Luciano & Luciene Pires are missionaries with Presbyterian Mission International, and the founders of a home-based, apologetics-focused Christian institute called Colloquium. Their mission at Colloquium is to plant churches by presenting the truths of the Gospel in a way that will challenge the hearts and minds of this generation, especially university students. They are also actively engaged in Christian leadership training. Thus, their passion is to reach out to non-believers and to equip Christians to live all of life under the Lordship of Christ.

In 2002 Luciano and Luciene completed degrees at Covenant Theological Seminary. Luciano received an M.Div, while Luciene earned an MA in Theological Studies; both have their degrees in Apologetics and Evangelism. Upon completion of their degrees, they returned to their homeland, Brazil, where they established Colloquium in Goiania. During these fifteen years of ministry, they ministered to hundreds of people every year through their Bible Studies, the annual Colloquium Conference, and various outreach activities hosted every week at their home. Out of the ministry of Colloquium, the Mosaico Presbyterian Church was planted, a godly and vibrant community of people formed mostly by young professionals and university students. Luciano also taught Old Testament and Biblical Theology at the Presbyterian Seminary in Goiania.

The Pireses are now preparing to move to Porto, a university city in northern Portugal, where, by God’s grace and His glory, they will take Colloquium to a country where only 0.4% of the population are professed Christians (less than India and Japan). While transitioning to Portugal, Luciano is taking classes towards a Th.M at Covenant Seminary. The Pireses want to be used by God in Porto “by being His instruments to renew the minds, transform the lives and impact the culture of the place our Lord calls us to be.”

The Pireses have two children, Mila (14) and Pedro (11). They both love Colloquium and are eager to see it established in Portugal.

Sign up for the Pires family's newsletter or donate to their work here. 

“We talk of the second coming of Christ; half the world has never heard of the first.”

James, Jane and their family are empowered by G&P and serve in Central Asia. The Lord has brought them on a journey to focus on the 1% unengaged Muslim places left on the earth in the 10-40 window (from the Caucasus of Russia to Kyrgyzstan to their current place in the region). Since Jesus taught us to take the Great Commission in word and deed, they strive to win, build, and send nationals through education and discipleship programs, outdoor and sport ministries, and young adult/youth groups. Through these bridge-building activities, they are passionate about forming multiplying home-church movements in the least reached places on the planet. To receive incredible stories of what God is doing and partner with them in prayer please write to: thegreatadventure@pobox.com

Ananias House Women’s Leadership Training helps women from the Middle East and North Africa become godly, competent, and confident servants of the church. Many women throughout the conflict-torn region work in leadership in local churches and also provide for their families, so the women’s ministry focuses on discipleship, trauma healing, and leadership and economic skills.

Preparing Arab-World Leaders for Ministry (PALM) nurtures self-replicating discipleship groups and trains godly leaders to plant churches in the Arab World and beyond, especially where there are no historic churches. To help establish new believing communities in the least reached places, PALM partners with national churches (whenever possible) to mentor discipleship group heads who will then mentor others.

Kraynebo Publishing, a ministry in Ukraine, has attracted new interest since Russia’s invasion in 2022. Amid physical devastation, Kraynebo publishes in Ukrainian spiritual resources that are Bible-based and Gospel-focused, including sermons by Tim Keller. The photo to the left shows the cover of Kraynebo’s translation of the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

The Gregoires serve with MTW in Kosice, Slovakia and engage in leadership development, compassion and evangelization through Slovak and Roma outreach programs. Dan is developing a Work Life program to train Roma men to become certified welders. The program grants a 2 year certification and provides discipleship so Roma men can be leaders in their communities and churches. Dan’s MTW team established a kindergarten for Roma children to prepare their for Slovak elementary school which teaches the basics of Slovak language, alphabet, numbers, colors, and songs to help them in a difficult cultural transition into Slovak schools where they are viewed as second class citizens. Rebecca leads a club where moms with young children come to play, learn songs in English, gain encouragement in their mothering, and hear the gospel.

Together Dan and Rebecca seek to live missional lives, being a bridge to bring Slovaks into the community of believers to hear the gospel and see it in practice. It is their hope that the next generation in Slovakia will know and worship the Lord as a body of believers. 

Timothy House is a two-year residential church planter training program now in four African countries. It emphasizes discussion of central theological concepts such as B.B. Warfield’s “The Religious Life of Theological Students.” Working in countries where Islam and African Traditional Religion are dominant, the goal is to plant sustainable churches under local leadership.

Confessional 5 Presbyterian Church in Estância Velha is in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, one of the least evangelized of Brazil’s 26 states. The founding pastor began planting this church in February 2023, under the authority of Villa da Graça Presbyterian Church in Joinville.

Amid hopelessness at the Mexico-Texas border, this Mission to North America church plant attempts to “glorify God by delighting in His grace and loving the Rio Grande Valley.” G+P’s contribution supports a staff member who works on community outreach and gospel discipleship by mentoring people in small groups, facilitating a women’s group, and advancing the long-term goal of planting other PCA churches in border communities.

The name of this missionary has been changed to protect his safety.

"Brother David" is the founder and leader of a Christian seminary in an unreached part of Asia. Having been shunned by his family and community for his conversion, he now ministers to new converts by providing not only discipleship, but supplies and job training.

In 2018, Grace + Peace is honored to partner with him both in his daily discipleship, and in the construction of a new Christian training center.

Listen to the Voice of the Martyr's interview of "Brother David" here.

Holt earned a M.Div and Hattie an MA at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He was previously a Reformed University Fellowship intern at TCU and is now campus minister for Reformed University Fellowship at Trinity University in San Antonio. He and Hattie help students navigate tough intellectual and spiritual challenges.

Sebastian, a Reformed University Fellowship intern at The University of Texas at El Paso, was born and raised in that city. He’s been a Christian for seven years and married for three. His typical day: Wake up and pray, work out, study for the Covenant Seminary classes he’s taking, meet with UTEP students, work on music and videos, spend time with his wife when she gets home from work, read the Bible, pray before sleep.

Billy, an RUF intern at University of North North in Denton, grew up in McKinney, Texas. He graduated from UNT with a business degree that included a focus on Religion & Philosophy, and something more: “I struggled heavily in my walk with Jesus, and believed that my salvation depended on me. At UNT I heard the gospel of grace, and my life has never been the same! I now aim to reach UNT with the same message that changed my life.”

Nicholas majored in civil engineering at the University of Tennessee and became a Reformed University Fellowship intern at UT Austin. He is now a part-time RUF staffer at Washington University in St. Louis while completing his seminary education at Covenant Theological Seminary.

Emily is a videographer for Cru, a college ministry formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ. She makes educational and evangelistic videos that encourage young people to attend Bible studies, conferences, retreats, and summer missions.

Juan Pablo Ortiz is an RUF church planting apprentice in Bogotá. He has completed his degree in engineering from the National University, feels a clear call to the vocational ministry, and is engaged to marry Niccol Vargas (former Colombian intern).