Connect09

Party like it’s St Matthias’ birthday

Joseph Smith

An eastern suburbs parish has held the least exclusive party on the planet to celebrate 150 years of ministry.

St Matthias’, Centennial Park members wanted their whole community present to help them celebrate their 150th anniversary as a church.

In the weeks leading up to Saturday’s event 70 teams of St Matthias’ parishioners doorknocked all 6000 houses in Paddington with the intention of making meaningful connections with locals.

St Matthias’ member and event coordinator Paula Vouris says the 150th birthday party was “a great, non-threatening way of inviting the community on their ‘first date’ with the church”.

“We wanted to celebrate and do it in a way where we could invite people who don’t normally come to church,” she says.

Mrs Vouris says most people doorknocked were “delighted to be invited”.

The church also used the local newspaper the Wentworth Courier as a way to promote the anniversary through advertisements and articles.

Party people keep on coming

Mrs Vouris says the event was packed out on Saturday with more guests than parishioners present.

“We had tours every half hour and people from the community who were interested in the history of the church really enjoyed them,” she says.

“One man is coming back to go through our archives to find out when his grandmother was baptised at St Matthias’. It has been a really creative way to connect with the community. ”

Every person who attended was given a copy of John’s gospel and Matthias Media donated 1000 books to be given away. Approximately 200 kids’ showbags and 500 adults’ showbags were given away.

“It was a great way to advertise to the community the different ministries and activities the church is involved in each day of the week,” Mrs Vouris says.

She adds that one woman who came to the celebration attended church on Sunday for the first time and brought her baby along.

“For all our efforts, if just one person is saved as a result of the connection made through Saturday’s function it will all be worthwhile.”