The spirit of "We never walk alone" and togetherness would reap by discussion, openness and the willingness to help and the open heart to get help. Help each other needed cooperation between helpers and the one to be help. Of course God surely will be walk along.
When I stepped down from a taxi in front of the gate of GKI Taman Cibunut Church, Bandung, west Java, Indonesia early in the morning Juli 27, 2011 the compound environment welcome me as this building belong to me, a congregation of a church far away in the Capital. Some attendants who came earlier, sipped coffee, lemon tea or hot tea along with snacks.
Formally the big meeting of 14 Churches organization of GKI Klasis Jakarta I open by a special service lead by a young priest Naomi in soft sermon with the theme "We never walk alone". Every churches formally send 5 elders, but since the meeting days are in a working days, some Churches send less then 5 elders or just 2 and some would coming late in the afternoon or at night.
From my own Church, GKI Kwitang, send 5 participants, 1 priest and 4 elders, Mr.Hendra Gosana, Raoul Adi, Johannes Unmehopa, Niran Raphy and Parlin Hutabarat. Plus two from Klasis, Mr.Guruh Jatmiko S, Head of Klasis Jakarta 1 and Benny, Treasurer.
After the service and lunch is over in the Church down town, then proceeded to upper town about 1 hour drive toward Lembang at Green hill Universal Hotel, a 5 star Hotel, rate Rp.1.400.000,-. The committee got a huge discount, pay a special packet for a group to accommodated 90 participants, mostly coming out of town.
The meeting held in a cozy and spacy ballroom with selected theme "Kita tidak berjalan sendiri", means "We don't walk alone" run in a peace environment, and most talking monopolized by the priests, who attended this yearly basis meeting.
Only few elders rise the questions in general terms since some of them are the new elders just elected this year or the old elders joint the meeting not in regular yearly basis.
Togetherness, helping a small member Churches or the Churches in any problem, as the theme said is the aim of the organization. But the weak members tend to ignore the hand given by the organization or taken granted that it was Organization obligation to help.
At least 4 of the 14 members are in problems to be solved together, discussed in a small section meeting before take further decision in the big meeting.
GKI Sunter the top urgent that the elders of the Church tend to closed their door for cooperation with the Organization management, since their internal problem so acute. Sunday survice attended by around 20 members only and some of the elders intend to closed the church for good.
Another two Churches can't stand alone without subsidized from the Organization including Cost of living of the two Priests and family members. No growth of congregation in the last few years and the members are belong to the low income group of citizen, couldn't afford to pay Priest cost of living. This situation happened for the last 5 years as long as I appointed as an Auditor.
The last one is GKI Jatibening Indah in process of collecting fund to develop a new building in a new location allowed by the local Government, Bekasi city, who very strict in running Church in the area. They request funds raising from the Organization.
To support the effort of helping a needy Church's members, all members obligingly collecting funds from two main sources, named TJBK and DK. TJBK is Tanggung Jawab Bersama Klasis means JOINT RESPONSIBILITY, certain percentage of total weekly collection of each member. DK or Dana Kebersamaan is JOIN FUNDS who collected tree months basis in the 5th Sunday, totally send to Klasis to be Joint Funds.
In this case, the congregation of all churches who collecting from the small changes of the poor participated in helping weak Churches or needed Churches. It was the meaning of We never walk alone. Not just helping by
the Bigger Churches and their members, but also God never let them walk alone
This year is my 5th years as an Auditors in the 2nd term and this time helping by 2 auditors member. Our audit report in 10 pages presented in relatively fast without any big finding. Our recommendations had solved and answered before the presentation is over.
Me and Miss Elizabeth presented the report since the other auditor Natania Agatha was away out of town
as long as audit process taken place. This year Treasury members, Mr.Benny and Mr.Bona meet with us just in 2 meeting taken place at GKI Cengkir, Kelapa Gading - close to my house -. We make it faster then year previously needed 10 time meeting. The reason was we restructure the Financial report due to the new elected Treasurers and Auditors and the new system as well.
What impressed me was that the Committee were mostly Youngsters who support the meeting excellence with a minor shortages. When I ask to take my bag who left behind in the Church down town, the Committee head saved it and delivered to my room.
When I ask to buy a high blood pressure pill in the pharmacy out of Hotel, they respond it soon. I took 3 kinds of my medication but one left at home.
The spirit of "We never walk alone" and togetherness would reap by discussion, openness and the willingness to help and the open heart to get help. Help each other needed a cooperation between helpers and the one to be help. Of course God surely will be walk with us.
No comments:
Post a Comment