loveyour

B A R N E Y S

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Some background theologyWhy is getting to know ourneighbourhoodimportant?Because in today’s pluralistic culture, Christianity has become marginalised and is just one of many voices in the spiritual marketplace. (In 2001 the rate of church attendance in Australia was just 8%.) To reach unchurched people today, we must relearn how to contextualise the gospel as the apostle Paul did. We must relearn how to do ‘mission’ in our local context.

What is mission? Mission means ‘sending’ and is one of the central themes of the Bible. It

defines the church as God’s ‘sent people’ and active participants in the missio Dei (the mission of God).

Rather than seeing mission as just another church program, as followers of Jesus we are all called to be ‘missional’ in our approach. This means we must step outside our church sanctuaries so that we can develop relationships of loving kindness with our neighbours on their territory. Jesus himself sent his disciples out to proclaim the coming of the kingdom through word and deed.

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “. . . Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road . . . When

you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”

Luke 10:1–9

But to fulfil our Lord’s second commandment – to love our neighbours as ourselves – first we need to get to know who our neighbours are. We need to invest time with them – not just through projects, but through continued, often very costly interaction. We must learn what it really means to die to self in order to restore our city to God’s vision. And we must ask questions like “How can we be God’s presence in our neighbourhoods?” and “How we can listen to people’s stories to see what God is up to already?”

Barneys moves back to Broadway!It’s been six years since this was our home and a lot has changed. In 2011 the Barneys Love Your Neighbour (LYN) Team set out to explore the different suburbs that make up the Barneys parish – parts of Glebe, Ultimo, Chippendale, Darlington, Camperdown and Pyrmont (recently returned) – to better reflect on how we can be ‘salt and light’ and make connections with our neighbours on our return.

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In 2011 the Barneys LYN Team carried out a neighbourhood exegesis of our parish.

Biblical exegesis means critical interpretation of Scripture in the context of the whole Bible. Neighbourhood exegesis means taking time to develop a critical understanding of our local area, by looking at it with new eyes and listening to it with new ears, asking, “What would Jesus see and hear?”

The LYN Team has been walking the streets of our parish to get a better understanding of:

• the character of the different neighbourhoods

• the movement of local people at different times of the day and days of the week

•potential connection points - where do people gather? Where are the community spaces?

And we’ve been reflecting on what all this means for us as we prepare to move to our new home at Broadway.

To present our findings, we made lots of notes, took lots of photos, and even drew maps, like this one of Mountain Street, where our new church is located.

Barneys moves back to Broadway! An ‘exegesis’ of

our neighbourhood

4Data Source: The City of Sydney Council

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Barneys parish Australian average

4.4% aged 0–9 12.9%

29.3% university qualified 15.6%

43.3% employed 57.2%

38.5% live alone 24.4%

18.2% young families 39.9%

17.4% home owners 64.9%

18.6% living at the same address five years ago 52.9%

33.9% born in a non English speaking country 13.8%

25.8% with Christian affiliation 63.9%

Two key features of our parish

1. Location

Includes 5 different neighbourhoods bordered by extremely busy streets that funnel traffic in and out of the city; in a unique educational precinct (TAFE, UTS, Notre Dame and Sydney Universities)

2. Diversity

People groups: from many different racial, socio-economic and educational backgrounds

Building use: cafes and shops beside residential housing; large, new apartment blocks beside older style buildings and public housing dwellings

Compared with the Australian average, Barneys parish has:

•more people who are university qualified

•more people who live alone

•more people who were born in non English speaking countries

•higher levels of transience

• fewer babies to school-age children

• fewer employed people

• fewer young families

• fewer home owners

• fewer people with Christian affiliation.

2006 Census DataTotal population: 20,196

Our parish

Barneys

Glebe

Parish boundary

Public housing – dense

Park

Broadway Shopping Centre

Data Source: The City of Sydney Council

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CharacterThe Glebe section of Barneys parish is bounded by Cowper Street, Glebe Point Road, Broadway and Bay Street. This is an eclectic area with contrasting faces – from the hustle and bustle of cafés and shops on Glebe Point Road and Broadway, to quiet back streets with low-rental cottages … from up-market Broadway Shopping Centre, to public housing where residents struggle to survive above the poverty line and a few indigenous people are often seen begging...

