Tawa Anglican Church had a smooth transition to the virtual world for lockdown, and since then has been thriving in unexpected ways. Digby Wilkinson, the priest in charge, has been encouraged by how well the staff and congregation took to this new way of church and community life. “The Tawa Church is highly community-focused, both internally and externally; and the constant engagement — despite being apart — has been quite high,” he said.

With a congregation fluctuating between 180 and 200 attendees on a normal Sunday, there is a strong base of people willing to support and participate in different projects. Along with his team, Digby has been piecing together an online service for the church each week, and engagement with this is even higher than their normal services.

The same goes for their young people, who have engaged in more consistent and vulnerable ways in online meetings than they would have in-person. The church's youth leaders have been encouraged by the change in the way their groups have engaged in conversations.

The church had planned to start an Alpha course right before lockdown hit, and were pleasantly surprised when almost 40 people committed to attending, despite the shift online. Alongside the online activities, the church community has also reached out to support one another practically, setting up a phone network, as well as meal deliveries for those who needed it.

In the rapidly changing circumstances, there are plenty of unknowns for the community. But Digby is confident that the community will continue to care for each other. “Out of everything, I think it’s a reminder that people adapt when they have to; and from that, new opportunities arise.”

By Tessa Guest