CHALLENGE RULES
- Your cell group will compile a list of ways to raise $1000 and carry them out over five weeks.
- At the end of five weeks, distribute the amount raised to your chosen beneficiary!
FIRST THOUGHTS
Joelle: When my cell leaders told us about the $1000 challenge over Zoom, I was very surprised because it was so unexpected. The whole cell group was told to anonymously vote on whether we wanted to take the challenge up.
Lea: Personally, I was a bit worried and unsure at first as this was something that our cell group has never done before. Also, $1000 is a huge sum and being able to hit it would be a miracle. Thinking about what to sell to hit $1000 also posed a challenge. However, I decided that instead of seeing this challenge as something impossible, I should see it as something potentially meaningful and beneficial for the disadvantaged in the community. That warmed my heart and compelled me to give it a shot.
Joelle: One challenge our cell group members faced was that many of them were taking their major exams this year and were not able to spend a lot of time on this project. However, we all felt like it was worth our time and effort and decided to go for it! In the end, everyone voted yes!
Lea: As a group, we decided that the money that we raised will be donated 100% to The Straits Times School Pocket Fund to help students from low income families in Singapore with their daily expenses. Challenge accepted!
THE PLANNING PROCESS
Lea: We had a planning meeting over Zoom where we discussed what we could contribute to raise the funds. We decided to split our cell group into two groups — a craft team to bake handmade goodies and make cards, and a social media team to promote the items for the cause. It took us around a week to think of what to sell. We eventually decided to sell baked items and handmade cards because we felt making these items from scratch would hold more meaning. The social media team came up with an instagram handle (@projectmadewithlove) to promote our items. As the items sold were all handmade with love, we thought it was a meaningful way to pitch them.
Joelle: The plan was to sell $100 worth of items each since there were 10 of us in the cell. We broke it down even further — we chose to sell our goods at $10 so that each of us will just have to sell 10 items to raise our individual $100 quota.
THE FUNDRAISING PROCESS
Lea: It was difficult for us all to come together to find time to bake due to our own busy schedules. However, we all tried to help in our own ways, be it promoting the handmade items on social media or working behind the scenes to get the cards out. Seeing how each of our cell group members did their best to pull time out of their schedule or even to come down to church earlier to help out really amazed me. It showed how willing they were to serve with their hearts!
I was part of the craft team in charge of baking loaf cakes and muffins. As soon as the challenge started, many orders came flooding in! I felt pretty overwhelmed as that meant more time had to be spent baking them. Also, only our two cell group leaders had ovens in their homes, so we were limited to these two places to bake. Fortunately, it felt doable progressively with the help of our leaders. Most of the orders came from our church mates, friends, and relatives who were really supportive of this cause and that really encouraged me. When the funds started growing, I was really thankful. It was a timely reminder for me that God is with us in this challenge. However, as the deadline inched closer and closer, I was worried about whether we would be able to raise enough funds!
Joelle: I am not much of a baker but thankfully, our leaders were really patient and guided me through the whole baking process. Even though baking was stressful, I loved seeing many of my friends and family members enjoy the handmade goods. Another challenge I faced was the issue of time. Since I work a part-time job, I had to manage my time wisely so that I could make time for the challenge also. Whenever there were any clashes, I tried my best to prioritise my time to help with the challenge as I felt it was really important for me to help out as much as I can.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Lea: Through this challenge, I have come to realise how important it is for us to come together and bless others beyond our church community only. Even if the targeted amount of $1000 seemed daunting to hit, it was important to encourage one another to do our very best. The fact that we had each other’s back in the process encouraged me and compelled me to press on when we faced road blocks (limited ovens, exam season, and clashing schedules).
Joelle: Initially, I felt that it would be tough to raise such a big amount of money in one month. I feared that we wouldn’t have enough resources or maybe people would not want to order our goods. However, God showed me the needs in the wider community and that I can reach out to help them. As a church community, we can also do so much for the community beyond church. This was a really interesting challenge that my cell group would want to do again, maybe to raise funds for other charities too!
