It may be a little unconventional, but Rowville Baptist Church’s (RBC) powerful weapon of choice in their work to fight worldwide slavery is the humble ping-pong bat.

The church raised an amazing $20,000 for the cause in September when they ran their annual 24-hour Ping Pong Athon.

Sean Venten, the Associate Pastor for Youth and Young Adults, said there are more slaves today than at any other time in known history. “Sadly, it’s one of the fastest-growing illegal industries in the world. Christians know what it’s like to be set free from slavery to sin, and we are called to act on behalf of the vulnerable who can’t help themselves. I love participating in The Pong – it’s a lot of fun but it also lands right in the missional heart of the church.”

Starting at 4pm on the Friday, people of all ages gathered to enjoy plenty of action around the church’s seven ping pong tables. Three people stayed for the entire event, and one person even shaved his head for the cause. Groups from Orchard Church of Christ and Mooroolbark Baptist Church youth dropped in for a few games, and in the wee hours a hardcore group of six RBC members kept the enthusiasm going by playing a table tennis version of four-square.

“Those who come along always love it – it’s heaps of fun and it’s cross-generational. We develop this camaraderie between us all, which allows us to engage with people we don’t normally spend time with. I’m amazed by the way the congregation gets on board each year and engages with the deeper heart of the Pong. Some people put money aside all through the year, to contribute at the event.”

Participants registered with RBC’s event page online, then shared the cause with family, friends and on social media to request donations, and to invite people to visit on the night.

One of Sean’s favourite parts this year was a church-versus-church tournament held with members of Eastern Chinese Baptist Church, which shares the property with RBC. “We had about 20 people from each church playing, which was great. We talked together and people were laughing and cheering – it was a massive highlight. We’re always searching for cross-cultural ways to bring our churches together more – and we’ve found that everyone speaks table tennis!”

RBC first participated in The Pong in 2018. This year, everyone was encouraged to wear something pink to the event. “We’re engaging with one of heaviest topics in the modern world. Wearing pink reminded us that it’s ok to use whatever we’ve got, we don’t have to just sit in despair, and we can be joyful in the fact that we’re trying to make a difference.”

Ping Pong Athon is a fundraising and advocacy movement combatting human trafficking and exploitation of young people in South-East Asia. Funds go to several organisations such as The Freedom Story, International Justice Mission and Her Space, which work on prevention and rescue projects including rehabilitation, education and alternative vocational training programs. An estimated 50 million people are in slavery around the world. For more information visit pingpongathon.com

Sean is also happy to chat with anyone interested in running a Pong event – email sventen@rowvillebaptist.org.au