Several churches in Sydney assembled at Pendle Hill Polish Seventh-day Adventist Church last Sabbath for a children’s concert. More than 180 people attended the event which was held to fundraise for a child with special needs and her single mother.
After attending a children’s concert at Parramatta Central church plant last year, Pendle Hill member Agnes Breski decided to organise a concert of her own. However, she wanted it to raise funds for a special cause. She started praying for a child in need whom the concert could raise funds for.
Agnes taught at the Suzuki Institute with a woman named Elizabeth. One morning, Agnes went to work and found out that Elizabeth was organising a fundraiser for a piano for Joanne. Joanne had weighed just over 500 grams when she was born 12 weeks premature and had undergone 12 major surgeries by the time she was two years old. Against doctors’ predictions, she had survived but her mother had been warned that there would still be long-term health needs. Joanne’s father left the family when she was three months old.
“I felt God telling me, ‘This is the child you should help,'” said Agnes.
Despite some initial reservations about the responsibility involved, Agnes told Elizabeth that they would organise another fundraiser for Joanne.
People were eager to help. Just two weeks before the concert, Agnes still had people ringing her and asking her if she had room for extra special items.
On the morning of the concert, Agnes and her husband Joel prayed over the list of the children who would be performing. They felt impressed that God was telling them to ask for a specific amount to be raised: $5000.
“I wanted to argue with God, I thought it was too much to ask for,” said Agnes. But she and Joel prayed anyway. The concert ended up raising $5008.60, which they presented to Joanne and her mother.
“It’s a blessing to see so many churches working together for this cause,” said Pastor Nigel Ackland. “God says the world will know that we are Christians by the way we love one another. I’m glad that we could show God’s love in a practical way for Joanne.”
“I hope that we can find other causes we can champion and other people that we can support,” adds Joel. “Our venue, organisation and talents are available. We want to let people know that God loves and cares about them.”
