The Pier offers warm welcome to community at daily luncheons

Posted Jan 19, 2012 By Doreen Barnes

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EMC News - It's an open door policy for the greater community.

"We want people to know that they can come here for whatever the reason, to be fed, for friendship and coffee, it's for anyone," says Debbie Smith, The Pier Christian Church ministry coordinator.

Located at the south entrance of the Quality Hotel and Conference Centre Royal Brock, 100 Stewart Blvd., Brockville, The Pier Christian Church's Common Ground Ministry addresses hungry appetites with delicious homemade food, a warm environment to shed the chills of the weather and to receive spiritual guidance, all free.

This facility is open to everyone from 10:30 in the morning for coffee and devotion, followed by a homemade lunch served between 11 and 12:30 p.m., in a delightful dining atmosphere.

"Mr. Parmar has been amazing," says Pastor Jonathan Zinck. "This used to be a dance bar and we have transformed it. The location is great, very accessible, warm and inviting."

The comforting interior offers a library for adults, children and families along with a sitting area, washrooms, a prayer room, a table set up for people to add pieces to an existing jigsaw puzzle, an office, kitchen, dining room and storage area.

HOMEMADE MEALS

The individuals who volunteer their time five days a week to shop, prepare and serve the meals are retired and do this because they feel the need.

"It's a team effort," says volunteer Ron Dorie. "It started with three women about four years ago and then they allowed me to come in. We are all retired and are here five days a week."

As Smith explains when they started this outreach program at the Trinity Church in downtown Brockville it was muffins or cookies with coffee, using a microwave.

They have now grown to full meals with local community businesses, parishioners and outside sources donating food.

"We have a lot of people who bring things in, so it's (lunch) all homemade," indicates Dorie. "Sometimes we add to the meal with items we have bought."

He's referring to accompaniments to soup or salads as side dishes.

"We saw the need for people coming in looking for a hot meal and they were not getting it," says Smith. "We have actually watched some of those people who were so frail and thin grow to being very healthy looking people. People do not just come for the food they also come for the fellowship and devotion every day."

Also, local farmers have given meat, vegetables and other items for these luncheons.

"The lunch part is secondary to the main purpose of having a safe place in the community and to build positive friendships," adds Zinck. "Every day there is devotion (10 a.m. with coffee) and no one leaves without us saying 'is there anything we can pray with you for'? This centre has become home away from home for a lot of people."

Zinck feels that some people are here because of financial needs, but for most it is the social aspect or the lack of positive surroundings.

Common Ground also works with the local food banks and other organizations to share their bounty. This past Christmas there were boxes of oranges donated so this gift was shared with Loaves and Fishes.

OTHER PROGRAMS

In addition to supplying food items, the public has given items towards the annual August backpack initiative, as well as toiletries which are bagged and given out at Christmas or as needed.

"Last year (2011) we handed out 300 toiletry bags at Loaves and Fishes," says Smith. "We also handed out more at our Christmas Dinner to people who came."

Also as a contributor with other local churches for Sunday Suppers, The Pier now has a facility in which to serve their suppers.

THE PIER

"When we first started the church," says Zinck, "we wanted to have a safe (physical sense, spiritual and social) place for people of the community to come whether it was on their lunch hour or whatever. If there was someone they needed to talk with or to pray with they could. It's all confidential and non-judgmental, but we are honest with people. Here's your life and here's the choice you are making."

Zinck adds that Sunday services are mainly at the Brockville Arts Centre, with the odd service being held at Brockville Collegiate Institute.

"The reason why we are like this is because churches have to make a choice," says Zinck. For The Pier their choice was to reach the community and invest in people with their Ministry Outreach.

In doing this The Pier has kept its overhead low. It does not own buildings.

When it was decided to lease, space was intended to be used for community purposes along with worship.

"Because this is a multi-use facility, we are hoping to get volunteers to stay here more," says Zinck. "We have 24/7 prayers in our church, which people do at home or follow on line. The more volunteers we get the longer we can keep the facility open."

INVESTING IN PEOPLE

"We do not pay peoples' rent or hydro," says Zinck, "but what we do is counsel and if people are in a pinch for groceries, we can help. We also try to support other ministries that are doing great work, like Cross Town Impact."

Their mission is to connect with God and everyone in this community, by investing in people.

"We really take an approach if someone has a passion on their heart, we say go for it," says Zinck. "There's a lady in our church, Joan and she has a program called Fruit for Schools. A lot of kids in our community do not have access to fruit, so she provides, on a regular basis, fruit to downtown schools. It is simply average people taking the opportunity for what they are passionate about and our responsibility is to support them."

STRUGGLES

Zinck feels that peoples' struggles may be of generational concern wherein the same conditions exist today as they did when their parents were growing up, and the generation before that.

"Children's Aid becomes involved, people get into trouble with the law, are known by the police or are struggling financially," says Zinck. "Through the ministry here, they get care and for the first time they feel valued as a person, realizing they have choices. We help with the immediate need and then approach a plan for next week and the week after.

We are able to help them make healthy life choices."

The Pier Christian Church is well connected with several community services programs in Brockville, including Social Services, Mental Health and Wellness and many other resources to guide individuals.

"Our value in doing what we do is because of our relationship with Christ," says Zinck. "We are engaging where his heart is and that's people because we genuinely love people.

Zinck says their usefulness is having the opportunity to be part of peoples' journeys.

CULTURAL CHALLENGES

"There's a generation of adults if you mention the name Jesus to them, they would not know who he was," states Zinck. "They have never heard of him."

According to Zinck, we live in a culture where people are pegged depending on what they look like and their social/economic status.

"Everybody is the same to us, valued with no judgment. Common Ground is a positive, socially and spiritually-safe place to come."

He doesn't believe that homelessness is increasing as much as the lack of spiritually and despair.

"I think people are feeling hopelessness through their expectations in our world, plus the financial and relational stresses," he says. "Because a lot of people have struggles in their life and if God is not in the equation, then what is this all about?"

Zinck thinks that the issue around the working poor who have more than one job, work longer hours and are just keeping their heads above water, lack the support.

"I think the real solution is people taking responsibility for their community," he says. "If anything, for us as a society realizing that the number one priority in our community is people's lives. It's not how much money we make, it's about the quality of life."

Zinck feels that with his experiences of living in other communities, he has noticed that Brockville does take a real interest in their neighbours and residents.

For those who want to donate food items for lunches - coffee, sweetener, large cans of soup, canned fruits and fruit cocktail would be greatly appreciated.

To contact The Pier Christian Church call (613) 498-7729 (pray) or email info@thepierchristianchurch.com.




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