Levin Uniting Church is reaching out to its community with food, through a Sunday night meal and informal service, and a newly launched breakfast church.
Minister the Rev Phil Bettany says the church’s main 10 o’clock service is filling a niche for the 90-100 older people who attend. Instead of attempting to modernise it, the church has sought new possibilities for growth.
An “evening fellowship meal” for families at six o’clock on Sunday nights attracts many people who are struggling financially. It’s preceded by an hour of games including air hockey, pool and table tennis, and followed by an informal church service.
Phil says between 50 and 70 people come along to the meal, which began after some church members recognised the need in the community. For many of those who come, it’s their main meal of the week.
“We don’t ask for a set fee, just a koha.”
The simple, filling food is cooked by a team lead by elder Jack Gibson, who also coordinates the service held afterwards.
Because the koha doesn’t cover the costs of the meal, the organisers rely on a combination of other donations and fundraising sausage sizzles.
People often offer to help out with the cooking if they can’t contribute financially, or help to set up the hall where the meal is held.
Phil says the meal tends to attract people who are struggling or on the margins of society. “I can see there might be the need to employ a social worker for that ministry at some point.”
About half those at the meal stay for the service, which focuses on life skills like how to have good relationships. Phil says it usually takes more than six months coming to dinner before people start to stay afterwards.
A few people from the congregation come along to support the ministry and supervise the games.
“It’s grown like topsy,” Phil says. “As it’s got bigger and bigger, we’ve realised we need some governance structure”.
The church runs another meal once a month for older people. This “loaves and fishes” midweek lunch in the church lounge has a nominal charge and attracts about 30-50 people.
Phil says many attendees are church members, but it also attracts people on the fringes of the “quite traditional” morning service.
More than half the congregation are over the age of 70 but numbers are kept relatively stable by the people retiring to Levin and joining the church. These newcomers help bring freshness and ideas, Phil says.
Levin, which has a population of just under 20,000, is a popular retirement destination, with seven rest homes. Phil says they take seriously the need to invest time and energy in ministering to the town’s older people.
The church’s newest endeavour is a “breakfast church”, modelled on Dunedin’s B@TCH (which is part of Highgate Presbyterian Church).
A dress rehearsal was held in June, with the official start at the end of July.
“What we’re wanting to do with breakfast church is something that’s mainly contemporary,” Phil says.
Keyboards and a bass guitar are being used, with lots of interactive, Kids Friendly elements to the service.
Breakfast of cereals, toast, real coffee and orange juice runs from 7.45am to 8.30am, followed by a worship service that ends at 9.15am. People are asked to pay $2 a person, or $5 a family, for the breakfast.
Levin Uniting Church was formed in February 2008, when St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and St John’s Methodist joined forces. Earlier this year, all worship activities were shifted to the St Andrew’s site, now known as Levin Uniting Church on Oxford. It’s the only church on Levin’s main street, and can comfortably fit 300 people.
Phil and Shona were called as ministers in October 2008.
“People have recognised that we need to keep things moving, in terms of change.”
Most people from the two congregations have become part of the new church, and Phil says they have been sensitive to the loss that people have felt, particularly with the consolidation to one building.
“We walked as a church and brought the treasures over to the St Andrew’s building,” which now has two communion fonts, and banners from both worship centres.
“But most people want to get on with things as a uniting partnership”.
“They have recognised that if we don’t do something now that’s different, in 10 years time we may not have a church.”
By Amanda Wells