PARSONAGE BUILDING PROPOSAL

FOR CANOINHAS SDB CHURCH – CANOINHAS – SANTA CATARINA STATE - BRAZIL

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH DAY BAPTIST CHURCH

 IN CANOINHAS/SC - BRAZIL

By 1950, in Paula Pereira, a small rural village in Canoinhas, Pastor Afonso Martins, Manuel Venâncio de Oliveira, Teodoro Neumann, and especially, Pr. Andrezinho, were all responsible for preaching the gospel to Mr. Antonio Gomes and his relatives. At the same time, seventh day Baptist faith came to the home of Mr. Leopoldo Cordeiro and his family, completing 20 people, who joyfully received regularly the visit of the seventh day Baptist pastors to worship God at their homes.

Some years later, due to the growth of the City of Canoinhas and the rural exodus, the families moved to town and continued the meetings at their homes. To the small group. Mr. Alfredo Wosgrau’s family joined, and, in 1961, the group had already about 30 members.

This small group, which lived and proclaimed Seventh Day Baptist faith, through the collection of tithes and offerings, managed to acquire a property, so they could build a temple. However, very tough years came along, some people left the church, and the dream of having a temple in that town came true only in 1999.

In 2000, the church invited Pr. Sidnei Ubiraci Grossklaus to be their Senior Pastor. Invitation accepted, Pr. Sidnei took over the church at the same year. By this time, the church was formed by only nine members. Working hard, through evangelism and home bible studies, Pr. Sidnei witnessed the growth of the church, and now it has enrolled as members about 100 people, besides a number of visitors at every service ministered there.

Due to the growth of the number of children attending to the Sabbath School, it was necessary to build two rooms, for until then the church didn’t have specific classrooms to such age. Nowadays, about 30 children attend the Sabbath School.

The Seventh Day Baptist Church in Canoinhas, in 2009, could have an hour to broadcast its radio show in a local station. Every Sunday, at 6:00 pm, the show airs proclaiming the Gospel of Salvation through Christ and spreading the Seventh Day Baptist faith. At this same year, it has been opened a Congregation in the neighborhood of Jardim Esperança [Hope Garden], which has now 30 people attending services.

The SDBC in Canoinhas also assist the SDBC in Irineópolis, that is 35 km away. Besides, the brothers collaborate with the Youth Challenge, an institution targeting the rehabilitation of chemical dependent. Every Thursday Pr. Sidnei and his team perform services with the inmates. The church has been part actively in a campaign, mobilizing the community to the purchase of a property to the building of the future Youth Challenge facilities.

 BIRTH PLACE OF WORKERS AND PASTORS

In the last three years, Seventh Day Baptist Church in Canoinhas has become a birth place of workers and pastors to our denomination.

 From Canoinhas the following pastors and workers have come:

-       Luiz Carlos Lopes, who has moved to Bituruna/PR, in order to assist the local church. They’re about to open the new temple;

-       Luis Rogério Palhano, who has moved to take care of the SDBC in Dois Vizinhos, which was almost closing the doors. Nowadays, the church is rapidly growing. Pr. Palhano is also assisting the SDBC in Clevelândia, moreover families and groups in Pato Branco and Ampere.

-       Patrick Ferreira Padilha, who has taken over the SDBC in Cascavel, which was ten years without a pastor already.

-       Douglas Marcelo went to Tubarão/SC, to plant a church in that city, considering that we have three families living there and they already met as a branch church of Joinville SDB Church.

-       Gláucio Correia de Souza, moved to the SDBC in Bocaiúva do Sul, to taken over that church.

 TIME STUDENTS

Nowadays, 12 members of the SDBC in Canoinhas, besides the pastors mentioned above, are attending TIME, with the goal of being more prepared to serve the Lord at his work.

STATE OF THE PRESENT PASTOR HOUSE

The current pastor house was built in 1992, being made out of wood. Due to time and the excess of humidity at the place, it is now in terrible conditions, offering risk to the inhabitants. Another problem detected was the presence of insects, termites, which have contributed to the house degradation.

 The state of the house is critical and there are no alternatives but to demolish it and to build another one, yet this time masonry, what will make it more durable.

 BUILDING BID

The intention of this project is to propose a partnership between Seventh Day Baptist Church in Canoinhas, the Brazilian Seventh Day Baptist Conference and the American brothers to the building of a pastor house measuring 99 square meters, masonry, containing:

 -       4 rooms;

-       Kitchen;

-       Living-room;

-       Dining-room;

-       Pastor Office;

-       2 bathrooms;

-       Laundry room.

 We already have the house plan, offered freely by a pastor of Emmanuel Christian Church, who happens to be also an architect.

 BUDGET (The propoerty has already been purchased)

BUILDING PHASES

After the approval of the partnership project and the shipping of the funds for the beginning of the construction, the Seventh Day Baptist Church in Canoinhas is responsible for the foundations, raising the walls and making the roof.

In the next phase, a date would be scheduled so that the American brothers could come to the following tasks:

-       Placing of ceramic tile;

-       Plastering walls;

-       Painting;

-       Placing of the ceiling;

-       Electric and hydraulic services.

 We will provide a team of Brazilian brothers to help at the execution of the tasks and also with the translation.

 The brothers will stay at the church’s rooms, which will provide all the meals.

 During the day we will work together at the construction and every night we will make missionary activities at the church and its congregations (to adults, youngsters and children). Moreover we will also develop activities at Youth Challenge, an institution to rehabilitate chemical dependent.

 At the weekends, the brothers will be involve in activities at the churches in the region.

 The time suggested for the brothers to be in Brazil would be at least two weeks.