Where most other denominations have failed, Church Army and local parishes have begun a radical "adopt a block' strategy to reach the 6,000-strong community of Berkeley.
The new Berkeley mission base was launched on February 18 with three pro-wrestling bouts.
"Wrestling is not a gimmick," says Church Army mission leader Captain Wayne Pickford, himself a former professional wrestler. "It's about getting out with the people just like Jesus did."
A host of churches, including the Pentecostals, have sought to plant churches in Berkeley but nothing seems to last. Only the Salvation Army maintains a presence in the community.
"Berkeley had a great [Anglican] ministry for years, but it died off," says Wayne. "Everyone has written it off, but we just need someone to get involved in the community."
The area is seen as Wollongong's equivalent of Mt Druitt, but Mr Pickford calls it "classic working class'. Sure, there is a lingering hopelessness in some parts with buildings needing a good lick of paint, but there are also double-income families moving to the ridge to enjoy some of the cheapest water views in NSW.
More importantly, Mr Pickford says Berkeley is "a real community'.
"People hang around the area. They don't go out of Berkeley and that means the Church can't reach them," he says.
Unlike previous efforts, this new initiative is not a conventional church plant with a "worship meeting'. Rather, each member of the mission team will adopt a block of 50 households as their "church'.
They will doorknock every house in their block once a month, seeking ways to offer Jesus' love to them. They will also go out to community hot-spots, build relationships and share the gospel. Energy will be focused around a kids' club and community BBQ to be held on a Saturday.
The Berkeley mission team has been blown away by the response from locals.
June Bock has seen people thirsty for the gospel in her "day job' as an Anglicare hospital chaplain, but even she was shocked that a group of men walked from two suburbs away to come and talk to the mission team.
"They just walked in off the street and offered to come back and help clean up [the old church hall]. These are people who are not going to church at the moment."
The initiative is supported by Church Army in partnership with two of Berkeley's neighbouring parishes: Port Kembla and Dapto.
Port Kembla is providing the old Berkeley church hall rent free while Dapto will be housing Wayne Pickford and his wife.
Wayne and his team of "block pastors' will remain members of their existing congregations at Dapto and Shellharbour City Anglican Churches.
"This is a church that has been closed for years," says the Rev Steve Semenchuk, rector of Dapto. "We want people to get the message that this new "church' will be different from the institutional church they may have already rejected."
Mr Semenchuk rejects the idea that Berkeley is a "tough area' for ministry and says he expects that Church Army will be looking to rebuild in ten years because the building will be too small.
"In places like Berkeley, once you lead people, they climb on board," he says. "They will come to a BBQ or do the hard yakka. That is what makes ministry here easier than [Sydney's] north shore."
"People are starving for the gospel"
If his brother wasn't in jail for drug crimes, Dave Cunningham, a 31-yearold electrician, might not be treading the streets of Berkeley scared witless as he knocks on strangers' doors.
"Wayne [Pickford] told me he was putting a team together, and asked me to join. I think it's because of the work I've done helping people recovering from drugs and alcohol."
How did Dave feel when he discovered what being a "block pastor' involved?
"I was absolutely scared. I wasn't a fan of doorknocking. Mate, my legs were bricks," he said.
But after two hours he was blown away by the response.
"I thought we were going to be persecuted, I was prepared for that. But not one house knocked us back."
His only concern is the resources required to meet the ministry need.
"This job is going to be huge. It took me nearly two hours to do ten houses. The response we got was unbelievable.
"I spoke to one lady, and forty minutes later I had tears in my eyes. She had tried church before but, because she was divorced, felt people looked down on her.
"So I explained to her the gospel and how it was about grace " what Jesus did for us on the cross.
"I never realised how much people were starving for the gospel."
And what does Dave's brother think about this "adopt a block' idea?
"He is very excited," says Dave, explaining that his brother has become a Christian in jail. There is wonderful Christian ministry going on in jail but nothing for them when they get out.
"He says, "It is as easy to buy drugs at 3am as at 3pm. The church needs to be available 24/7 as well if we are going to support [the addicts]'."
