Seeds of Hope in Bloom: Gower Street Open Doors
With the help of a Seeds of Hope grant, Gower Street United Church (St. John’s, NL) has welcomed many new faces during their Open Doors initiative!
During the summer and through the fall of 2023, Gower opened its doors to hundreds of visitors at times the church sanctuary would usually have been closed. While they always try to accommodate visitors who drop by the office, thanks to the grant from the United Church of Canada Foundation, they’ve been able to open those doors much more often, to many more people.
Opening More than Doors
The Foundation grant helped facilitate the hiring of visitor Guides – supplemented by Gower volunteers – for visitor “Open Door” sessions, and to acquire important promotional and informational material. During Open Doors, guides lead visitors and answer questions. At the same time, a repeating slideshow with music plays on our large sanctuary screen. The slides tell about their Methodist origins, the beginnings of the congregation in 1815, and their story since then, including the bold decision in 1925 to become part of the United Church of Canada… 24 years before Newfoundland became a province!
From the formal start of the 2023 program in early/mid-August, they opened their doors on more than 40 days (in addition to drop-in visits). During those days, more than 1,200 visitors were welcomed, most of whom would never otherwise have experienced this “architectural gem” or “hidden treasure” (as many have called the church!) or learned about the congregation’s heritage and history.
Program volunteers tell us, “Nearly all our visitors remark on the church’s unique architecture and the warmth of our woodwork and stained-glass windows. Many ask questions about Gower and the United Church – our history and architecture, our beliefs, our social engagement, and frequently about our Pride flags. Some sit and meditate or pray for a while before they go.”
Beyond Borders
The main objective of the program has been to present Gower and the United Church to communities beyond their doors and borders. A key focus of Open Doors was the many cruise ships that visited from August onward (they also opened for other visitors on many weekends and weekdays, and during special holidays). In each case, they learned that there is a strong interest in the historic church and in the surrounding district, locally and well beyond.
Program volunteers remark, “Opening our arms in this way has given much wider access to our historic church, to the nearly 210 years of our material and spiritual heritage, and to our hopes and prayers for the future.”
Bravo, Gower Street!
Help Plant More Seeds of Hope!
The United Church of Canada Foundation offers a variety of grant opportunities for organizations and individuals to bring life to the mission and values of the United Church. Grants from the Foundation, representing the generosity of many United Church people, help make this work possible! To make a financial gift to support this good work, please click here. Thank you!
