Community, worship and witness at Alpine Uniting Church

Just the other weekend, a group of Young Adults involved in ministry in their churches in Canberra and Sydney travelled with Marike Jago and Dave Toogood from the PULSE team for a visit to the folks at Alpine Uniting Church in Jindabyne. A similar trip happened around the same time last year, and this time we were excited for a longer stay with more opportunities to engage with the community. Besides spending time catching up with the congregation - (and going to the snow) - the group was there to witness Alpine’s unique Christ-centred outreach to the local community and for the opportunity to remind themselves of the different ways the gospel is lived out in city and rural areas.

On the first night we arrived to the hospitality of some of the congregation members who prepared for us a warm, homely dinner. The second day was spent exploring the town, getting to know its people and its quirks, and then preparing for a community youth night to be held in the church hall. The local families were invited for an evening of activities, games, and pizza. They also got to hear from Rev. Wendy McHugh, Alpine’s Community Minister inducted last year, who shared her story of growing in faith and living her call to ordained ministry. The Uniting Church in Jindabyne already runs community dinners for families during the summer period, but often there is a break for winter so the chance for kids and parents to reconnect was welcome.

And on the third day, the group who had come down took part in the Sunday worship service. We gave our thanks and prayers for the congregation and their work, shared our songs and musical talent, and preached from the gospel. After morning tea, it was time for the snow. I had my first try at tobogganing and learned the hard way why snow goggles were important, we marvelled at the vast whiteness atop the mountains, and then did our best to get snow down each others backs. Heading back, we attended the Anglican service down the street from the Uniting church, giving us a deeper appreciation for the ecumenicism and depth of relationships in rural areas, and reminding us of the important place the Church still has in our communities wherever we are.

Finally, on our last night we joined the volunteers from the Alpine congregation, and the wider community, taking part in their widely talked about winter dinners. For many years, the church has been providing free community dinners on a Monday which is a linchpin of the Church’s mission in this place – largely supported by the very popular op-shop. It attracts many of the local residents as well as the many seasonal workers who greatly appreciate the opportunity for coming together and sharing a meal together. It is a way for the Church to pray over them and support their needs as so many are hard-done-by in their work. Some chase the snow from one side of the planet to the other, others are on working visas with little existing support in the area, and others come from across the country looking for a lifestyle change. The Church offers, even for a brief few hours, a place where all are welcome, are fed, and have their needs met.

- Luke Keenan, Kippax Uniting Church