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 Graciosa is a small island, 8 by 5 miles in size, about 130 miles northwest of the island of São Miguel, Azores, Portugal. The population is about 4,600. Until this last year there was no evangelical church on the island.
In September 2005, two churches from the island of Terceira (about 30 miles away) went to share the message of having a personal relationship with Jesus to the people of Graciosa.
A Baptist and a Pentecostal church worked together to see the Good News of Jesus shared on this island where there had been no evangelical witness. The only evangelical believer that they knew of was a lady that had visited one of the churches on Terceira and had accepted Christ.
They offered free non-alcoholic "cocktails" as a means to initially make contact with people. Graciosa has had a severe alcohol problem for many years. No good drinking water had made wine the only drink available and this had a very negative effect in the lives of many. Through these contacts and special services at night, several people had accepted Christ and a church was started.
 Then in September 2006, a team went again to make a special effort to reach people with the Gospel. Personal contacts were made, and people were invited to come to a special service on Saturday and Sunday nights. A concert was presented, a free Christian music CD was given, and the Gospel was preached. The first night nearly 80 people from the island attended and 28 responded at the altar call to receive Christ. Some of them had already accepted Christ, but had never made a public commitment.
The team was ecstatic to see God at
work in these lives. It is not common to see people respond publicly in the islands to receive Christ.
The following night, the service was held in a smaller village and there as well, several responded to receive Christ.
AGWM personnel, John and Beccy Rodli, are working with Pastor Carlos Couveiro to see that discipleship materials are available to these new Christians. John had the opportunity to give away about 30 New Testaments and "The Great Questions of Life" evangelistic Bible study to people that wanted them. It was exciting for him when people came to him and asked, "Do you have any left?," or "Is there one for me?"
The Rodlis relate that, "One lady asked for material to give to her daughter, and we 'just happened' to meet that daughter 'by chance' who was a waitress in a restaurant where we 'just happened' to go eat."
The church is currently under the care of Pastor Carlos and a Christian worker from the churches on Terceira. They alternately go to the island once or twice a month and stay for several days to help the new believers there. The Rodlis ask for prayer that God would raise up a pastor that would go there to lead these new believers and continue to reach the island for Christ.
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