“People seem to walk fast in the two-metre radiusof the bus stop. After that, everything seems normal again. Barneys is just 10 to 20 metres from this bus stop.” Saturday 10.30am, Broadway

Cowper StFriend in Hand Pub mixed housing block (under construction)

Glebe Point RdGlebe Markets; cafes/restaurants

Francis/Franklyn StSmall park/playground Peter Forsyth Auditorium and outdoor basketball court

Bay StBroadway Shopping Centre gym Australian Youth Hotel

Wentworth Park

Connection Points

Glebefrom accommodation for university students (many from mainland China), to businesses and schools attracting workers from all over Sydney.

MovementBroadway Shopping Centre is the big magnet in this area and brings hundreds into our streets, especially on Thursday evenings and weekends. On weekdays the footpaths of Broadway are filled with students and commuters walking from Central Station. Glebe Point Road attracts a wide

mix of young and old, particularly on weekends, when many gather at Glebe Markets and enjoy the village atmosphere.

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On the right a commercial building was being renovated, and further down the street was a massive building site. This is an area full of change!

Saturday 3.30pm, Smail Street

Glebe

Broadway Shopping Centre

is the big magnet in this

area and brings hundreds

into our streets.

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“T he Friend in Hand pub was alive with customers inside and out. Friday 9.30pm, Cowper Street

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T his street has such a desolate feeling about it … nothing going on. We felt our spirits drop as we walked this street.”Friday 9.30pm, Grose Street

Broadway Shopping Centre

is the big magnet in this

area and brings hundreds

into our streets.

“““‘“‘“I met longterm resident and his dog Rex, selling bikes he’’ has restored. Living in government housing.”

Barneys

Ultimo

Parish boundary

Public housing – dense

Park

Data Source: The City of Sydney Council

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Character The Ultimo area of Barneys parish is bounded by Bay, Jones, William Henry and Pyrmont Streets. The diversity seen throughout our parish is nowhere more evident than in Mountain Street, site of the new Barneys – walking from the Macarthur Street end, you’ll see a small park, government housing, the International Grammar School, trendy renovated warehouses, the Sydney College of English, daytime cafés, and the Quadrant apartment complex. A steep hill divides this neighbourhood from the upper part of Ultimo, which is bordered by the busy thoroughfares of Wattle and Harris Streets. As soon as you move away from these main

Mountain Street The Quadrant Sydney College of English International Grammar School Park at the end of street

Cafes

McKee StreetCommunity garden

Jones Street

Stanley Hunt Hostel (for elderly Chinese)

Quarry StreetUltimo Public School Harris Community Centre Lord Wolseley Hotel

William Henry Street

Ultimo Community Centre

Harris Street Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre

Powerhouse Museum

UTS

TAFE

UltimoConnection Points

roads you discover Ultimo’s peaceful back streets, lined with green spaces, terrace houses and apartment blocks, as well as pockets of government housing. There is a palpable sense of community: the heart of the neighbourhood is the Harris and Ultimo Community Centres, hosting activities of all kinds, and there is a community garden in McKee Street. With Chinatown on the doorstep and a large Chinese population, there is also a distinct Asian feel.

Movement Mountain Street bustles during the day with shoppers and office workers, but after 7pm it becomes quiet. On weeknights lots of workers can be seen walking or driving home along William Henry Street and people gather for an after-work drink at the Lord Wolseley pub in Quarry Street. On weekends without commuter traffic the atmosphere is more relaxed. Ultimo Community Centre is always a hive of activity.

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Ultimo

What must it be like for the little group of residential houses located on this busy car-funnelling street? … Where do the people who live in those residential apartments go to get a sense of community?

Sunday 2pm, Wattle Street

I imagine Max Brenner will be greatly used by Barneys members when we go back to our site ... imagine Bible studies … one-on-ones ... all sorts of exciting things going on there ...”

Friday 10.30pm, Mountain Street

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Netball at Ultimo Community CentreOn 5 October 2011, around 20 Barneys members found their way to the Ultimo Community Centre rooftop netball courts. They had formed two netball teams for a local Wednesday evening comp, made up of teams of people who know one another socially or through work, or who just want to play sport. But the Barneys teams had another motivation on top of their love of sport. Their intention was to love their neighbours by competing against them – in a friendly way, of course!

To be able to connect with the local community in this way has been simple, easy, cheap, and not all that time-consuming.

Being humble winners, positive losers, and genuinely supportive of the other teams in the comp is rewarding.

