The One-Day Church

Happy Sabbath Everyone!

Today I want to tell you about a program that I think is the neatest thing.  I hope you have already heard about it, but just in case you haven't, let me tell you about the "One-Day Church" program.

Did that name catch your attention?  I hope so!  Most churches are not built in one day, that is for sure!  But these churches are.  The One-Day Church program was created and developed by a businessman by the name of Garwin McNeilus.  He conceived this idea in an effort to help meet the great need that there is around the world where congregations often meet in houses or even simply out under a tree.  In these countries, most of the church members are very poor, and have absolutely no way to fund a permanent church structure.  And when there is no church building, it is difficult to run church programs or to invite your friends to visit your church with you.

The One-Day Church program provides a steel structure and metal roof.  The local congregation is responsible for obtaining the land and permits needed to build the church, and then after the One-Day Church is erected they are responsible for finishing the walls and windows of the church with whatever local building materials they have available to them.  Some churches have walls finished with mud bricks, some with woven thatch, some with regular bricks, etc.

The structures and roofs are erected by volunteers from all around the world.  People--some young, some not so young--some families, etc. all pay their own expenses to travel to the building site at the proper time to help build these churches.  You can read more about this program at www.onedaychurch.org.  I have not been able to personally participate in building one of these churches, but I wish I could!  But there is still a place for people like me--I'll get to that in a minute!

The One-Day Church program has been so successful that it has spawned a related program--the One-Day School!  Using the same basic idea of the One-Day Church, the One-Day School has the steel structure, roof, and also walls, foundation, and school desks and other school supplies.  In many of these countries, being able to obtain an education can mean the difference between being able to get a job and feed your family, or going hungry.  A couple years ago I was privileged to  be able to attend a little bit of our church's world-wide conference held in Atlanta, Georgia in a massive building.  Well, inside that building, they had build one of these One-Day Schools and it was open for people to inspect and tour it!  I loved it!  Very sturdy, very well thought out as to having good ventilation, etc. as most countries where these schools are built are very very hot.  The teacher part of me jumped up and down with excitement at seeing this school building, and learning how these school-kits are helping so many who are so poor.  Want to see what these One-Day Churches and One-Day Schools look like?  I'm glad you asked!  I found this video today, and greatly enjoyed watching it. I thought you might enjoy watching it too!






And I promised above that there was a part for even people like me who are not able at this point in my life to volunteer and go on one of these mission projects.  Today, I found out that it only costs $1,500 to sponsor one of these One-Day Churches.  Obviously, that is still a lot of money.  But for the people who are receiving these churches, it is simply an impossibility for them to come up with this amount.  But what about you?  And what about Me?  If we tried--couldn't we come up with $1,500?  I talked with my family, and we want to try and sponsor a church.  We have set our time goal as this Christmas.  I know our kids will not be able to help reach this goal very much.  Our daughter is only nine--she only has the money that we give her anyway, and our son is a poor college student!  But everyone can do SOMETHING.  And we do want to help inspire our children to be always looking for what they CAN do, not what they can't do.  If--for whatever reason--our family is not able to reach the $1,500 goal by Christmas time, we will still donate what we have saved.  And it can go with what another family has donated, and then we can together accomplish what perhaps alone we could not.

There is a LOT I would like to do--but I can't.  I would LOVE to sponsor a One-Day School, but that is far out of my budget.  I would love to sponsor an entire campus filled with One-Day School buildings!  I would love for no one in this world to be without either churches or schools!  But that is not possible for me.  But as I think about it, when our beautiful Jesus comes again, I don't think He is going to ask me to tell Him about what I couldn't do--but rather about what I could and did.

So here we go.  Our official family "Saving for a One-Day Church" project begins today.  Right now, this very minute!  How about you?  Anyone out there want to help build a One-Day Church?  Check out the web site www.onedaychurch.org, and pray about it.

~Susan