TRINITY Uniting Church at Wellington Point will mark a significant milestone on March 31, celebrating its 40th anniversary at its current site.
However, the true legacy of the church lies not in its buildings, but in its devoted congregation and community outreach programs.
Church outreach coordinator and leadership team member Lyn Gilmour is one of the many individuals who exemplifies the church’s spirit of service.
“And that’s what we do,” she said, emphasising the church’s mission to make a difference in the local community.
“You can’t do everything, but you should do what you can in your little corner.”
The congregation plays a vital role in various community initiatives, including running a thrift shop, organising weekly breakfasts at Wellington Point Primary School, hosting Christmas craft events at Birkdale Fair shopping centre, and offering support through the BASE – a community outreach program.
“The BASE is a place where we can offer a helping hand and a listening ear to anyone who needs it,” Ms Gilmour explained.
“We offer showers, a washing machine and drier, a haircut, free food and clothes, a cuppa and the use of the computer.
“We talk to people and offer what they need rather than what we think they need.”
The BASE has become a vital resource for many individuals.
Ms Gilmour recalled one instance where the church helped someone who needed an accountant.
“We got that for him, and he got back a tidy sum and that set him on his way,” she said.
For others, the BASE is simply a safe place to be.
“Some people just want to sit under the pergola because they are a bit sad, and this is a place where they can drop in and feel safe,” she said.
In addition to the BASE, the church supports the Night Ninjas, assists community workers on court orders, and has a book house available to the public outside the church.
“We have an amazing pastoral care team. It’s the people who are the church,” Ms Gilmour said, underlining the importance of the church’s community-focused approach.
“As long as it is community based, it is where we want it to be. We want people to walk away with a smile.”
Ms Gilmour also shared memories of the original Uniting Church at Wellington Point, which was once located near the railway line on Main Rd.
The original church was destroyed by arson on May 16, 1983, after books inside were used to start a fire.
The current church, which stands on land in Marlborough Rd, was built on property purchased by church-going farmers.
“Jenny Clapham used to call the church the light on the hill,” she said.
“That’s when we had the big cross. It has since been replaced by an LED.”
Looking back on the church’s history, Ms Gilmour remembered the days when the congregation numbered 100 to 150 people.
“Now there are about 50 or 60 regulars. We are an aging population, but we do all we can,” she said, acknowledging the challenges of maintaining a large congregation in the face of an aging community.
Minister David Ferguson, who is based in Cleveland, shares his time between the area’s five Uniting churches, including Trinity Uniting Church.
