An Adventist school’s “I will go to my neighbour” initiative involved a three-week media evangelism series at the Tagibagara community hall in Choiseul Province, Solomon Islands.
About 100 villagers gathered each night to watch the live downlink from Hope Channel. The success of the initiative was bolstered by the support of ICT consultant Tony Manson, who traveled from overseas to facilitate the downlink. Manson provided training to the church pastor, school principal, and other key community members to ensure their capacity to host future downlinks.
It was a historic, powerful experience for the villagers to study God’s Word live with influential evangelists Irving Vagha, Eddie Richardson, and Mockson Wale. For several attendees, it was their first time feeling a strong sense of belonging to the larger Adventist community.
Choiseul Province, with a population of more than 25,000, is experiencing rapid growth, surpassing the national growth rate by almost 0.5 percent. At the current rate, it is estimated that the population in Choiseul will double by the mid-2030s, making the media evangelism series a timely, strategic effort to reach and engage the community.
Beyond the media evangelism series, Adventist schools in northeast Choiseul have also been working collaboratively to align themselves with the Quality Adventist Schools Framework. A needs assessment conducted at Tagibagara Adventist Primary School in January 2023 identified key priority teaching and learning development areas, and these were added to the school improvement plan. Notably, one of the crucial areas identified was the need for improved teacher quality, leading to the establishment of an internet disc connecting teachers to ongoing professional development, conducted via Zoom by education consultant Dr. Elisapesi Manson, based in Tonga.
Another significant priority was to promote Adventist ethos within the school by fostering stronger partnerships with local church members and communities. As a result, several initiatives were accomplished this year, including a series of seminars on Adventist education within the local communities.
The Adventist school’s “I will go to my neighbour” initiative geared up for the #weRtheCHURCH downlink, which occurred on August 4 at the Tagibagara community hall.
The original version of this story was posted on the South Pacific Division website, Adventist Record.