Through the “BENIH 1000” programme, pupils at SMPN 7 Tarakan are encouraged to voluntarily share their love by providing Holy Scriptures for their brothers and sisters in remote parts of the archipelago.
TARAKAN — A solemn yet enthusiastic atmosphere characterised the ‘Ministry of the Word of God’ event at Tarakan State Secondary School No. 7 on Wednesday, 12 August 2026. On this occasion, the Fundraising Working Group (KKPD) of the Indonesian Bible Society (LAI) Tarakan Branch was present to introduce a special programme entitled BENIH 1000 to the Christian pupils at the school.
This activity, designed to foster children’s love for God’s Word whilst building social awareness, was led by Kezia Natali, a member of the LAI Mitra Tarakan KKPD who also serves as the Children’s and Youth Coordinator for the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) in Tarakan. As well as proclaiming God’s Word, the visit by the KKPD aimed to introduce the vision and mission of LAI’s ministry and to encourage the younger generation to participate actively as partners in LAI’s ministry from an early age.
Moved by the Struggle to Provide Services in Remote Areas
One of the moments that most captured the students’ attention was the screening of a video showing LAI’s ministry distributing Bibles to remote areas through the ‘One in Love’ programme. The video illustrates the immense challenges faced by God’s servants in distributing and delivering Bibles to the most remote and hard-to-reach corners of Indonesia.
Faced with the reality of such a challenging ministry environment, the participants’ faces clearly showed enthusiasm and empathy. Many students were moved to see that there are still so many people in remote areas who long for the Bible to be present in their lives. Although the digital age makes it easier for young people to access information from various sources, in the remotest corners and interior regions of the archipelago there are still many children and young people of the same age as them who struggle to obtain a Bible.
Following the screening of the video, LAI officially introduced the concept of the BENIH 1000 Programme. This programme encourages pupils to voluntarily sow the seeds of kindness by donating as little as Rp1,000. School-age children, of course, do not have much money in their pockets. By setting aside a donation of 1,000 rupiah every week for a month, they can train themselves to develop a sense of compassion and share love from their teenage years onwards.
The response from the pupils at SMPN 7 Tarakan was very positive. They warmly welcomed the invitation and expressed their willingness to become partners of LAI. In fact, the pupils have committed to preparing BENIH 1000 for the next scheduled outreach visit to their school.
“Through the BENIH 1000 Programme, children can learn from an early age to take part in the ministry of spreading God’s Word. Starting with simple tasks without feeling burdened, they gradually develop an awareness that they too can be part of the mission to provide Bibles for their brothers and sisters in remote parts of Indonesia,” said Kezia, a representative of KKPD LAI. Moving forward, the ministry team hopes to have the opportunity to visit more state schools in the Tarakan area, sharing the Word of God whilst encouraging the younger generation to get involved in this humanitarian and religious mission.
The KKPD LAI Mitra Tarakan expressed their gratitude for the smooth running of the event and for God’s presence throughout the outreach programme. There is great hope that the seeds of compassion sown from adolescence will grow into a character that loves to share love as they grow into adulthood. (Kezia Natali)
