Kieran Drabsch (pictured far left) is one of 60 young adults applying elbow grease to help a church in need.
Over 60 young adults and half a dozen skilled tradesmen from St Paul's, Castle Hill are giving their time and energy this Saturday for the second year in a row to work on the church property at the parish of Mt Druitt.
Kieran, 19, is one of the young adults that assisted last year and he is keen to serve again.
"It helped me to understand God's charity and the fact that when you do serve there is great joy," Kieran says.
Kieran has also taken up the challenge to serve throughout the year and is now teaching scripture at Castle Hill High School.
"I think it's where I can best use my gifts. It's hard dealing with 38 kids when some don't want to pay attention but it's great communicating God's love to kids who don't even have a rudimentary understanding of the Christian faith."
However, the second year university student isn't averse to using some elbow grease.
"The hands-on stuff reminds me how God has given us gifts to serve by using our arms and legs to share his love."
Partnership formed between large and small church
St Paul's young adults' director, Mark Stephens came up with the idea of assisting churches in need after the rector of Mt Druitt Indigenous Church, the Rev Neville Naden spoke at a bi-monthly forum at St Paul's that looks at Christian views on social issues last year.
Almost 60 members of St Paul's spent a day at the Mt Druitt Indigenous Church site in Tregear in November last year, serving the church members there by making essential repairs and improvements to the building and its surrounds.
When Mr Stephens offered the services of AXIS, the young adults ministry at Castle Hill, again this year, Neville Naden suggested assisting the branch church at St James’ Whalan instead.
"I contacted the leader of the church, Warren Smith and offered to assist them in the way we assisted Tregear last year," Mr Stephens says.
"We worked out what physical needs the church property has and what we could complete in one day with our professional tradesmen and young adults."
Work to be completed this Saturday will include landscaping on the front lawn, building a pergola and decking area, interior painting, the construction of kitchen cupboards, the installation of sound cables and the donation of a second hand laptop for data projection.
"We are gifted with some skilled tradesmen so we want to do a one day backyard blitz and complete the work so the members of Whalan don't have to," Mr Stephens says.
"We want them to be able to focus on the sharing the gospel within their community."
Mr Stephens says the young adults receive an "enormous benefit' from the experience.
"We could just raise money and send it along but we think it's better to also send part of our community along to get their hands dirty and be a practical witness to the love of Christ," he says.
A combined thanksgiving service will be held at the end of the day just as last year.
