10 March 2009

KID program initiates faith project

Dora Creek, new South Wales
George Drinkall

The Dora Creek Adventist church has raised more than $A10,000 to help build a church on the island of Ifira in Vanuatu by conducting the "Kids in discipleship" (KID) program.

The church is one of a handful of churches in the North New South Wales region Conference pioneering the KID program, which is designed for families, with a focus on children. In one of the "Footprints for kids" Bible-study group lessons, the challenge was set for families to discuss what they could do to use the gifts they had been given by God to make a difference in the lives of others.

Lesson leader Jenny Wigglesworth felt a project could be run to help the group apply the lesson. She was inspired by a program run by a church in California that raised money to build churches in Mozambique. In that program, members had been offered $US100 to invest and "multiply," in much the same way as the biblical parable of the talents.

The Wigglesworth family

Mrs Wigglesworth and her husband, Andrew, and their children had been to Vanuatu on short-term mission trips. While there, they were made aware of the desire for a church to be built on Ifira. Ifira has a population of around 1500 people, only a small number of whom are Adventists.

Dora Creek church decided to work to raise funds for this project and "seed money" was offered to families participating in the KID program to help them begin their fundraising efforts. An invitation was later extended to the rest of the church family.

After seeking permission from the church board to commence the project, KID leaders were granted $A1000, which was to be repaid by January 31.

The plan was to raise $A4000 within three months, and a number of families took up the offer of "seed money."

The church family was kept up-to-date with the progress of the fundraising project through regular updates in the church bulletin. On January 31, a special worship service was conducted by those involved in the KID program, which focused on the four components of the project-vision, courage, sacrifice and faith. Families came forward and placed the funds they had raised inside a miniature church and the "seed money" was returned and accounted for.

When the amount was counted, the figure totalled $A9622.65. A church member immediately offered additional money to make the funds up to $A10,000 and, since then, additional money has been donated.

Families have expressed their appreciation of being involved in a project like this, with many saying it made them more aware of the way God works.