For those of us living in Australia, education is taken as a right for children. To be able to have the minimum of primary and secondary education is not even questioned. For some the opportunity even exists to have an education based in a private school. And following this grounding in the formative years our […]

For those of us living in Australia, education is taken as a right for children. To be able to have the minimum of primary and secondary education is not even questioned.

For some the opportunity even exists to have an education based in a private school. And following this grounding in the formative years our children can – even with the help of loan schemes – attend universities to gain access to knowledge and through this to employment and fulfilling career in their vocation of choice. Australia is not called ‘the lucky country’ for nothing. For so many students in countries outside of our Australia shores the story about their ability to access and afford education is such a different one.

Education comes at a cost for so many – albeit the school fees, books, the distances to travel to school (on foot or boat), the need to live in difficult conditions away from family at times, the lack of any decent facilities – to name just a few…

For the children of some pastors’ families in Papua New Guinea (PNG), particularly those pastors who serve in the remote and rural areas in PNG, education is not a given. Pastors serving in these many isolated regions often receive little or no money as they minister to the people God has called them to serve. For some pastors they may receive some payment ‘in kind’ – a few sweet potatoes from someone’s garden – a bundle of firewood. This fact of little or no given salary places great strain on these faithful people and often affects their ability to send their children to school, particularly to receive a high school education.

The Lutheran Churches who have partnerships and longstanding relationships with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Papua New Guinea (ELCPNG) have for some years now established a fund to provide equitable funding to these disadvantaged pastors to enable them to help to afford to give their children some form of continuing education. The Lutheran Women of Australia together with, and through the LCA have continued over so many years to support this fund and through these financial gifts have enabled many young people to gain some continuing education.

In Australia we know and believe that every child deserves an education and the opportunities for employment and a better future that access to education affords: to have the opportunity of learning for life. Education is a vital component in developing a future for young children. Through the support of the scholarship program for the children of pastors serving in the Lutheran Church in ELCPNG, you give help and support not only to the children but the pastors who give their lives in service of their Lord and Saviour.

Many of our partner churches are working in new territory for the kingdom of God; therefore, spiritual attack is their everyday reality. As a member of a congregation, school, or family, or a couple or individual, you are invited to commit to praying for our partners in mission. For regular prayer point updates, go to www.lca.org.au/international-mission/act-now/pray

Read more stories about our partner church in Papua New Guinea at https://www.lcamission.org.au/category/stories/international-partners/papua-new-guinea/