Hi All,
Here's a bit of news about a Taiwanese aboriginal church that opened a children's library for the purpose of silencing the kids during the worship service. The article ends with a call for donations of books. Can you help them out?
Tim
Chinese Culture University
Taipei
Aboriginal Church in Taiwan Opens Library to Quiet Children
Taiwan Church News 2759 9-15 January 2005
Reported by Chen Yi-shiuan. Translated and Rewritten by David Alexander
Holy Light Presbyterian Church in the Tayal Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan had a problem. While the adults were at worship the children were too noisy. So the congregation issued an appeal for children¡¦sbooks and has set up a special room where middle and elementary school children can quietly read during worship time.
The congregation was founded 14 years ago and remains a ¡§mission congregation¡¨ under direct supervision from Tayal Presbytery. Though it is ¡§Tayal¡¨ by designation, it is a multi-ethnic church of Taroko, Tayal and Bunun Aborigines plus a few Han people. Payas Tusang, the lay pastor, said, ¡§Holy Light has more than 10 children from pre-school through middle school ages. We never had a specific place for them nor could we spare from worship time an adult to act as child care provider. The childrensat with the adults during worship, sometimes their boredom produced audible whining.¡¨
Last November the church moved to a newly rented facility with 3 floors. The leaders decided to dedicate the top floor to Sunday School use. That¡¦s where they are installing a collection of ¡§non-curricular materials¡¨. When it is not Sunday School time for children and the adults are worshipping downstairs, the children are free to relax in their own spacewhile the adults focus their attention on praise and preaching.
Payas Tusang hopes that the church can collect a goodly number of books andother materials especially desirable to children, but more ¡§adult oriented¡¨ materials are also welcome. Anyone having books to donate can send them to the church.
In recent years the church has been affected by economics, which resulted in many members moving elsewhere to find employment. The minister of Chang-shan Presbyterian Church, who has formal responsibilities for the congregation in the Presbytery, offered to send a van to transport members of Holy Light to and from his own church for worship and other activities, but Holy Light¡¦s elders and deacons opted to remain in their own location so asnot to ¡§close a church¡¨.
Economic conditions in the neighborhood have improved, and the church grew last year. Attendance is up from 9 to 26.
For More Information: +886 4 2557 0972 or +886 0913658967
Send children¡¦s books and other materials(in Chinese) to:
Holy Light Presbyterian Church
421 Taichung County
Hou-Li Township, San-fong Road #87-2, Taiwan
Taiwan Church News is published weekly in Taiwan's local languages.
Visit our web site:
www.pctpress.com.tw[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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