A Church and its "Hub"

Some churches may face an uphill struggle when it comes to engaging with their community. Locals might be suspicious of their intentions, for example, or the building may not lend itself to community activities.

One church in Cardiff, however, doesn't seem to have that problem. Like most communities, Thornhill has its "hub" where locals pass by regularly - whether it's to shop or just to meet up with others. Thornhill Church Centre is right in the centre of that hub - next to Sainsbury's supermarket (and petrol station) as well as the community medical centre.

David Tucker, Pastor of Thornhill Church, explains how the centre plays an important role in the community: "We have numerous activities throughout the week -  it's not just about the Sunday service. We're open first thing in the morning through to late at night most days. We have a cafe, adult education classes, we hire out rooms for seminars. We're also a focal point for people if they want to find out about what's going on in the community: anything from golf tuition to "Dads and Lads" activities on Saturdays. There's a huge sense of loyalty to the church. We have about 2,000 people coming through the doors each week -  it can get very busy!"

Serving new mums

One group for which the church has been meeting a need is New Mums. This was prompted by a new mother in the church who, once she'd had her first child, soon found herself feeling cut off from the rest of the world. Left at home with the baby all day, she longed for some kind of support and prompted the church to set something up.

News of the ministry soon got round and the First Time Mums project quickly grew. Open to all first time mums with babies up to 12 months old, "coffee and chat" afternoons operate on a drop-in basis, meeting every Thursday afternoon. Every month or so, speakers are invited to help mums get to grips with issues new parents face such as childhood illnesses, or speech and language development.

It's an opportunity for mums from the church fellowship and the housing estate to mix, meet and find mutual support. Some of the mums can be off work for 6 months - giving plenty of time for relationships within the group to flourish.

Joined-up ministry

This work doesn't happen in isolation. From early beginnings through to the later years, Thornhill offers something for all stages of life. David explains: "Those who come to the new mums group may, later on, access the nursery. After that, the children may then go to our holiday clubs or youth clubs. As they grow older, they might attend one of our other activities. What's most important, however, is that relationships are at the centre of everything. It has to be person-centred - not activity-centred."

Over the years, the church has seen a number of families in the community come to faith, having engaged with the work of the church over a period of time. Sometimes it has taken ten years for them to make that commitment, but it's accepted among the fellowship that the church is there for the long term.

"When it comes to witnessing, we don't push anything onto people. We believe we need to earn the right to share our faith and that can only be achieved by building relationships. The work we do, the resources and activities offered, are a long term investment in the lives of the people we meet. It's about living the life we're called to, being welcoming and accepting towards people - whoever they are."

For more information about the work of Thornhill Church, you can visit the building by going to:

Thornhill Church Centre
Excalibur Drive
Thornhill
Cardiff
CF14 9GA

Or visit their web-site at http://www.thornhillchurch.org.uk/

Or contact them at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Read more about Thornhill Church in our earlier article, here.