I know I've already talked about giving to charities, but I want to share the review I wrote on the Watoto Children's Choir. I don't know how much they raised for orphaned children and women in Uganda, but I was in awe when I saw kids as young as three putting loonies in the offering bucket.
I hope this inspires you to donate to the charity of your choice--even a loonie.
Take a read.
-T
BANK ACCOUNT: $388.11
I hope this inspires you to donate to the charity of your choice--even a loonie.
Take a read.
-T
BANK ACCOUNT: $388.11
Review: Watoto Children's Choir
Are you the type of person to watch a two-hour paid program from World Vision Canada, Operation Smile, or Christian Children's Fund of Canada? Do you cry? Do you open wallet and donate?
Or are you the person to quickly change the channel?
Well, Watoto Children’s Choir sent 19 orphaned kids and adults to perform at Springs Church to raise money for their charity. They are working their way across Canada—east to west.
Watoto is a charity responding to the large number of orphaned children and vulnerable women in Uganda due to HIV/AIDS, death, and abandonment.
Looking at the 2000 seats that are filling up quick, there is a sponsor sheet on every third chair next to the tithes and offerings form that says, “Blessed to be a Blessing.”
Five minutes before the second service is about to start, people scramble to find one of the last seats. The house lights dim, and the stage lights go on.
The countdown on the big screen works its way down to zero.
Dennis, a seven-year-old orphan, and MC for the show, shares how his parents both died from AIDS when he was younger. He says he was sad but isn’t anymore because of Jesus’s love, and his new family now—Watoto.
Without sponsorship, Dennis says he would probably be dead—if not physically, spiritually. He said Watoto helped him get an education, have a home, feed his belly, and most importantly find God.
He is tangible child standing in front of thousands of people asking for help, not a character on a television screen.
The choir started singing and dancing in ways this Spirit Contemporary church hasn’t seen in a long time. They were beating on empty jugs, bongos, and wood blocks.
The choir didn’t change anything about their traditional way of worshipping, except they sang partly in English.
Half way through the first song, you see a middle aged woman on the far right side of the sanctuary stand up—eyes closed—with both arms lifted, saying, “thank-you Jesus.”
One-by-one, people started to stand and sing.
By the end of the song all 2000 people were standing, giving glory to God and their Lord and Saviour, Jesus.
Half way through service, the tithes and offerings bucket went through the isles and were quick to pile up. The tiny white buckets were overflowing with the blue and white envelopes that say, “Blessed to be a Blessing,” on them.
While people were filling the sponsorship sheets, Dennis introduced all the members of the choir. Each member had a different story.
Like many charity programs, the main focus is to raise money or get sponsorship, but Watoto Children’s Choir asked for prayer more than money.
The choir’s leader even thanked people for sponsoring children from World Vision Canada and other charities. She says, “It doesn’t matter who you donate your money to, because we’re all working together to fix this world.”
But that didn’t stop people from donating money.
She introduces the last song. The tithes and offering bucket comes through the rows again, and the bucket is more full than the last time. Assuming most of the envelopes are gone from the first round of tithes and offering, this bucket has more unclaimed twenty and fifty dollar bills.
Church is dismissed and people are encouraged to visit with the choir outside the sanctuary.
A few days later, Springs Church said they couldn’t quote how much they made that day, but all the money that came in was donated directly to Watoto, including tithes.
Are you the type of person to watch a two-hour paid program from World Vision Canada, Operation Smile, or Christian Children's Fund of Canada? Do you cry? Do you open wallet and donate?
Or are you the person to quickly change the channel?
Well, Watoto Children’s Choir sent 19 orphaned kids and adults to perform at Springs Church to raise money for their charity. They are working their way across Canada—east to west.
Watoto is a charity responding to the large number of orphaned children and vulnerable women in Uganda due to HIV/AIDS, death, and abandonment.
Looking at the 2000 seats that are filling up quick, there is a sponsor sheet on every third chair next to the tithes and offerings form that says, “Blessed to be a Blessing.”
Five minutes before the second service is about to start, people scramble to find one of the last seats. The house lights dim, and the stage lights go on.
The countdown on the big screen works its way down to zero.
Dennis, a seven-year-old orphan, and MC for the show, shares how his parents both died from AIDS when he was younger. He says he was sad but isn’t anymore because of Jesus’s love, and his new family now—Watoto.
Without sponsorship, Dennis says he would probably be dead—if not physically, spiritually. He said Watoto helped him get an education, have a home, feed his belly, and most importantly find God.
He is tangible child standing in front of thousands of people asking for help, not a character on a television screen.
The choir started singing and dancing in ways this Spirit Contemporary church hasn’t seen in a long time. They were beating on empty jugs, bongos, and wood blocks.
The choir didn’t change anything about their traditional way of worshipping, except they sang partly in English.
Half way through the first song, you see a middle aged woman on the far right side of the sanctuary stand up—eyes closed—with both arms lifted, saying, “thank-you Jesus.”
One-by-one, people started to stand and sing.
By the end of the song all 2000 people were standing, giving glory to God and their Lord and Saviour, Jesus.
Half way through service, the tithes and offerings bucket went through the isles and were quick to pile up. The tiny white buckets were overflowing with the blue and white envelopes that say, “Blessed to be a Blessing,” on them.
While people were filling the sponsorship sheets, Dennis introduced all the members of the choir. Each member had a different story.
Like many charity programs, the main focus is to raise money or get sponsorship, but Watoto Children’s Choir asked for prayer more than money.
The choir’s leader even thanked people for sponsoring children from World Vision Canada and other charities. She says, “It doesn’t matter who you donate your money to, because we’re all working together to fix this world.”
But that didn’t stop people from donating money.
She introduces the last song. The tithes and offering bucket comes through the rows again, and the bucket is more full than the last time. Assuming most of the envelopes are gone from the first round of tithes and offering, this bucket has more unclaimed twenty and fifty dollar bills.
Church is dismissed and people are encouraged to visit with the choir outside the sanctuary.
A few days later, Springs Church said they couldn’t quote how much they made that day, but all the money that came in was donated directly to Watoto, including tithes.