In every church, in every country of the South Pacific Division, there are heroes. You know them: rain, hail or shine they never miss a Sabbath. Loyal, faithful volunteers who run Sabbath school for the children, arrange the flowers, cook food for hospitality events, raise money for mission, keep the church and grounds clean, and many other thankless tasks. There are those who run soup kitchens and op shops or volunteer with ADRA and other community organisations; those who provide music, who practise and praise God with their voices and instruments. And there are many more roles that are filled that I don’t have space to mention here.
They serve with their time, their talents and their money. They are rarely thanked and always busy. They work regular jobs, feed their families, have school and work commitments, and still find time to keep our churches running. Some do it because there is no-one else (we’ve all heard the statistics that only 10-20 per cent of members are active in their congregations in some churches). Maybe they are at a small country church where people power is limited; maybe they have the resources or skills that others don’t have.
I am inspired whenever I travel in the Pacific by the stories of faithfulness and sacrifice I hear. Some sacrifice immense amounts for the cause of the gospel. I heard of one teacher who gave up his job two years before PNG for Christ to fully dedicate himself to the organising committee of his local church. This was a common experience across Papua New Guinea in 2024, and from what I have seen, the commitment and dedication to follow up and nurture new members there now continues.
Closer to home, I think of my parents who have attended the same church for my whole life, who serve where they can, are there every week and imparted to me a deep loyalty to and love for the church, as broken and as difficult as it can be. There have been seasons of politics and interpersonal conflict but they haven’t allowed it to change their outlook, and whether intentional or not, they passed some of that down to me.
It is not always the large gestures and big impact stories that make a difference. Everyday mums, dads, grandparents, single people, aunties and uncles, are out there every Sabbath making an impact.
I want to take this opportunity to say thank you and pay tribute to you. Those of you who make up this church in the South Pacific. Even if you’re reading this and you’re not a member, if you attend often, you are contributing to our communities by your presence. We all have something to bring to the table and God loves to use each and every one of us in His mission. He doesn’t need us—if we didn’t do it, even the stones would cry out (see Luke 19:40)—but He wants to partner with us. Thank you for keeping our churches open and keeping our services running.
This year to promote our Adventist Record offering, we’re paying tribute to “Reliable Rita”—that backbone of our church community (and look out for “Informed Norm” who is making a cameo in the offering video!). While our offering promos have been a bit of fun, the underlying message this year is our desire to thank you for all you contribute.
The purpose of Adventist Record is to serve the church. To keep us all informed and connected. Adventist Record, like Reliable Rita, arrives at church on Sabbath and contributes to the community with encouragement, information and a chance to engage. And like our churches, Record could not happen without your contributions, your input and your engagement. So thank you so much for all you do. For us and for the church. And if you didn’t see the Record offering video at your church on Sabbath, you can watch it at record.adventistchurch.com/record-offering-2025/.
To contribute to the offering, visit egiving.org.au for Australia or egiving.org.nz for New Zealand.
You and I, we are the church, and the mission of the church only goes forward if we contribute. It’s not about the buildings, the services or the programs but about how we relate to and love one another.
