Guts & Grace: Christchurch City Mission a History

(Paperback)

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"Guts and Grace" is the history of the Christchurch City Mission. It was launched on 9 July, to celebrate the City Mission's 90th anniversary, at the Transitional Cathedral. Written by Rev Dr Geoff Haworth, the book traces the origins of the city mission phenomenon, and shows how it was established in Christchurch, as the Great Depression was gathering force. It began in the schoolroom of St Luke's, Manchester Street ,under the leadership of Diocesan Evangelist Rev Percy Revell, who organised teams of volunteers to serve lunch to unemployed men. Revell quickly became the foundational city missioner. Although the country was gripped by the most severe depression in its history, the City Mission managed to rent premises in Salisbury Street within three months of its foundation, and three years later, had bought land and a house at 199 Antigua Street, and built its own headquarters building. That building still exists today, as the op shop behind 275 Hereford Street. The house in Antigua Street became the Guest House, emergency accommodation for homeless men. When World war Two broke out, unemployment in New Zealand virtually disappeared, and the Guest House became a hostel for men about to join the armed forces, or on leave. Later, it became a hostel for male teenagers and young men who were entering the workforce. From 1952 to about 1980, leadership of the City Mission was given to the Church Army, the Anglican lay evangelical society, who presided over the Mission's caring services, and helped it to expand. In the 1960s, it set up a chain of op shops, and introduced professional social workers. In 1968, it sold its Antigua Street premises, and moved to a better location at 275 Hereford Street. By 1975, it had built a new headquarters building there, and relocated the former headquarters building from Antigua Street. Rev Maurice Goodall led the Mission at this stage, and expanded it greatly, encouraging it to become a more professional organisation, whilst being faithful to its Christian roots. Over the years, the Mission has continued to change and develop its services. It began a Night Shelter in 1968, and opened a separate Women's Night Shelter three years ago. It has offered the Caravan in the Square, the Thorpe Centre, the Governor's Bay project, the Mt Grey Downs Centre, Te Whare Roimata, and Walsh House, among other services, in response to the changing pattern of the city's needs. Thanks to wise and effective stewardship, it has become financially secure, and in fact opened its new premises in Hereford Street debt-free in 2012. "Guts and Grace" describes the impact on the City Mission of the Canterbury earthquakes, and how the Mission rose to the challenges imposed by the quakes, and provided highly effective care to a traumatised public. The title makes allusions to the "guts" - the courage of the Mission's leaders and staff in dealing with major social problems, and the "grace"- the God-given dimension of compassion by which the City Mission makes its contribution to the needs of many of Christchurch's people.

Author Bio

The Rev. Dr Geoff Haworth has served as a parish priest in the dioceses of Auckland and Christchurch. Before ordination, he was HOD of English at Morrinsville College and Waihi College.He gained his PhD from the University of Auckland in 2004, and has written "Marching As to War" - the story of New Zealand's Anglican Church during World War Two. He also wrote "He Taonga Tongarewa: A Highly-Prized and Precious Gift" on the history of "A New Zealand Prayer Book/He Karakia Mihinare O Aotearoa". His wife Jenny runs Wily Publications, which published "Guts and Grace".