One of the parts of doing Olive Way that I have really enjoyed over the years is working with other groups, churches, agencies, and partners who can compliment what we do. I love developing these relationships and learning from them, even as they learn from us. We have enjoyed a great relationship with the Brunswick Salvos before COVID (much less with the Coburg Salvos) and have been saddened to see the amazing centre on Albert Street reduced in size and scope. I enjoyed partnering with them to deliver and hand out food during the lockdowns, keep our volunteers active, and stay in touch with the people we care about.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been in touch with another group in Brunswick that aims to support the homeless folk in our area to find accommodation. We’ve known them for a while, they often meet their clients in Olive Way and chat to us about folk that we’re aware of that need support. They are what’s known as an ‘assertive outreach team,’ meaning they go out on the streets looking for people needing accommodation and following up with them.

Recently we’ve been asked to consider a more formal partnership with them, and this is something that we are keen to explore further in our ministry team, in Church Council, and in Olive Way. But importantly it got me thinking about why us? Why should we be considering this? What do we as the church gain and benefit from this? How does it reflect our values and priorities and faith?

That got me thinking about the values and priorities that drive us in Olive Way. I’ve struggled to find the right tone to express what we do, partly because I need to find language that has meaning for people of different faiths or none; values that speak to everyone in some way.

Interestingly, the ones I keep coming back to are the ones that we have long drawn upon in our pastoral care work; hospitality, compassion, and community. Each of these have come to reflect an aspect of our work in Olive Way, from the hospitality of the food and welcome, to the compassion that arises in our pastoral conversations, and the community we build along the way. This is something I expect to return to again and again as we explore what it means for us to live faithfully to the Gospel spirit of hospitality, and as we bring others along the way.

Peter Blair
Olive Way Pastor