Lautoka District Seventh-day Adventist churches in Fiji are creating more opportunities to reach workers and others with busy schedules as part of their Trans Pacific for Christ evangelism efforts.
In addition to the main evening meetings at the Girmit Centre where General Conference treasurer Paul Douglas is preaching, the district is running an early-morning wellness program and a condensed Bible study during lunch hour at its city church.
Starting at 4am at the Girmit Centre, the 10 Days Wellness Program has been attracting almost 200 attendees each morning.
“ Most of them are working mothers, working fathers, and they are looking for something to change their health and live longer. Something different from what they normally do and what they normally eat every day,” explained Osea Taukena from Lautoka Multi-Ethnic Adventist Church. “Waking up early in the morning is not easy here in Fiji, so it’s very encouraging to see the numbers that are here today.”
The program, which runs for an hour, begins with a devotional followed by a guided group exercise. Participants also bring their own bottles, which are filled up with fresh fruit and vegetable juice prepared by volunteers during the exercise session.
“ So it nourishes our body, it nourishes our soul and nourishes our health,” said Mr Taukena.
Participant Sala Ratu said the early starts had transformed the way she approached her day. “Going to work after this, I feel more energised, as opposed to just getting out of bed and straight into work,” she said. “Today I’m joined by my kids . . . I hope that it’s an inspiration to them.”
At 1pm, the Jesus in the Marketplace initiative starts at Lautoka Central Seventh-day Adventist Church. Speaker Pastor Mosese Laweloa delivers a condensed version of the evening’s themes to fit the message within attendees’ lunch break.
“We wanted to target our professionals,” said Lautoka Central church leader Johnny Jonathan. “Most of the professionals, by the end of the day, are too tired to attend evangelistic meetings, so this is one way to reach them during their lunch break.”
At the end of the program, participants receive free takeaway lunch prepared by volunteers in the church kitchen.
More than 50 visitors have registered for the Jesus in the Marketplace program. Pastor Laweloa said attendance has grown steadily throughout the week, with many participants returning each day.
“A lot of people mentioned that they had heard this for the first time, and coming to listen encouraged them to come again,” he said. “Today I saw some people bringing Bibles, which is a good thing. That, for me, shows that they’re interested in studying the Word of God.”
