A warm bed, a shared meal and a reason to hope: Faith in action at Ignite Church

Pastor Darin Browne: “People are valuable to God and they’re valuable to us. Their worth doesn’t change because of their circumstances or what has happened to them.”

by Cameron Outridge

When a man who had been sleeping rough walked into Ignite Church one Sunday wearing his best suit, Pastor Darin Browne saw more than a change of clothes.

The church had helped the man through a difficult period. His return, for which he had carefully dressed for the occasion, was an expression of dignity and a desire to respect and reconnect with the people who supported him.

For Pastor Darin, it demonstrated what Ignite Church in Short Street, Nambour, is trying to achieve: meeting immediate needs while ensuring people know they remain valued.

“There are a lot of good people going through hard times,” he said. “They may have experienced a marriage breakdown, financial trouble or something else that has left them broken. I tell our team to love everybody as much as we can.

“People are valuable to God and they’re valuable to us. Their worth doesn’t change because of their circumstances or what has happened to them.”

That principle is captured in Ignite’s six-word mission: “Real people, real community, real God.”

Pastor Darin developed the statement after concluding that lengthy, corporate-style mission statements were rarely read. For him, its meaning extends beyond acceptance to offering direction and support. “Real love is actually leading and guiding and having a standard,” he said.

The mission is put into practice through initiatives including the Health Hub in Currie Street and the Coffee Hub and Ignite Church in Short Street. The church also owns and operates Lily House which provides supported accommodation for women in crisis, and Grace Haven Cottages, accommodation for women escaping domestic violence. In addition it runs initiatives helping people find transport, employment and housing.

It is also part of the Winter Shelter Program, where non-denominational churches across Nambour and the hinterland take turns providing shelter for up to 10 people, four nights a week. Guests receive meals and a warm bed in a supervised church environment during winter.

At Ignite, volunteers prepare dinner and breakfast, spend time with guests and remain at the church overnight. Services such as Orange Sky may also attend, allowing guests to wash their clothes.

Pastor Darin said the program’s impact extended beyond the people receiving shelter to the volunteers themselves.

“Our volunteers share meals, listen to people’s stories and spend time with them,” he said. “There has been an incredible spirit of joy among our people because they know they are doing something practical and significant.

“The winter shelter isn’t only helping the guests. It brings our volunteers together and changes the way they see people experiencing homelessness.”

In one example, two men who had previously stayed in the shelter returned as volunteers, helping supervise and support guests.

Their decision reflected the kind of reciprocal community Pastor Darin hopes the church can foster, one in which people are not permanently divided into those who give and those who receive.  “Sometimes people are up and sometimes they’re down, but we walk the road together,” he said. “Community means sharing life, whether it is a good time or a bad time.”

That sense of community is also evident between Ignite’s two Sunday services. 

Pastor Darin describes the busy coffee hour separating them as the church’s “third service”, where people talk, pray, arrange midweek catch-ups and “do life together”.

He believes churchgoers should not simply sit through services, but connect with people facing genuine need.

His vision also extends beyond his congregation. Pastors from churches across Nambour, Yandina and the hinterland, including The Shack,  Nambour Christian Church, New Life, Flame Tree, Wesleyan and Hope Church meet monthly to see where they can coordinate and cooperate.

The meetings are an opportunity to “build one another up and support one another”, he said.

Pastor Darin believes churches once formed the backbone of Nambour and should again take an active role in caring for local people. His hope is that the town’s congregations can work together to support anyone in the community who needs help.

“We’re not trying to build an empire; we’re serious about blessing the community,” he said.

“Faith has to be more than something we talk about. It has to be lived.”