By Andrew Humphries
In the small town of Sheffield in Tasmania’s north-west, a Uniting Church congregation is proving that a substantial drop in membership doesn’t have to mean the end of a church’s role in the community.
Sheffield Uniting Church celebrated its 140th anniversary in 2022 and, thanks to the efforts of a small but enthusiastic group, it continues to be an important part of the local community.
Keeping itself relevant, though, has meant a dramatic change in how members view the traditional worship role of a church, and the need to accept that there are no longer the numbers to hold traditional worship services.
That doesn’t mean, though, that the church has to die.
Sheffield resident Leoni Read and her husband Bob worship at nearby Ulverstone Uniting Church, but continue to keep Sheffield Uniting Church alive as a vital part of the area.
And, as the centre of much of Sheffield’s community life, the church has never been busier.
“We’ve got about 100 people making use of the church and church hall each week through various activities, and we have developed a relationship with all of these groups,” Leoni says.
“It’s a real outreach centre in that sense.”
When Leoni and Bob moved to Sheffield 15 years ago they were quickly accepted within the congregation which, at that time, numbered about 30.
As Leoni explains, though, natural attrition has reduced that number dramatically over the years, meaning that some tough decisions were needed around its future.
Those decisions have meant a dramatic change in the way Sheffield operates, including ending its traditional worship service.
“Instead of a church focusing on Sunday worship, it has found a new lease of life, new direction, and new ways of serving, which has caught us by surprise,” Leoni says.
The church hall has become the hub of the community and is used by numerous groups on a daily basis.
Among the strong connections formed is one with workers from Kiribati, who are employed on farms in the Forth region, about 20km from Sheffield.
“They have held several celebrations in the church and use the hall during winter for gatherings,” Leoni says.
“It’s meant we have developed a strong connection with them.”
“There isn’t a congregation as such here anymore, but in other ways we are thriving, and I hope to stay involved for some time yet,” says Leoni.
Connections like that, Leoni says, are what makes keeping the church alive so rewarding.
“People say to us, ‘how do you manage to get so much done?’, but it’s not that hard,” she says.
“It’s just a matter of facilitating the various groups that want to make use of the church and hall.”
Leoni is rightly proud of the outreach activities promoted by the congregation, including for Library Aid International, which provides used books and educational materials to children in disadvantaged schools in developing countries.
Since it began in Burnie in 2006, Library Aid International has donated nearly 300,000 books and teacher resources to more than 550 educational institutions in southern Africa, Fiji and the Solomon Islands.
“From little things big things can grow,” is how Leoni describes the project.
“Two years ago I was talking to someone who said they may be forced to close it down in Burnie, as some of the volunteers were getting too old to continue.
“We had been collecting books here and sending them across to Burnie, so I thought closing it down would be a great shame, and it was something we could take over.
“The council has provided us with the use of a community hall in Beulah, every Monday we gather to sort through the books and, last year, we were able to send a container load to the Solomon Islands.”
Leoni says the ability to reach out to various groups is what makes her work so enjoyable.
“The outreach and pastoral side of it sits very comfortably with what I think faith should be about,” she says.
“There isn’t a congregation as such here anymore, but in other ways we are thriving, and I hope to stay involved for some time yet.
“Faith is about relationships and connection, and I think what we do brings a lot of joy to people.
“I think God might be watching over us and cheering us on.”
