Rosebank Peninsula Church in Avondale faced closure until the minister of its shrinking congregation found some innovate ways to open the church’s doors to the community it had served for more than 100 years.
The Rev Vaituulala Ngahe is minister of Avondale Union Parish, of which Rosebank is a worship centre along with Avondale Union Church. He says, “we had a very small congregation but I did not want to see this church that has such a history closed. As a minister, you preach love in the pulpit on Sunday, but you also want to reach out and show that love in a practical way; I knew we could do that by making the property another face of mission.”
After much fundraising, the church building is newly renovated and community groups are beginning to use it. “We turned the old church into a community centre from which we can offer pastoral care, and educational and outreach programmes.”
Vai says that once the decision was made to make the building available in this way, help and support followed.
“We had some great support to make this happen, from Auckland City Council, Auckland Presbytery, local businesses that gave us discounts on renovating materials and tool hire, and we had huge ecumenical help. It has been overwhelming. “
The yet-to-be renamed church continues fundraising to pay for renovation costs, and for resourcing of the programmes it will offer.
Unable to afford to pay for labour, Vai says they were fortunate to have so many in the community donate their time and skills during regular working bees. The most unexpected helpers came to the church through a contact at the New Lynn Department of Corrections.
“People that have to complete a certain number of hours of court-ordered, supervised community service regularly helped us, and their contribution was just huge. We had plumbers, carpenters, floor sanders. These people live in our community and are part of it. I got to know them over food I cooked for them, and now that some have completed their time and no longer have to assist us, they still return and help.”
Another success for the church and community has been the after-school Homework Club, run by parishioner and teacher Sui Kaufanga. Held two nights a week, from 6pm to 8pm, the club already has 15 regular attendees. “These are 15 young people that never came to church even though their parents did, but now they attend our church on a Sunday. I never asked them to; you have to leave the space for them to come to that decision.”
Vai says the church still has Sunday worship for his Samoan congregation, and every month on a week day there is café worship. “We gather in a circle and have muffins and tea and reflect on life. We have great respect for the wide range of theological positions and for other faiths.”
The church has attracted the interest of a number of community groups keen to find out how they can use the new centre; the Deaf Fellowship has booked to hold sign-language services twice a month for a year.
With stage-one renovations nearing completion - “we put the first coat of paint on this week” - fundraising for stage two is beginning. “We are located in an industrial area and we need to explore how our successful neighbours might assist us. The Warriors’ Stacey Jones owns a Subway near us and former All Black Inga Tuigamala has a funeral business nearby, so maybe we can get them to help”.
Vai says the Homework Club is in need of computers, and that the church will soon need help to set up its own website, “so that community groups can check to see what’s on when, and also so that we can show the long history of our church and how we are making our own chapter in that history”.
By Angela Singer