Be an agent of change: Ps

A CHURCH must become a blessing to people in the sense that it will bring change, a church leader said.
Seventh-day Adventist church Morobe mission president Pastor Blasius Managos said a church should bring about holistic changes not only in the spiritual aspect of life but in all aspects of life.
Speaking during the opening of the new Acgayusele SDA church at Lae’s Back Road on Monday, Ps Managos said the church would be an agent of change in regards to bringing about economic changes.
“People will become entrepreneurial and they won’t be lazy and be able to use what God has blessed them with and be able to gain a living for themselves,” he said.
“In this church, we anticipate it to bring changes in regards to lifestyle issues or diseases.
“Teaching people good healthy habits so that they are able to look after their lives and once they look after their lives, they will be able to work and support their families as well.
“We anticipated the other important aspect that the church can do is literacy.
“Illiteracy is a big problem in the country and we would like to help our people to read and write.”
Ps Managos said when people didn’t know how to read and write, they would not want to work to plant something or start a business.
He said the other, and most important part the church, was family.
“We believe that when the church is built here, it will help families have a happy life, teach parents to live together and help their children,” he said.
“We hope that the church here will not be here to look after itself but to look after the surrounding communities.
“I see that one of its role is to do with law and order. When people are close to God, they will be law-abiding citizens.”
Ps Managos said the church wanted to be aligned with the Government to help bring services to the people.
“We want to be the hand in partnership with the Government, non-government organisations and development partners,” he said.
“We want to work with them and we’d like them to see that not only SDA, but all churches are important.
“Church is full with the habit of volunteerism.
“When the Government partners with us in some projects, they (volunteers) will step in to do a lot.
“I think partnership is very important in service delivery.”