The Glen Waverley Uniting Church PSALTER
Community Hub Missional Group
Key Propositions for Growth
- Establish central café as a hospitality space
- Establish a quiet space for group or personal reflection
- Activities arising from needs of neighbours; e.g. parenting, bereavement support
- Activities to which we invite neighbours; e.g. concerts, exhibitions, forums
- Playgroup ministry
- Establish library and study facility
What might GWUC look like in 2013 if we were faithful to these propositions?
Enter the GWUC premises on any weekday between 9 am and 3 pm and you will find it abuzz with activity. The facilities are used by a wide variety of groups – occasional childcare, Mini Maestros for pre-schoolers, Probus Club, Keep Fit, Leisuretime and other long standing fellowship activities and a range of new activities designed with the help of our neighbours. In the midst of this activity sits the café and children’s play area.
The café and play area have arisen from a desire of many in the congregation to engage with our neighbours who use the church facilities. Many of these are parents with young children. Groups of older people are also regular users. Some have a direct connection with the congregation, others do not. The congregation seeks to be more than a provider of activity space. We also seek to offer hospitality and relationship to our neighbours.
Funds raised by various groups enabled the purchase of a café quality espresso machine, comfortable sofas, play equipment and other items needed to establish the hospitality space. UCAF groups, craftspeople and artists created tablecloths and decorations.
In partnership with the Synod’s Mission Participation Resource Unit a practical short course was developed to enable the enthusiastic group of volunteers to develop skills in conversation and faith sharing. Some engaged in further training in working with children. Many of these now assist in the child care centre as well as in the play space.
In partnership with a local TAFE college and a neighbouring coffee shop, volunteers received training in food handling and the use of the espresso machine. We now have an excellent group of baristas of all ages. This experience led us into further conversations with the TAFE college, such that we now offer traineeships in hospitality to local young people – especially those who find learning more difficult than the average person. For many, this has been their first experience of connecting with the church. And they love working with the older members of the team.
Alongside the hospitality space, a quiet space has been established for group or personal reflection. A team of creative, spiritually inspired people ensure that the prayer space is continually updated with new installations, foci for meditation and aids to prayer. Twice a week a guided meditation is held in the space led by a variety of people from different faith traditions. Three groups are now meeting for regular meditation and faith sharing.
As the project has developed many wonderful relationships have been formed. Conversations have included parenting, retiring well, sharing stories of faith and issues of global concern. 6.3 A Community Hub (Risking innovation & diversity: Supportive, liberating relationships)
Key Propositions for Growth • Establish central café as a hospitality space • Establish a quiet space for group or personal reflection • Activities arising from needs of neighbours; e.g. parenting, bereavement support • Activities to which we invite neighbours; e.g. concerts, exhibitions, forums • Playgroup ministry • Establish library and study facitilty
What might GWUC look like in 2013 if we were faithful to these propositions? Enter the GWUC premises on any weekday between 9 am and 3 pm and you will find it abuzz with activity. The facilities are used by a wide variety of groups – occasional childcare, Mini Maestros for pre-schoolers, Probus Club, Keep Fit, Liesuretime and other long standing fellowship activities and a range of new activities designed with the help of our neighbours. In the midst of this activity sits the café and children’s play area.
The café and play area have arisen from a desire of many in the congregation to engage with our neighbours who use the church facilities. Many of these are parents with young children. Groups of older people are also regular users. Some have a direct connection with the congregation, others do not. The congregation seeks to be more than a provider of activity space. We also seek to offer hospitality and relationship to our neighbours.
Funds raised by various groups enabled the purchase of a café quality espresso machine, comfortable sofas, play equipment and other items needed to establish the hospitality space. UCAF groups, craftspeople and artists created tablecloths and decorations.
In partnership with the Synod’s Mission Participation Resource Unit a practical short course was developed to enable the enthusiastic group of volunteers to develop skills in conversation and faith sharing. Some engaged in further training in working with children. Many of these now assist in the child care centre as well as in the play space.
In partnership with a local TAFE college and a neighbouring coffee shop, volunteers received training in food handling and the use of the espresso machine. We now have an excellent group of baristas of all ages. This experience led us into further conversations with the TAFE college, such that we now offer traineeships in hospitality to local young people – especially those who find learning more difficult than the average person. For many, this has been their first experience of connecting with the church. And they love working with the older members of the team.
Alongside the hospitality space, a quiet space has been established for group or personal reflection. A team of creative, spiritually inspired people ensure that the prayer space is continually updated with new installations, foci for meditation and aids to prayer. Twice a week a guided meditation is held in the space led by a variety of people from different faith traditions. Three groups are now meeting for regular meditation and faith sharing.
As the project has developed many wonderful relationships have been formed. Conversations have included parenting, retiring well, sharing stories of faith and issues of global concern. Some parents have sought baptism for their children. Others have asked about Sunday School and have connected with the 4.30 congregation. Some older people experiencing bereavement have formed a small support group. Two book groups have formed to discuss and enjoy a wide variety of literature. One is a group of young mums who enjoy the opportunity to talk over a good cup of coffee while their children play nearby. Another group has shown an interest in the ethical products used in the café and have now joined with the congregation’s social justice group to promote ‘ethical product development’.
One of our great delights has been to see regular participants coming to the hospitality space at other times and bringing friends. Some of them have become volunteers themselves, helping out in the child care centre and the café. We are deeply moved when someone shares a deep need or concern showing a developing trust in the growing relationship. Many of our original team of volunteers have used their new found skills and confidence to engage with their neighbours in other ways – volunteering at the local nursing home, supporting the Kombi Breakfast Krew at the Senior College and sharing in a deeper way with the people next door.
There have been many spin-offs to the growing practice of hospitality among the congregation. The Church has become a community hub offering monthly jazz concerts, exhibition space for local artists and forums to address community issues. ‘Meet your local politicians’ has become a popular way to help people regain interest in community and global politics. People are discovering that they do have influence in wider issues. And the annual book fair and fete have changed from simply being fund raising activities into places where people meet and are engaged in significant conversations. No longer are the funds raised being sent to people and places with which we have little engagement. Much of the money raised is now reinvested in neighbourhood activities with which the congregation is now deeply engaged. There was great rejoicing when the kitchen was renovated to modern café quality and improved OH&S standards.
One of the highlights of the year is our annual Hospitality Sunday. Folk from the neighbourhood are invited to share in a brief service of thanksgiving for our neighbourhood followed by a great feast in the hospitality space. As part of the feast Holy Communion is shared – a wonderful reminder of the table fellowship enjoyed by Jesus as a sign, foretaste and instrument of the reign of God.