30 June 2009

13th Sabbath Offering

RECORD Staff/Ray Coombe

When the world is in financial meltdown and governments are struggling to boost the economy with “stimulus packages” and “temporary deficits;” when Australia is just pulling out of years of drought and recovering from devastating bushfires and floods; when people are losing employment and facing mortgage default, its hardly a time to make a plea for Africa!” says Pastor Ray Coombe, director of Adventist Mission for the South Pacific Division. “And yet, the conditions of our sin-weary world shriek at us that now is the time to let go of material wealth and invest our treasures in extending the kingdom of God.”

Pastor Coombe is referring to the June 27 13th Sabbath Offering for the second quarter of this year, which is another opportunity to support the worldwide mission of the Adventist Church.

This quarter’s offering goes to the Southern Africa–Indian Ocean Division, where the funds will be used on projects including rebuilding two elementary schools in Angola, and renovating and rebuilding buildings at Bongo Mission for Bongo Adventist University in Angola. “The global financial crisis is affecting the mission budget of the General Conference,” says Pastor Coombe. “Now is not the time to reduce our giving and hope God will somehow ‘keep the show going.’ The finishing of God’s work on earth has been committed to us. If we want to get the job done, we’d better get serious.”

The financial crisis has affected the total of Sabbath-school offerings being passed on to the General Conference, according to Pastor Coombe.

“From a high of almost $US900,000 in the third quarter of 2008, our Sabbath- school offerings dropped to under $US650,000 in the first quarter of 2009,” says Pastor Coombe. “The 13th Sabbath Offering total dropped from $US221,202 in September last year to $US151,909 in March. This represents a 31 per cent reduction in the funds available for mission projects.

“What a tragedy it would be if this trend continues and negatively affects the projects listed for the Southern Africa–Indian Ocean Division this quarter. The rebuilding of the primary schools damaged and destroyed by war in Angola, and all other proposed projects, are urgent needs that deserve our support.”

Pastor Coombe is hoping Adventist churches in this division will “defy trends of this recession and give sacrificially next week to help these important mission projects.”

He adds, “Next quarter will be our turn to receive 25 per cent of the 13th Sabbath Offering, which will help with the relocation of Fulton College and the Sabbath school flip charts for children. It’d be good if the South Pacific could set a new trend in giving next Sabbath and reverse the downward trend!”.

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