When the Rev Ray Robinson left St Paul's, Chatswood for St Hilda's, Katoomba in 2004 his church prayed that God would send seven families to Katoomba to help in St Hilda's ministry to local families.
Katoomba's family worker Robyn Glindemann, and her husband, Steve ended up being one seventh of the answer to Ray's prayers.
Robyn and Steve left their church in Frenchs Forest and joined St Hilda's after moving to Katoomba in 2005, as Steve had decided to take up a ministry position at the Katoomba Christian Convention site.
Robyn became the church's family worker over a year ago. In that time she has overseen steady growth in ministry to children and their parents, starting new children's and youth ministries.
When Ray started at St Hilda's, there was a small group of young adults, but mostly older people and few families.
"God answered our prayers, starting with Robyn and Steve, but the growth has come slowly over a couple of years."
Creating a core
Ray says the majority of families who have joined Katoomba are transfer growth and the parish recently welcomed the eighth new family since Ray started as rector.
"This is a great blessing as they have been able to quickly get involved and assist in the ministry," he says.
Ray says the church needed to develop ministry to these core families to ensure its future. He says Robyn Glindemann was the ideal candidate to exercise this ministry because she was already in the congregation, he says.
"The fact that she is a woman helps complement me in our team ministry. She can work with families at a level I can't."
A woman's work
Robyn spent her first four months as family worker last year talking with parishioners.
"Ray described my office as an "endless coffee shop', as people came to have a chat about our church, what ministries they would like to see happening and how I could best support them," she smiles.
"Whilst I was keen to "start things rolling' straight away it meant I got to know my fellow parishioners better and see how we could best work together."
Robyn meets one-on-one with women in the parish, praying with them and encouraging them in their ministries.
Robyn co-leads the kids' club and the playgroup and assists the kids holiday programme and Sunday School. She is also involved in women's ministry.
"My role is to encourage people to become more like Jesus. What could be better than that?"
Parish in Focus: St Hilda's, Katoomba
A cauldron of community
According to the rector of St Hilda's, Katoomba, the Rev Ray Robinson, the Katoomba community is immensely diverse.
There is a large number of retirees, a big arts community, many people in the area with mental health issues, a growing population of commuters, a growing homosexual community and a significant number of new age followers who are into witchcraft, Buddhism and alternative lifestyles.
"People here tend to have considered opinions about their spirituality," Ray says.
"They not only have clear ideas on what they believe but also clear ideas on the irrelevance of the church as an institution. In fact, there is a common cynicism regarding all institutions."
Breaking institutionalism
Ray says the church faces the problem of being an institution and yet trying to reach out to people who don't trust institutions.
"It means it's a long road to build relationships and it's really important that Sundays be relevant to the visitor if they are going to return," he says.
The church holds monthly services like Breakfast Church which relate to the unchurched "coffee culture'. They do outreach at the Winter Magic Festival every June and held a jazz and blues service during the 12th Annual Blue Mountains Music Festival in March.
"It's a first step but it's only as we love those we touch, that people will begin to see the power of the gospel to change lives. We've still got a long way to go."
