St Luke's vicar Reverend John Matthews says the new garden will connect the congregation with the wider community. Photo / Warren Buckland
St Luke's vicar Reverend John Matthews says the new garden will connect the congregation with the wider community. Photo / Warren Buckland
Four years ago, an idea to transform a steep mound of dirt at the back of a church into a thriving community garden was raised.
The dream came true as Bishop Andrew Hedge opened the community garden at St Luke's Anglican Church in Havelock North on Friday.
The garden isa collaboration between the Anglican Parish of Havelock North and Anglican Care Waiapu, the social services arm of the diocese.
Reverend John Matthews said the idea had been kicking around the parish for the past four years.
When the Bishop and Anglican Care Waiapu chief executive Lucy Laitinen were in a meeting with the parish council last year, a parishioner raised the garden idea and they decided it was time to bring the idea to life.
Laitinen says the parish council originally "thought we were a bit mad" as the bank was very steep and covered in scrub but a landscape designer was brought in to see what could be done.
Evie Van Asch and Ethan Evans cut the ribbon to the new garden at the blessing and opening. Photo / Supplied
Earthart Landscaping created a terraced bank design with safety fences and a gate to ensure no one in the garden would fall from the bank and after a lot of digging out clay, the garden was completed over summer.
Matthews said older congregation members will teach the children in the after-school care group and holiday programme about growing food.
Food will be donated to Nourished for Nil and the project will help the children understand where food comes from and the social responsibility of the church helping those less fortunate, he said.
"Our church is called to look outside itself; our work is beyond us. This is really the place we come together to do the work we are supposed to do."
The Bishop, reverend, Laitinen, the after-school club and congregation members gathered last Friday to bless and open the garden.
Matthews said there is a tradition in the northern hemisphere that when you set aside something for God, you leave a cross in its place marked with holy oil, so he placed a cross he had brought from his home country Wales.
"It means that it is set apart especially for God's service to the community, they call it God's Acre traditionally."
Garden planting will begin soon.
As part of work for the community, Laitinen said ACW is also exploring the concept of building housing on parish land in the diocese.
"Housing is one of the biggest needs in our country and we believe the role of the church is to respond to those most in need. ''
