When good people do nothing
Teen Challenge SA relies heavily on donations within the church and the community. Please consider supporting us today for our autumn 2024 appeal. All donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible.
Edmund Burke may or may not have said, ‘The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is for good people to do nothing’. I am writing to you today because if you receive Teen Challenge SA newsletters, you are a good person, and I hope to encourage you to do something!
Every day, we are bombarded with messages that desensitise us, and that is because we need to become numb just to survive in the western world. From the time you awake to the time you sleep, it is estimated that you are bombarded with around 6,000 media messages a day – all screaming for your attention.
A friend of mine at dinner was asked, ‘Did you hear about Fred, who was killed in a road accident today?’ She went on to say Fred was a close friend. I had heard the news story, but it had zero impact on me until there was a connection. The same happened in South Australia recently when the police commissioner’s son Charlie was killed in a road accident. Suddenly, the road toll statistic became real for everyone.
I pray that when Teen Challenge SA tells you there are clients with life-controlling problems who need help, and that help comes from your financial contribution, it becomes real to you. Just as it became real for Joel: ‘After a few turbulent years, we became separated, leaving me empty, depressed, suicidal. I attempted to kill myself by hanging in a drunken stupor.’ Your donations have helped Joel and many others have a new life!
The problem Teen Challenge SA has is that the demand for help is far greater than the funds available … and the only way for that to change is for a good person like you to do something. Then evil will not triumph, and lives will be restored. Real people, real change!
Right now, Teen Challenge SA needs your financial support to balance the budget. If you feel moved to give, please remember 2 Corinthians 9:10: ‘Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.’ You can make a tax-deductible donation by filling in the slip or visiting the Teen Challenge SA website at https://teenchallengesa.com/donate
Thank you, and bless you,
Graham Ross
CEO