This article was first published in eMessenger in August 2017.
I love this John Wesley quote since I first saw it on a Presbyterian social service agency’s practice leader’s wall. I see this quote in action by the Methodist Alliance member organisations, employees and volunteers in their everyday work.
Wesley Community Action work in communities across the wider Wellington region and offer a wide range of services, which you can learn more about on their website: http://wesleyca.org.nz/
However David Hanna, the Director, says what is more important than what they do is HOW they do it. Research shows that “what” we do has minimal impact on good outcomes, but “how” we do it, makes a significant impact. This is why Wesley Community Action pays close attention to “how” they work. They call it “the Wesley Way.” It draws on years of experience with strength based practice and of what actually works in practice.
Strengths based practice is a social work practice that emphasises people’s self-determination and strengths. It views all people as resourceful and resilient, and is client-led and focusses on future outcomes and has no blame or judgment. You can find out more about the Wesley Way here - http://wesleyca.org.nz/about-us/the-wesley-way/
Crossroads Papakura Methodist Parish has a hospitality mission in their community café. Anyone can come in and have a cup of tea or coffee and a sunny open community space. This space has relationships to be built between the church and members of the community who are homeless or vulnerably housed.
Showing sincere friendliness, generosity, and consideration for everyone who enters the community café is the hospitality mission at Crossroads. Sharing tea or coffee provides nourishment, creates comfort, and puts everyone at ease. In the process we feel connected to each other through the time shared together – we learn about what we have in common and we can experience empathy. There is a feeling of acceptance and community, of inclusion and value. The act of opening our hearts to each other touches the essence of our humanity.
All this happens at Crossroads Community Café over a cup of tea or coffee. The people who are homeless feel part of the community, so much so that they will often attend the evening worship service. Never under estimate the power of a cup of tea or coffee and a chat!
If your parish is doing some community outreach – be it a café, Mainly Music, an op shop, you should consider joining the Methodist Alliance. Or if your parish is thinking about doing something like this, the Methodist Alliance can put you in contact with other people that are running successful services so you can learn from them and not have to reinvent the wheel. Feel free to contact me anytime.
Carol Barron. Methodist Alliance National Coordinator, Carol@MethodistAlliance.org.nz
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