During worship on 24th July, Peter Blair, Olive Way Pastor, offered a brief history of the Olive Way ministry and a brief insight into how guests are supported.

He concluded ‘We are grateful for the generous support that BUC has given Olive Way over the years and we look forward to continuing to allow this ministry to flourish and develop in new and exciting ways in the future.

Watch here or 45:49

A postcard was distributed during worship featuring the artwork created by Bev Evans* for With Open Arms, a collection of stories about the Olive Way, published in December 2021.

The back of the postcard offered this invitation:

The Olive Way is a unique ministry of hospitality and welcome, operating out of Brunswick Uniting Church since 2007. Each day we’re open, up to five volunteers and (at the moment) around 40-50 guests build community together.
For Olive Way to be a community sustained by Christian hospitality, we’re building robust leadership (a Pastor and an Operations Co-ordinator, both part-time) and a solid volunteer base. Together, we can respond better to challenging situations, and help Olive Way grow as a hub supporting a range of activities and groups. Other goals include improving our safety and inclusion, strengthening our collaborations with other agencies and churches, and increasing our profile in the community.
To achieve our goals over the next five years we need your support for our new staffing model (i.e. Peter and Ruth’s roles), as well as the basic operational expenses.

Find out more about the Olive Way ministry

*Bev is the Olive Arts Collective Co-ordinator. The artwork is also featured in this post.