‘This Is the Gospel’ Results in Supporting Maui

Story by Ashley Boggess

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14, NKJV).

Matthew laid out a clear picture of the task for Christians: to spread the news of Jesus’ birth, death, resurrection and soon return. Lake Nelson Adventist Academy (LNAA) takes the Great Commission very seriously. It is their goal to instill in their students a desire to spread hope, peace and faith wherever they go. This gospel, this Jesus, leads them to service. And service must be an action that engages the whole person.

Every year, the academy engages in an exciting service event: the annual Gospel Concert. This concert serves not just as a culmination of the celebration of Black History Month but also as a dynamic way for LNAA to engage in a school-wide service activity. The Gospel Concert also serves as a benefit concert. Every year, the faculty selects a project to support with the funds raised during the concert. This year, the selected project was to support the communities affected by the fires on the island of Maui in Hawaii. After seeing the devastation and need that grew out of that tragic situation, LNAA was positioned to provide support for a hurting community.

“This Is the Gospel” served as both theme and title for this year’s concert. Members from the community participated in the concert, as many groups sang songs and showed their culture through music. The Home and School team collaborated to prepare a variety of menu options for concessions.

The students also served in many capacities. The gospel was portrayed through student actors explaining the ministries of the apostles and their missionary journeys. The students explained how each apostle had impacted the spread of the gospel around the world. Students also participated in a variety of performances, including the praise team, the step team, Angels of Praise, the elementary choir, Harmony choir and the high school choir.

As a result of this year’s event, LNAA raised a total of $1,500, by God’s grace. “We are so thankful to have been able to serve and support the Maui community,” says Leah Ware, fourth-grade teacher and chairwoman of the Gospel Concert committee. “We thank God, students, parents and the greater community for their support and participation in our vision to serve and embody the theme, ‘This Is the Gospel.’”