Building the church with newspaper

The fourth chapter of Exodus reports that an incredulous fugitive thought the voice from a flame-shooting bush was calling him to an assignment beyond his capacity. But, God's question, "What is that in your hand?" inspired Moses-and his spiritual descendants-to undertake audacious projects.

Add ingenuity to this kind of faith to believe that an emerging Mennonite church in Uruguay is building their church with newspaper, one coil at a time.

"We begin like this, under and over," Yanela Mart�nez says, crouching on the floor as she weaves long, thin rolls of newspaper into a basket.

Mart�nez, who also teaches crafts in a local school, has helped the congregation learn the skills of basket-making that have added much-needed income toward the church's building fund.

Mart�nez and her husband, Jos� Luis Gonz�les, opened their home in Playa Pascual for Christian fellowship about five years ago. This gathering quickly outgrew the confines of their livingroom and, with the help of other Uruguayan believers, the Jes�s es mi Rey (Jesus is my King) congregation purchased a property with a building that had a troubled history, including a suicide. Now that building overflows with worshippers and the young congregation has taken on the challenge of a $30,000 building program.

Gonz�les and Mart�nez, who serve as pastors at Playa Pascual, also receive instruction from the Centro de Estudios de las Iglesias Menonitas de Uruguay (Uruguayan Study Center of the Mennonite Churches) that offers training courses for church leaders. So many of the Jes�s es mi Rey members have an ardent desire to deepen their biblical knowledge that the study centre has opened an extension program in Playa Pascual.

Jes�s es mi Rey is the first project of Campomisi�n, a ministry in which German- and Spanish-speaking Mennonites collaborate to reach those who don't know Jesus in southwestern Uruguay. Mennonite Church Canada Witness contributes to Campomisi�n and the Uruguayan Study Center of the Mennonite Churches.

The church has reached out to its neighbours in a variety of ways, especially those on the margins of society. In her school classes, Mart�nez teaches the Golden Rule along with art. She also offers two hours of crafts and other activities accompanied by Bible classes at the church on Fridays and Saturdays.

What seems to be key for the life of the congregation is its ministry of love and service to the community," says Tim Froese, executive director of International Ministry for MC Canada, after a visit to the congregation.

Translated, Playa Pascual means "Easter Beach." Ironically, this beach is often used for spiritist offerings and ceremonies-an influence of Umbanda spiritism that has come from Brazil.

"The [Jes�s es mi Rey] workers noted that spiritual warfare is also an issue they contend with in a very real way in witnessing to Christ in their community? says Froese. Still, the congregation attracts those who formerly participated in the occult.

Karen Schellenberg, pastor at Portage Mennonite Church in Portage la Prairie, Man., visited Jes�s es mi Rey as part of a trip to re-connect with Uruguayan pastor Beatrix Barrios, whom she hosted in Manitoba during IMPaCT 2006 (International Mennonite Pastors Coming Together).

Schellenberg was struck by the fact that the basket makers were selling their products by donation only. "With a $30,000 goal, I thought, 'Wow, this is going to take a lot of baskets," says Schellenberg, adding, "I wondered if our churches in North America could be as persistent and patient. We want big donations, and we want them fast. The basket-making project showed me persistence and patience. And complete trust in a God who is going to help to make their dream a reality."

[Author Affiliation]

BY LYNDA HOLLINGER-JANZEN

MC Canada

Playa Pascual, Uruguay