Taihape Phone-Tree Creates Real Connection
In the age of Zoom and FaceTime, the parish of Taihape is keeping linked up with the local community through a slightly older form of technology — the humble telephone. Rev. Tracey Peters has organised the pastoral care team to ring around a whopping 250 families during the time of lockdown. “Our immediate church family is around 30 families, but we have 250 on the parish roll,” she said. “Most of them don’t come to church. But the amazing thing is we haven’t had a single person ask to be taken off the list.”
Tracey and her team have been calling everyone to check in on their wellbeing and ask for any prayer requests. “We’re praying for them already, but it’s a chance to ask if they have any specific concerns. We’re planting seeds and creating an avenue for after lockdown.” There is also an email going out to everyone on the roll. “We’re sending out a lectionary reading and different ideas of what people can do. We’re asking people to put candles in their windows, facing outwards to the street. Then at 7pm every night, we light the candles and pause to pray.”
However — as Tracey is quick to point out — not everyone has access to the same technology. Many in Taihape can’t get Freeview channel 200, and some parishioners don’t use the internet. “Those phoning around are letting people know the email content. Keeping in touch by phone has become vital for our community.” Tracey is also endeavouring to call everyone on the parish roll herself. “I expected them to be quick calls, but I’m finding I can only get through a few a night.”
She’s been encouraging people to keep some kind of record of this time, through a journal or photography. “It’s good to keep connected to what’s going on and have something to reflect back on.” The impact of what the parish is doing is going far beyond the bounds of regular church attendees. “We had a large palm cross on the front of the church for Palm Sunday. It got positive comments from people in the community who aren’t even on the roll.”
Tracey has been emphasising to her phone tree operators the importance of bringing a non-anxious presence to their calls, encouraging them to pray first for the right words to say. “People seem really open to the ideas of God. We’re sharing God’s hope and letting people know the church is still here — we are not the building, we are a people.” Tracey is excited to see what fruit this time will bring. “Things are going to need to change after this. We’re going to have to be more community-orientated and local-minded. People are going to re-evaluate what’s important.” Judging by the response to the phone tree, those changes are already happening. “There are real signs of God moving in people’s lives. It’s amazing.”
Article by Esme Oliver
