God breathes new life into the old Narwee Corps hall
BY LAUREN MARTIN
The Narwee Salvation Army hall stands on a corner of one of the most disadvantaged suburbs in Sydney’s south-west. It’s just down the road from the pub and on the edge of a public housing estate.
The hall was opened in the 1950s, but Sunday meetings ceased years ago, and the nearby Hurstville Corps has been using it as a sorting facility for the Narwee Family Store.
Earlier this year, newly commissioned Captain David Delany was approached by his team leader, Hurstville Corps Officer Major Sherrie Nicol, to investigate starting a ministry at the former corps.
David was delighted.
He prayed, then acted, firing up a barbeque on the hall’s front porch and letting the smell of sausages and onions waft down the street.
Sixty-five per cent of residents in the Narwee/Beverly Hills area are public housing renters, and one in five are unemployed.* It didn’t take long for people to start gathering around the trestle tables that he’d set up on the front lawn.
Originally, David said that he planned to run a barbeque once a month, but after the first day, it was so popular that those gathered requested that it be a once-a-week occurrence, with one local resident offering to pay for the sausages each week. Thus, on 2 April 2024, the Narwee Triple-C (Coffee, Chat and Connect) was born.
Six months on, and the ministry runs twice a week (with the popular sausage sizzle on both days!) David has a ministry partner in dedicated volunteer Lynda Robinson from the local Lions Club, and he is building a team and raising leaders.
Vinh Ha faithfully cooks the barbeque each week, Hurstville soldier Geoff Maxwell opens and sets up, and another volunteer welcomes people and offers coffee and tea.
Community members gather to socialise, play table tennis, and enjoy coffee, tea and delicious cakes baked by professional cake-maker Lynda! A community pantry of donated grocery items helps to alleviate food insecurity among local households, and there are often free vegetables and bread for community members to share.
The atmosphere is always friendly and joyful. There is evident excitement among those gathered to have a cost-free place to meet and socialise.
“A lady said one time [to me] that she was glad she found out about the place because she’s always at home, she doesn’t go out anywhere, she doesn’t talk to people,” said Lynda.
For David, giving people a place to feel belonging and significance is important: “My favourite thing that happens here is when the people are here. When our community members are here, we are sitting with them, having faith conversations, chatting with them, seeing them leave this place with a smile on their face.”
It’s early days in the ministry, but people are already asking about Jesus. Once a month, on a Thursday, David spends time with those gathered after lunch to give a short devotional, take prayer requests and facilitate an informal worship session with songs of praise.
The Salvation Army’s life and faith ‘Pass the Salt’ conversation cards are regularly used to spark discussions. Prayer and practical support are also offered for those who share their burdens and hardships.
God is at work.
Narwee Triple-C has become so popular with local residents who have found friendship, fun and, for some, faith, that sometimes there’s not enough room in the small part of the hall allocated to the ministry (especially when there’s a boisterous game of ping-pong also going on!).
The Holy Spirit keeps revealing opportunities to David and his small team. Lynda has started a knitting/craft group, which is gaining interest. She would love to hold cooking classes in the space one day. Her heart is to bless people with love and kindness.
“It just makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside,” Lynda said. “Even if there is just one person that smiles at me and says, ‘thank you’, it’s just that feeling that I get that says, ‘I’ve done something, I’ve given something, I’ve made a difference.’”
David regularly listens to community members who share the hardships of poverty and injustice with him. Soon, a Salvation Army Doorways caseworker will visit the site fortnightly to assist. He is also investigating becoming a SAL Connect site, where community members can pick up Salvation Army assistance cards and utilise the pantry and weekly free food on offer.
“My vision for this place is that it will be a place where in the Narwee community people will come and feel belonging, feel welcome and come and have coffee, a chat and connect with one another,” he said.
“And for God to be glorified.”
Request: Narwee Triple-C is seeking Mandarin-speaking volunteers to engage with its Chinese community members. Contact Hurstville Corps on (02) 9570 2617
*Statistics from NATSEM, as shown in: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/apr/26/latte-line-poverty-rates-worsen-in-parts-of-sydney-creating-a-30-gap-between-some-suburbs