“T he area had a really multicultural feel. As I walked around I heard five or six different accents or languages. T he area also seemed relatively student-centred with young couples or people living on their ownMonday 6.30pm, Jones Street

Wentworth Park GamesThe LYN Team went to Wentworth Park to volunteer for the annual community Games Day on Sunday 16 October 2011. Among other things, we supervised:aHulaHoopcompetition,anAFL-stylefootie-kicking comp with points for kicking the ball betweentheposts,acompwherepeoplethrew hats onto a hatstand! But the highlight of the afternoon was definitely the dog races. Mostly the dogs managed to stay on the track, but many didn’t make it to the end unless their owner ran alongside. It was hilarious to watch!

What we were most surprised by was how much we had in common with the participants. It wasn’t hard to love THESE neighbours. There were singles, families, migrants, workers, students, home-owners, renters, young, old, dog owners, bike riders … a mixed bag, just like us at Barneys.

Community activities

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“A few street gardens show that some people have made an extra effort to beautify the area.”Thursday 4.45pm, Chippendale

Barneys

Chippendale

Parish boundary

Public housing – dispersed

Park

Data Source: The City of Sydney Council

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Lots of young people in this area – there’s definitely a uni buzz … Thursday 4.45pm, Shepherd St

BroadwayCentral Park

Notredame University – courtyard eating area;

cafes/restaurants/gyms

Bar Broadway

City Road

The Lansdowne

Myrtle StKerbside community garden; park with playground

Pine StPine Street Creative Arts Centre

Cleveland StThe Rose

Victoria ParkChildren’s playground (City Rd side);

Victoria Park Pool

ChippendaleConnection Points Character

The Chippendale section of Barneys parish is bordered by the four traffic thoroughfares of Abercrombie Street, Broadway, City Road and Cleveland Street. Like in Ultimo, once you move away from these streets you find a quiet residential suburb that is a mix of terraces, modern apartment blocks and renovated warehouse buildings. The streets are dotted with communal spaces, including Pine Street Creative Arts Centre (the hub for local art-inspired activities), a community garden and Victoria Park and Swimming Pool. Yet the unusually high fences in the back lanes perhaps show a sense of guardedness towards the outside world.There is a diversity of ethnic groups and the Chippendale Child Care Centre has “Welcome” in 13 languages on the door. Over the past few years families have moved out and Chippendale has become more of a rental investment area for young couples and students who enjoy inner-city living and proximity to Sydney University.

MovementDespite its dense population, the streets of Chippendale are relatively quiet. It tends to be a place people pass through on their way to other places. On weekdays university students and young city workers ride or walk through Chippendale to Broadway shops or into the city. On weekends people frequent the area’s few cafes and other gathering spots like the Aikido Centre on Cleveland

Street and Pine Street Creative Arts Centre. Victoria Park, with its playground, swimming pool and other features, attracts a constant stream of locals, and there is plenty of pedestrian traffic on City Road as people walk between Broadway and the University. The Rose Hotel on Cleveland Street offers a place for workers to gather for an evening drink.

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Barneys

University of Sydney Precinct

Parish boundary

Public housing – dense

Data Source: The City of Sydney Council

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Character The Darlington section of Barneys Parish is bounded by Shepherd and Abercrombie Streets, Carillon Avenue, Missenden Road and Parramatta Road (Broadway). Sydney University is the dominant feature in the area, along with the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital on the University’s western boundary. Southeast of City Road, the streets are lined with a mix of university buildings and terrace houses that mainly provide student accommodation. There is a large complex of public housing in Golden Grove Street, as well as pockets near Cleveland Street. This is also an entertainment area, with the Seymour Centre and several art galleries bringing people into the neighbourhood.

MovementOn weekday mornings and afternoons there is a definite university buzz around Abercrombie Street, with lots of

students making their way to or from Redfern Station. This area has a positive community feel, and locals can be seen sitting outside the Royal Hotel after work and eating at local restaurants. It quietens down a bit towards Golden Grove Street, with just a few locals walking on the streets. Sydney University campus is busy all day long during semester, and the Hospital precinct on Missenden Road is a constant hive of activity.

