16.04.2019
Gathering Grounds – A New Way of Being Church Where a New Community Gathers Every Day
This article first appeared in the April edition of The Church Review, the Diocesan Magazine of Dublin & Glendalough.
A place of community, belonging, growth and healing – Gathering Grounds at the Kilternan Centre is much more than your average café. The café has been up and running since September 2018 and in a short time it has become a hub for the parish and the wider community of Kilternan in south County Dublin and beyond.
Run by volunteers under the encouraging watch of Julie Clements, Gathering Grounds draws people of all ages and backgrounds with its warm and welcoming atmosphere, the promise of a listening ear and a friendly face and really good coffee.
The not for profit venture is an additional ministry of the parish. It is run on an honesty box system and they aim to cover their costs. If you are having a good day, put a bit extra in, if you are having a bad day, the coffee is on them!
The volunteer baristas are fully trained in the use of the coffee machine. They serve sweet treats and food, some of which is made on site and some of which is brought in by a team of volunteer bakers.
The customer profile changes from hour to hour and day to day depending on activities in the centre. Parents drop in for a coffee and a chat after dropping their children off at the parish school. There’s Monday morning mindfulness and on Tuesdays the centre hosts the senior lunch. On Wednesday mornings the Play Café takes place so the café is filled with the sound of toddlers playing with the purpose bought equipment while their parents enjoy a chat and a coffee. The midweek Communion Service also takes place in the centre. But people can and do drop in at any time.
“This is naturally a place of community,” explains Julie who says that from very early on in the planning the Gathering Grounds would be a place of community, belonging, growth and healing.
“People gather here – the volunteers, the people at our senior lunch or mindfulness group and at the Play Café. Hopefully everything we do here creates space for people to grow as individuals and in faith. Through all of this healing can happen. We all need healing. People find comfort by being part of a community. We’re providing a space for solace,” she adds.
Julie and her husband, the Revd Rob Clements, arrived in Kilternan Parish three years ago. The plans for the long awaited parish centre had been in train for many years and had been overseen by a number of previous Rectors. A year after their arrival, ground was broken on what was to become the Kilternan Centre – the parish wanted to ensure that the centre served the entire community.
There was a space in the plans which was tailor made for a café and Rob began to wonder who would take it on. He asked Julie if she would think about it. She had been at home with their three children for five years but she suddenly realised that with their youngest starting school, she could do it.
Julie’s background is in psychology but she worked as a barista during her time at university. The owner of the coffee shop ran it as a ministry to both her employees and customers. “That stuck with me and now we’ve become even more removed from social contact and its more needed than ever,” she says.
She was determined to provide the full coffee shop experience and, after much research and with the help of rural development funding, purchased the Gathering Grounds coffee machine from the well–known Dun Laoghaire company, JJ Darboven. They also source their fair trade coffee there.
The company also provides training on how to use the machine which gives many of the volunteers a new skill. Already there are several teenage volunteers at Gathering Grounds and it is hoped that over the summer they will be able to train more young people which will help them if they want to seek part time employment to fund studies.
Apart from the practical skill, volunteers reap many more benefits. Being part of the team helps combat social isolation and some have been able to use their experience as a volunteer as a stepping stone to returning to the workplace. “A lot of the volunteers are not parishioners but I hope that they come and find something spiritual about the place.” Julie says. “The volunteers are the heart of it. Rob and I put it in motion but the volunteers make it work.”
A recent development is ‘Sunday Nights at the Grounds’, an alternative worship evening which takes place on the fourth Sunday of each month at 8pm. There are interviews with some singing and worship time. Julie and Rob hope to build on that as well as providing additional opportunities for prayer.
“For many people coming to church is still seen as a step too far,” Julie contends. “Sunday Nights at the Gathering Ground, alongside our busy Messy Church, offers people a new experience of church and faith”
She adds: “This place draws you just a little closer to the church. Even if you are just coming for coffee, it opens up the possibility of more. People do appreciate it. It’s not watered down faith. There’s something very spiritual about this place and people from all walks of life can feel it”.
Denis and his 10 year old daughter, who comes in before school, volunteer at Gathering Grounds daily. “It’s all to do with community taking ownership of the place. There is a certain amount of work but it’s good craic,” he explains. “The testament to that is that the volunteers stay. We’re not having to churn out coffees to meet the bottom line. It’s a real community, people are building connections.”
Jackie, a customer, drops by to chat to Julie and says that the great thing about Gathering Grounds is that on any day there will be someone to talk to. “There’s such a welcoming atmosphere. It’s a place where you’ll always find support. The honesty box is also very important – it’s aligned with parish values,” she comments. “Before Gathering Grounds there were a lot of activities happening but Gathering Grounds ties them all together.”
Another volunteer, Kerrith, helps out at Gathering Grounds on three days a week. “You get so much back from the people you work with and the people who come in. It’s different every day and I’ve met so many new people from the wider community,” she says.
Rob Clements says the success of Gathering Grounds has exceeded their expectations. “Kilternan was always a great parish, but its ability to reach into the community has changed. The Gathering Grounds is not just a good vehicle for Kilternan, but we hope it is also a resource for the dioceses as we model a new way of being church,” he explains.
“People are coming from all across the community, from church traditions and none. They’ve found here to be a place where they’re comfortable and where they can belong. It’s a place where people can have so many conversations. A new community gathers every day,” he adds.
Find out more about the Church Review here.
