vacation-time Projects, JUVEP has created other departments and activities. In order to reach evangelistic and discipleship objectives, the following ministries are functioning:

·    Church planting projects

·    A missionary training school

·    One theological seminaries in João Pessoa and three in the interior

·    A missionary agency

·    A missions magazine – TodosNós

·    Different city-wide or area-wide events for pastors and leaders

·    A department for organizing missionary conferences in local churches

·    A department for doing research

·    A department for working with children

Church Planting Short-term Missions Projects, since 1982

This is the pioneer project JUVEP first started with the objective to plan new churches in the less evangelized interior. So far there have been 47 churches planted by groups of up to 150 people from all over Brazil who come for four days of training and three weeks of saturation evangelism and discipleship. Because of partnerships with different churches, there is always a church planted with a worker left to care for the new Christians.  

Research Center, since 1984
The research center sees the need to do strategic outreach, to the most needy centers. World Vision and Overseas Ministries has helped in this work.

The Theological Seminary, started in 1988

The seminary offers theological studies with an enphasis on missions and those who are called to pastoral ministry. This year 165 students are registered. 

Child Evangelism Department, since 1992 

This department works in the area of child evangelism, especially during the short-term projects, and in the training of new workers among seminary and missions students, as well as offering short-term courses in churches.

 Special Events, since 1995 
These events have the objective to stimulate and edify the Evangelical community, to teach, challenge, stimulate reflection and raise up those who would serve the Lord, especially in needy places.

The Sertanejo (semi-arid interior) Seminary, since 1998  

This seminary meets the need to prepare workers from the interior in a school which is contextualized to the local reality. The costs are low and the student does not have to leave his home and work in order to attend a school in a larger city. The first seminary was started in the town of Itaporanga by a young woman, Dunalva Libério, who is now a missionary in East Timor. In 2006 two other schools were started in the towns of Sousa and Cajazeiras.  

Missionary Training School, since 1998

This post-graduate school offers a year of integrated missionary studies in a community setting (some students may also live off campus). The major emphasis is on preparing career missionaries who will be practicing missionaries and reflexive missiologists. The school is concerned about character, content and competence, as well as spiritual life and psychological health. Other courses are also offered for those working in churches or missions agencies and, for those with the pre-requisites, a possibility of a Master’s Latu Senso program.

 The Cross-cultural missions Department, since 2002

This department has the objective to help local churches send and care for missionaries in cross-cultural contexts. Currently there are seven missionaries serving in Peru, East Timor and Cambodia.

TodosNós, since 2002

The magazine has put out three numbers and is ready for the fourth. A major emphasis is on missionary information about the interior and other missionary fields, issues in missiologia, missions and the church, missionary giving and the Biblical basis for Missions.  

JP.Com, since 2002

“JP.Com” is a take-off on the internet, but concerns itself with organizing missionary activities in the city of João Pessoa, thus the name – “João Pessoa, Missionary Community”. As part of this ministry, the department offers a free breakfast to pastors once a month for a time of prayer and information and challenge. 

Radical Sertão Project, since 2007
This is a new project designed to train and send young people into the rural interior for a year of evangelism, discipleship, church planting and community development. Teams will live among the people in a simple life-style in one of the most unreached Brazilian regions.    

For more information, contact Barbara Burns, e-mail:  barbarahburns@terra.com.br 

Missão JUVEP Board members are the following:
Laerte Junior, Sérgio Ribeiro, Cesário Junior, Bertrant Vilanova, Sérgio Barbosa, Pedro Luis e Barbara Burns.