Making a Mess on Purpose in Kāpiti Many may recall the advertising slogan for Kleenex’s ‘Viva’ paper towels: ‘Life is v. messy—soak it up with Viva!’ And while this could be an apt description for what’s happening at Kāpiti Salvation Army’s ‘Messy Church’, the emphasis is not on cleaning up the mess per se but on soaking up life with all its mess together. SALT sat down with Kāpiti Corps (church) leaders Lt-Colonels Sheryl and Stephen Jarvis, Denise Gray (Messy Church coordinator) and Hannah Medland (communication and creativity champion), to learn about Messy Church and the (good) challenges and opportunities it has added to the life and ministry of the coastal corps. WORDS Jules Badger
heryl, Stephen, Denise and Hannah all love living and serving on the Kāpiti Coast. ‘It’s a beautiful place to be,’ says Stephen. ‘It feels like you are permanently on holiday,’ explains Hannah, and everyone laughs when Sheryl adds, ‘And it’s also not as windy as Wellington!’ For those who may need some clarity, ‘Kāpiti Coast’ is the umbrella name for the district that extends from Paekākāriki to Ōtaki, including Raumati South, Waikanae and Paraparaumu. Denise has lived on the Kāpiti Coast her entire life and testifies to the vast changes in the population demographics over the past few decades. ‘Kāpiti Coast was once known as the place where people came to retire. But it’s changing, with more and more young families moving out here for the relaxed lifestyle—people wanting to get out of the city. There’s this whole beachy feel here and so much to do. We have beautiful bush walks, river trails, cafés and parks, Saturday morning markets and, of course, the Kāpiti Island tours and overnight stays,’ says Denise. Apparently, there’s some great local ice cream too! 20
November 2023
Once an outpost of Paremata Corps (renamed Mana Corps in 2001, which closed in 2013), the work of The Salvation Army in Kāpiti began in 1979, with the corps officially opening in 1980. Today, 43 years on, Kāpiti Salvation Army strongly reflects its community, with predominantly young families and seniors making up the intergenerational corps whānau (family).
Life is v. messy Although a beautiful place to live, life can be messy on the coast. Like many New Zealand communities, Kāpiti has not been immune to the impact of the rising cost of living. ‘We’ve had a massive increase in the number of people coming to us for help with food. People are either on a lower income and just can’t meet their bills anymore, or they are struggling to make ends meet on the benefit. For others it’s the impact of interest rates. We are now seeing a whole new clientele of people who have bought homes here in the last few years, accessing our services for the first time. These are families we have never seen before,’ explains Sheryl.