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With a call to “Worship God and serve the community,” NationsHeart Christian Community is ideally located in the growing town centre of Belconnen, ACT. We offer our building and resources to build community and foster value & belonging through a variety of connection points throughout the week and on Sundays.
A week at NationsHeart looks something like this…
On Tuesday mornings our Rough Diamonds Cooks, led by the stalwart of this 21 year old ministry Jeanette Morris – combine forces in our kitchen to cook up a storm of goodies. This is also set up time for this ministry, which can welcome up to 90 people into the building on Wednesday.
Tuesday afternoon will see the FoodHut open to provide free and low-cost goods to those in need. The food is sourced through Foodbank NSW, OzHarvest and Communities At Work – providing a broad range of staples and fresh fruit & vegetables. The volunteer staff who oversee this program are, on the whole, people who came originally to receive help, and have stayed to help build community and serve others.
From around 3:30pm people start gathering to connect for ‘cuppas and chats’ ahead of our Community Meal. The meal is much more than food. The shared time provides much needed social connection for many people, a place to be heard and valued. It’s followed by a Lifechat where some stay to discuss issues of growth, challenge and faith.
On Wednesdays the building is overflowing with the activity of the Rough Diamonds group, a 21-year-old ministry to people with special needs and the elderly. This group hosts a variety of activities and, on the alternate fortnight, an inclusive worship service and morning tea.
On Wednesdays the freight truck arrives with the latest Foodbank order and our managers Wally Harrison and Angela Sutherland re-stock the shelves for the rest of the week. Wally also serves as our Caretaker and tends our little community garden patch, which provides some fresh herbs and salad ingredients for our community meal.
On Thursday afternoons we host Thursday Church – an open time of communion, sharing and prayer and it happens around a table in our Gilmore Room. As this happens people arrive and gather for more ‘cuppas and chats,’ waiting for the FoodHut to open and also to use the computers in the Broadband for Seniors kiosk – which provides free internet access.
Friday mornings provide another opportunity for FoodHut participants and we welcome a community group who share our facility to host an inclusive cooking class for people with disabilities and special needs.
Throughout the week our Community Chaplain John Simmons and Community Coordinator Scott Girvan are available to provide support and advocacy to participants, volunteers and leaders.
Our Sunday gathering brings people together from across the weekday activities and others from throughout the community who are called to worship at NationsHeart in an expression of unity and diversity.
People show the peace they feel on entering community at NationsHeart and often acknowledge the significance of God working in this place. We continue to grow in the grace of learning to be God’s people, partnering with Him in building life and faith where He has planted us.
Article provided by NationsHeart, to find out more contact Careworks.
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