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The Presbyterian Foundation
The Grants Committee met recently to consider the many applications for funding and agreed to help finance many exciting projects.
Represented on the Committee were: the Administration and Finance Policy Group, the Resourcing for Mission Policy Group, the Church Property Trustees and Mission Resource Team.
Some of the work that will receive extra financial help from The Presbyterian Foundation include:
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Leadership training and outreach to an isolated community.
Outreach into the community to assist people with disabilities.
A breakfast club to feed hungry children before school.
A project to support an ethnic minister.
Money to help people with hearing disabilities.
Outreach to children and families both churched and unchurched.
Parenting seminars.
Classes to teach young women sewing skills and provide a safe environment for their children for two hours.
An English as a Second Language teacher and community worker.
Post crises counselling and therapy for children.
Grief counselling.
Play group services for the community.
A project to offer practical help to enhance the health and wellbeing of housebound elderly and special needs people.
To provide Christian counselling to people on lower incomes.
Fun activities for elderly people in the community.
Research into community needs.
Working with the community to develop a skate-board park for young people.
An after-school fun programme
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Saints and Angels
On All Hallows Eve, Knox Presbyterian Church in Lower Hutt held a party which was attended by 1,250 people - children and families from 0-90 years of age. Sue Fenton, who co-ordinated the team who organised this event, stresses that it did not happen overnight; they have been providing an alternative to trick and treating on the streets for four years and it has grown each year. Knox Church, plus a couple of other churches, with money from business sponsorship, provided the funding for "a significant budget" but the aim was to "throw a party" and it was done on a very modest budget. The biggest cost this year was the hireage of rides and games.
"God gave us a sense of how many would come - it could have been any number but it was as if God gave double of what we needed. For example, we had very little food but ample arrived, including a bakery donating 150 lamingtons on the day of the event".
This year they hired two public halls and put a lot of time into planning, advertising (including 4,000 fliers to all the primary schools in the area) and promoting. "We did some good planning but lots extra happened that was out of our control, showing the awesomeness of God's provision" said Sue.
"The absolute key is prayer - covering every aspect of the event. It was to glorify God and show the outpouring of God's love on people". Sue's 8 year-old son said "it was all free, just like God's love is free".
Some of the things the team did included inviting Anthony Samuels, (presenter of "What Now"), hand out bags of lollies, provide lots of food for children and parents, play music and have presentations of the Christian message through songs, drama and games for all ages. Sue said it is easy to start even in a small church or community with those key ingredients. She would advise lots of prayer and throw a party as an alternative to children roaming the streets. Party games, food, music and activities, such as making angels with card and glitter, need not cost much but they do provide a very good way to link into the churches and the community. It's a great way to open the doors of the church to the community.
In Dunedin more than a dozen churches combined together to give primary and pre-school children a "glow in the dark" party - another alternative to Halloween.