I was apprehensive and hesitant, and did not take any initiative until an advertisement appeared in a local community magazine for a religion teacher to represent three denominations. After much prayer, I attended a meeting with a group of clergymen. On producing a reference from my church pastor, I was told it was not necessary and I was voted to fill the position. I later discovered I was the only applicant but they were more than willing to accept me for the role, despite not being a member of their denominations.
At the same time in my local Adventist church, one of my roles has been to lead the women's prayer ministries group. Five years ago, our group formed a "Bell Chimer's Choir." It is an outreach project to other denominations in their worship services, as well as to community groups such as aged care facilities, women's and men's groups, and other Adventist churches in our conference.
Our first engagement was playing for the church whose young people I have been teaching at school. For the past three years, we have played in their Easter and Christmas worship services. We have also been invited to play at a major community event for another denomination because of the contact I have had with their church young people through the school.
A little while ago, our "Chimers" had the privilege of travelling to Vanuatu, where we played at a school, a number of churches of different denominations, a hospital and the Prime Minister's Ball. Since this trip, our group has raised money through our community performances and has collected more than $A5000 to help fund a women's centre at one of our Adventist churches in Port Vila.
Through using the time and opportunities I have been given to plant seeds of the gospel in students' lives, and by encouraging our young people to share their musical talents to uplift lives in our community, we are the ones who have been most richly blessed. And everything you do must be done with love. 1 Corinthians 16:14. Kay Fatnowna is retired and lives in Mackay, Queensland.