Adrianópolis is a neighborhood located in the south of Manaus, Brazil. This is one of the most affluent areas of the Amazonian capital.

As you walk through the neighborhood, you will notice fancy hotels and large shopping centers.

The lifestyle of the people generally revolves around work and consumerism. Shopping centers are a popular attraction for city dwellers and the Manauara (man-a-war-a) Mall is one of the best in town.

Although you would never imagine finding a church inside this plaza, that’s exactly where many members and guests come to worship each Sabbath.

“We are inside a mall. It’s one of the largest in town, and this fact alone makes this place unique. Some people won’t attend a regular church so they come to the mall. There are many guests here that didn’t go to church before but as they arrived at the mall, they found our “theater-church. And they liked it and remained here.”

Adrianopolis, like many neighborhoods in large Brazilian cities, represents a huge challenge for mission. A secular and postmodern lifestyle has caused many in the cities to forget the love of Jesus.

This is the last district of Manaus without an Adventist congregation. It is challenging for a traditional church to enter an affluent area due to the high cost of real estate. These meetings first began in a hotel auditorium nearby and now they meet in the mall theater.

This new and creative approach to location and worship style attracted the interest of shoppers who wanted to learn more about the church and the Bible.

“As a result of our decision to congregate inside a mall--a ‘mall theater’--this opened the door to several new people who attend here.”

“Our worship style is a little different. We offer praise and worship through music. It’s very lively and energetic. We have Sabbath School in small groups and even our dress is more relaxed and informal by losing the tie and suit jacket.”

“It’s easier to relate to visitors from a different lifestyle and social class this way. People shopping at the mall look just like the people who are sitting in church. They belong when we don’t look too different from them.”

The sign at the theater entrance reads: New Time, free entrance. It’s an intriguing invitation to some and a familiar reminder of Hope Channel--a country-wide television ministry where showhosts often invite viewers to visit churches like this.

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“I felt embraced with love and all I wanted to know--all my questions--were properly addressed in proportion to my needs.”

In an effort to attract a greater diversity of people at the "theater-church," Adventists in the community forged relationships through a special group called the "Class of Friends." In this group, people have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with Biblical teachings and ask important questions.

“Our Class of Friends is attended by some 60 students. You see people taking baby steps, coming to the mall and finding a study group. So, they slowly move closer and all of the sudden they begin attending church with us and get involved in mission. There is a great fulfillment as we observe visitors first learning the Bible and then becoming a part of this community.”

“Our group is very diverse and this makes it all the more interesting. There are doctors, lawyers and people of many professions. What’s most interesting to me is the religious diversity and some who are part of cults and spiritualistic groups native to Brazil. We interact with a mixture of different views and ideas but ultimately we arrive at a unique perspective presented by the Bible alone.”

God created a beautiful variety of people, and accordingly, the Bible presents many creative approaches to mission work. As His servants to different tribes, nations, and tongues, we should contextualize the message of hope we are given. Please pray for Adventist missionaries as they plant new churches using unique methods around the world!