It's hard to win over an entire community but this is what some Sydney Anglican churches are doing, one house at a time.
Anglican parishes have worked for many years, in partnership with ANGLICARE to collect food to give to families who are living without the basics: adequate food, decent clothing, proper shelter and the resources required to be part of our community.
In 2003, parish support enabled ANGLICARE to assist 21,456 individuals and families through their emergency relief programs. This Christmas alone, the reality of poverty will mean that over 5,000 families will turn to ANGLICARE for help so that their children can have some Christmas cheer. In most cases, assistance through ANGLICARE's emergency relief program will be the only Christian contact that these families will have this Christmas.
However, it is some of our innovative parishes that have also begun to use ANGLICARE's food collection programs such as November's Toys "n' Tucker as a unique opportunity to build positive relationships with their local community and link the unchurched to their evangelistic programs.
Experience from churches in suburbs across all socio-economic levels has shown that ANGLICARE food collection programs, such as the Toys "n Tucker campaign for Christmas, provide the church with an unprecedented opportunity to build positive relationships with their local community and link the unchurched to their evangelistic programs.
Six years ago St Luke's Wilton was in a dilapidated state with many in town believing the church had closed down.
Using the opportunity to collect food for ANGLICARE, Kevin Flanagan, Assistant Minister at St Luke's and 12 members of the congregation doorknocked every single house in Wilton, not only to ask for food, but also to inform people about the church.
"Well, they certainly knew about us after that. And the reaction has been positive," said Mr Flanagan. "We've even had some people turn up at church of their own accord. Considering the mind set of a small country town and the fact that St Luke's had not been a church that people just dropped into, this is very encouraging."
Food collection for ANGLICARE was also used as a vehicle to doorknock the local community in Apin last November. This time members of the congregation were also armed with flyers inviting people to their Christmas service.
"The turnout was great," said Mr Flanagan. "A lot of people we doorknocked came to our service."
According to recent National Church Life Survey (NCLS) research the average proportion of newcomers present in churches was 9.6 per cent last year.
However, churches undertaking almost any form of outreach, including outreach through caring services, tended to have higher proportions of newcomers than the average. For example, the research shows that churches engaged in door knocking programs (10.7 per cent) as well as churches offering particular forms of social services, such as training or support programs for youth or migrants (11.4 per cent), had levels of newcomers well above the average.
The data suggests that community outreach that ties social action to an intentional evangelistic strategy will be effective in reaching the unchurched. This backs the wisdom of St Luke's Wilton decision to link food collection for ANGLICARE to an outreach service.
While door knocking for charity does not guarantee instantaneous church growth, it creates a positive relationship with the community and encourages church members to build further on those links.
St Jude’s Dural doorknocked 2,500 homes to collect more than 4,000 cans for ANGLICARE’s emergency relief program this year.
According to Rev’d Fergus Semler, Rector at St Jude’s, the purpose of the event was to take initial steps to raise awareness of their church in the community. While the church has yet to see people come directly from the doorknocking day, his view is to expand rather than contract this part of the program
Most importantly, the can collection day provided an opportunity for all members of the congregation to be involved.
“For one or two members of our congregation, the day certainly strengthened their connection to our church,” commented Mr Semler. “One member, who recently came back to church, greatly enjoyed this social aspect of the program.”
In another part of the Diocese, one church is using ANGLICARE in a different way to reach their poverty stricken community with the Gospel. Instead of doorknocking to collect food, they are raising awareness of their church by distributing it.
St Andrew's Airds is in an area where poverty has become entrenched through many generations. The surrounding area is full of Department of Housing flats with people who are struggling to make ends meet.
Working closely with ANGLICARE, the 25-member congregation will door knock more than 1,300 homes in their area to distribute invitations to a free BBQ at their church for Family Week 2004. ANGLICARE Macarthur Regional Welfare team will help with the doorknock and the food will be supplied by ANGLICARE.
According to Medon Lupis, lay worker at St Andrews, reaching people with the Gospel in such a highly disadvantaged area has been very hard. It is hoped that the offer of food and family entertainment during Family Week 2004 will draw people from the surrounding area and give the church an opportunity not only to raise awareness of its existence, but also to build stronger relationships with the community.
"There is no short cut to building relationships," commented Mr Lupis. "And we are slowly getting to know and understand some of the people living in the area and winning their trust."
"These people have been patronised and treated very badly by society for a long time and they often see church as another big institution that looks down on them," Mr Lupis said.
"Church is about a relationship with a God who loves them and gives them hope. We are praying that the day will help break down some of those barriers. Hopefully it will facilitate a positive relationship, so that one day they will come to know that God is a God who loves them and who wants a relationship with them."
This Christmas, your parish can help ANGLICARE to supply Christmas hampers to 5,000 families " and take advantage of a great outreach opportunity to you community. For more information, please contact ANGLICARE on 9895 8082 or visit the Anglicare website.
