Shining Christ's Light Into Our Community
Great news from St Matthew’s in Taita! The exploratory mission venture has been approved for a housing development programme worth $2.3m, which will see eight new dwellings built on a 1,200m2 site where the old church used to be located.
Excavation has begun
Site blessing
The development comprises of one 4 bedroom house, three 2 bedroom dwellings, and four 1 bedroom units, providing much-needed affordable housing to the community. The resource consent process took a while, but the project is now well underway, with completion targeted for the end of this year, and the parish now meets in a refurbished multipurpose hall/chapel space, which replaced the old church that has been demolished.
Nick Young, the Diocesan Housing Programme Manager, has supported the team at Taita from dream to reality, providing project planning and management to help get each stage of the project over the line. The development is part of the parish's broader mission to “Shine Christ's light into our community.” Many people in the neighbourhood face significant challenges, such as poverty, major health issues, lack of housing, criminal convictions, addictions, abuse, and loneliness. St Matthew’s aims to create a welcoming space and sense of whānau by building a supportive community that people can engage with and belong to.
Engagement with the local community is central to who St Matthew’s is, and the redevelopment of the church site will support its “hub” model and various week-day activities (foodbank, fruit and veggie co-op, drop in centre etc.). The next step is the construction of the community housing, which will offer warm, safe, dry, and affordable housing to those in need. The housing will be part of the broader vision of shining Christ's light into the community and providing a supportive community for people to engage with and belong to.
The St Matthew’s whānau is excited about the project and is looking forward to having some members of the church community live down at the “hub” once the housing is built. This will allow them to connect with and offer a community to belong to. The site has already been blessed, and excavation works are underway, as seen in the photo.
St Matthew’s is making a real difference in its community, and the new development is a testament to its commitment to helping those in need. We are excited to watch the progress of this new project.
