To go on one of their adventures "you must be older than someone you know", says St David’s Richmond’s seniors ministry organiser Alex Johnston.
The programme started off as something for the church’s own seniors, but now attracts a wider age group including people from mostly outside the church, he says.
The offer of a van to transport people was the catalyst for the adventures ministry. When it became available, Alex decided to take a group of the church’s elderly people up to Rainbow Ski field near Nelson, and on the way home they stopped at Lake Rotoiti, where one of the participants, Martha, asked if Alex could organise a ride on the lake’s water taxi. After that, Alex asked if she’d like a helicopter ride. And he says the ministry, which was initially known as the “Martha and Betty Adventure group”, after the two 75-year-old adventure-seeking women who inspired him to take the idea further, snowballed from there.
Initially the adventures utilised Alex’s own experience working for the Department of Conservation with the likes of mountain walks, but trips soon got more adventurous as more volunteers and local organisations got on board. Recent trips have included hot air balloon rides, cruises on Nelson harbour, helicopter rides, and sailing around the Marlborough Sounds.
As well as the parish volunteers who’re involved, good relationships with local organisations who offer their services at a discount have also been key to keeping the ministry going.
“You only get people to Christ by building a relationship with them,” says Alex, who believes contacting people via mailbox drops and the like aren’t the best way to go. “It must be face-to-face, or you’re wasting your time.”
During the start-up phase, getting to know those in the neighbourhood around the parish on a personal level was critical, he says. Through earlier ministry initiatives like delivering flowers or distributing calendars to locals, he built up a good knowledge of where elderly people lived. So when it came to finding people who might be interested in the adventures, it was easy enough to call into the homes and invite them along.
They also “market” the adventures to the people who attend a fortnightly showing of a contemporary movie at St David’s.
A Nelson fair showcasing services for the elderly has also been an important means of getting people involved. At the fair, people were asked to write down the sort of adventures they would like to go on, and Alex now uses the information they provided to target the people who have expressed an interest in a particular type of adventure.
The ministry is self-funding, with people paying to go on the adventures, says Alex, who, along with a team of committed volunteers, organises all the outings, putting in about 30-40 hours a week (collectively) to make things happen. Giving time is critical, he says. They aim for nine trips per year, avoiding the summer holiday season when tourist operators are busy.
One of the unexpected challenges for Alex was a lack of commitment to ministry with the elderly from those within church leadership. Because of this, it was harder to build buy-in within the congregation for the ministry.
But Alex and his volunteer team persevered with the ministry, which has now been going for eight years.
Sharing the Good News is what it’s all about for Alex, who says his vision for the ministry is to “see lost people come back to Christ”. Alex was surprised to find that many of the elderly people going on the adventures had been hurt by the church at some stage in their life, and his hope is that through love – which in this case involves providing fellowship, listening, and giving of time – that these people can find their way back to a loving relationship with God.
There are around 50 people who attend the movie screenings/adventures and who receive a devotional booklet once every three months. Alex says it’s all part of bringing God’s word to those who might not otherwise hear it.
By Jose Reader