DarlingtonShepherd StDarlington Activity Club

Abercrombie StCommunity Garden (in Charles Kernan Reserve) and play ground; hotels, cafes, restaurants;

Darlington Public School

Rose StSydney Uni Sports Centre

CamperdownSydney University precinct

Missenden RdRPAH Department of Housing

“T he housing has a temporary feel about it, looks like student accomodation”.Thursday 4.45pm, Darlington

Connection Points

Pyrmont

Parish boundary

Public housing – dense

Park

Data Source: The City of Sydney Council

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Pyrmont

Bowman StPark and BBQs on waterfront

Mount StPyrmont Community Centre

Pirrama RdPirrama Park – BBQs/playground/cafe;

Star CasinoPrymont Growers Markets

Harris StMaybank Youth Centre cafes/restaurants/hotels

Character The Pyrmont section of Barneys parish begins at Fig Street and includes the whole of Pyrmont Peninsula. Through it runs the major thoroughfare of Pyrmont Bridge Road as well as the Western Distributor, but the heart of Pyrmont is Harris Street, teeming with shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants. The surrounding residential streets are much quieter, as in other parts of Barneys parish, but the large number of modern, high-rise housing developments here is strikingly different. The names of these high-rise towers – The Distillery, The Cooperage etc – and nearby streets such as Quarry Master Road are the only reminders today of the area’s strong industrial past.

“Union Square is such a hub at this time. It’s a transfer point for commuters. People are walking to the city to catch transport home, others are walking out of the city. Most noticeable are cyclists”Tuesday 5pm

MovementThe quarry and factory labourers of 100 years ago have been replaced by office workers, with several TV and radio stations and other large corporations located in the area. On weekday mornings and afternoons Pyrmont also becomes a thoroughfare for pedestrians and cyclists travelling in and out of the city via Anzac and Pyrmont Bridges. The Star complex attracts hundreds each day to its casino, theatre, restaurants and shops, and Pyrmont’s many waterside parks and walkways are popular with joggers and families enjoying the barbecue facilities. Away from the busy streets, though, it’s hard to find the same sense of community in Pyrmont’s new high-rise towers as you’ll find in the older residential areas of our parish.

Connection Points

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1. Commit to walking around the Barneys neighbourhood at different times of the day. Ask yourself what you are noticing for the first time.

2. Become a regular – commit to a local café or restaurant and show up on a regular basis. Get to know other customers and staff.

3. As a growth group, adopt a street or block near Barneys and make it your own. Get to know the people who work and live there.

4. Find and join social media groups that connect you with what’s going on in the Barneys area – Twitter, Facebook, blogs etc.

5. Join a club, class or group in the Barneys neighbourhood doing something that interests you.

6. As an individual or growth group, volunteer with the LYN Team to help out at community events in our neighbourhood.

7. Pray for opportunities to connect with, relate to and love our neighbours who live and work around Barneys.

Loving our neighboursThe LYN Team invites you and your growth group to start looking at the Barneys neighbourhood through Jesus’ eyes. Here are some steps you can take TODAY:

Pray that we at Barneys will:

Grow in such trust in God and the gospel of Jesus Christ that we will be courageous and constant in sharing the good news

Be a people ready and eager to engage with our neighbours and to love them as Christ has loved us

Humbly seek to love and serve the people who live and work around our church in Broadway, Glebe, Ultimo, Chippendale, Darlington and Pyrmont

Seek to become a church where by our love and commitment to serve our neighbourhood, people will ask us about the hope we have

Learn how to be a blessing to our local area so that everyone would want us as their neighbour

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I often find myself walking with purpose, keen to get to the next event or activity on time.

How much enjoyment do we miss because we rush from place to place? How much need do we pass by in our rushing?

I found this experience so refreshing, as I could just stop. Stop all the busyness and stress of my life and fix my whole attention on my surroundings. It caused me to look. And I mean really LOOK. Not just rush past, but to look and to be.

When we take a moment out of our lives, a sacred moment that is free to go wherever it wants, it is a joy that we hardly ever experience. I discovered so much about the place and people of our neighbourhood just by being there. Really BEING there and absorbing the place.

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Further Reading

T Chester, S Timmis, 2011, Everyday Church: Mission by Being Good Neighbours, IVP, Nottingham timchester.co.uk

S C Holt, 2007, God and Engaging the Neighbourhood: Spirituality and Mission in the Neighbourhood, Acorn Press, Melbourne

A Roxburgh, 2011, Missional: Joining God in the Neighbourhood, Baker Books, Michigan

“Moving Back into the Neighbourhood” at http://roxburghmissionalnet.com

Halter,H and Smay,M., 2010, The Gathered and Scattered Church, Zondervan, Michigan; website: http//:missio.us

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loveyour

Copyright St. Barnabas Church, Broadway. April, 2012.