MINISTRY

God has entrusted the Planck family with the ministry of bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of Italy, that Italians might turn from idols to the living God, be transformed by the gospel, and live in the power of Christ’s resurrection.

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Beginning in the city of Verona, Stetson’s work was first and foremost that of an evangelist. The Veronesi need to see the Lord Jesus Himself — not as an emblem still nailed to a cross, but as the risen and ascended Savior, the Friend of sinners who calls all people to repent, believe the gospel, and receive eternal life through Him. Through gospel tract and literature distribution, Bible studies, personal outreach, online ministry, and prayer for the city, the Plancks have sought to saturate the community with the Word of God and to find those whose hearts are open to hearing the gospel.

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Through years of evangelism, prayer, and discipleship, God has established Chiesa della Grazia di Verona, a local Baptist church where believers gather for worship, biblical teaching, fellowship, prayer, and service. This church is both the fruit of the ministry already accomplished and the center from which the work continues.

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God desires more than for sinners to become converts who merely attend church and feel content that they are good Christians. His purpose is to see Christ formed in believers. The important thing is not simply that a person performs certain activities or speaks “biblical” words, but that he increasingly becomes the kind of person Christ has called him to be. In the end, what we are as believers — not merely what we do or say — matters to God, and the difference lies in the formation of Christ within us.

 

For this reason, the ongoing work of evangelism is joined by the responsibility of discipling believers and training spiritual leaders — pastors, teachers, deacons, and others equipped to serve in the local church. The goal is to see the believers at Chiesa della Grazia bonded together in love, spiritually strengthened, and equipped to accomplish God’s purposes while revealing the glories of His Son. Developing mature Italian leadership is essential so that the church may remain faithful, healthy, and fruitful beyond the ministry of the Planck family.

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As Italian leadership develops, Stetson’s role will increasingly include strengthening, equipping, and safeguarding the church. Any genuine work of God will face opposition from the enemy, who seeks to turn God’s children away from the truth. Stetson’s desire is not to lord over God’s heritage, but to serve as an example, teach sound doctrine, and help the church remain faithful to God’s design and purpose.

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Looking toward the future, there are different ways in which this ministry may expand. Some missionaries remain with the first church they establish and train others to begin similar works in surrounding cities. Others eventually entrust that church to national leadership and begin again in another place. Stetson’s desire is to discern where God is working and how far He would have the ministry extend. Whether through the continued strengthening of Chiesa della Grazia, the training and sending of Italian believers, or the establishment of another church, the Plancks are committed to following the Lord’s direction.

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The establishment of a healthy local church is not a hurried undertaking. Years of ministry in Italy have confirmed that evangelism, discipleship, and the development of trustworthy spiritual leadership require patience, perseverance, and dependence upon God. Rather than measuring the work by an artificial timetable, the Plancks rest in the conviction that God’s work must be accomplished according to God’s Word, through God’s power, and in God’s time.