By Joseph Smith

“We had to get the people who weren’t attending church anywhere else,” says the Rev Greg Olliffe, Rector of St Giles, Greenwich, of the decision to begin the parish’s family-friendly Sunday service at 5pm.
In recent years a rapidly changing population in the North Shore suburb meant that ‘empty nesters’ were selling up and moving away from the area. In the mid 1980s the church was well attended, but that generation of people grew older and moved out. Enter the need to attract young families moving into the area.
A 5pm service on Christmas Eve in 1999 saw 130 extra people in church over the Christmas period. “This is now our clientele for our Families at 5 service,” Mr Olliffe says.
“One person who had never been to church regularly before came to that first Christmas Eve service five years ago, and said, ‘if you do church this way every Sunday, I’ll come’. They’ve been one of the key people since we started,” Mr Olliffe says.
“There is a good feeling of ownership of the service by the congregation. People who have come since the beginning have invited friends along, who have in turn invited their own friends along,” he says.
The move from seven to five pm has seen considerable growth take place in the evening congregation. “We now have over ten families attending the service regularly,” service team leader, Peter McConaghy says. “People are inviting their friends and neighbours. They are getting involved and helping out. The kids love it too.”
Mr McConaghy says a lot of planning took place in the six months before the service commenced last year. “A lot of time was spent organising the team, gathering together ideas, and assigning tasks. Prayer was also very important,” he says.
As rector of a relatively small parish, Mr Olliffe strongly recommends that churches of all sizes attempt planting a service. “I encourage people who are contemplating this that it’s worth pursuing. There is a lot of work involved but there is lasting joy and great encouragement in seeing people embrace and live out the Christian faith.”
Youth group leader Erica McKay says the changed service time means more teens now attend church. “Before they would have youth group then go home,” she says. “Now they come to the service and stay on for youth group. Most of the youth help with the many aspects of running the service.”
Mrs McKay, also a coordinator of children’s ministry, is encouraged by the joy children experience at the service.
“We have a kids’ song with lots of actions, then we all head downstairs to the hall for Kids’ Club. The online syllabus ‘Teaching Little Ones’ [Matthias Media] has been very useful for teaching about God. After the session they race back up stairs, get their biscuits and drink then run around a lot.”