A Place to Belong, Grow and Serve

SALT sat down with Lieutenants Barry and Natalie Kirby, corps officers at Rangiora Corps (church), to learn how this North Canterbury corps serves its growing and diverse community. Together, they’re discovering how mission, faith and family intersect in a town whose very name speaks of recovery, wellbeing and life.

We arrived in Rangiora with a six-week-old baby and a two-and-a-half-year-old. That six-week-old, Jemimah, is now three; and our once-toddler, Daniel, is at school. We’re excited to be expecting another baby girl in April. Jemimah tracks our officership journey,’ laughs Natalie. ‘We’ve essentially been officers for as long as she’s been alive—she was born just 10 days before we were commissioned.’

Barry and Natalie are grateful for the opportunity to put down roots in this North Canterbury town. ‘Rangiora is a beautiful community, and it’s been exciting to be part of the changes that have taken place over the last four years,’ explains Natalie.
The Salvation Army has a long history in Rangiora since opening in 1884—celebrating its 140-year anniversary in 2024. While the locations and buildings have undergone many changes, The Salvation Army has remained connected to, and faithfully served, this community over the years.

Changing times

It’s not only the corps (church) buildings that have changed in Rangiora through the generations. ‘Since the Christchurch earthquakes many young families have migrated north from Christchurch seeking affordable housing and a change in lifestyle. You can live five minutes out of the Rangiora township with access to everything you need, and you can also have chickens or a cow. It’s the best of both worlds,’ explains Barry. ‘We are fortunate to have a local council that are very strategic. They anticipated the town’s expansion and invested in infrastructure to support growth long before it came.’

Rangiora has an unusual demographic, with 40 percent of residents over retirement age and another 40 percent made up of young families. Recent years have seen an increase in the number of retirement villages being built, and Te Matauru Primary School opened in 2020 to cater for the expanding population.

‘We have also witnessed significant growth in our homeless community, with many moving from Christchurch to Rangiora. We have people who live in caravan parks and are transient; we have people in active addiction; and like any community, we have those who are well off. We also have the highest population of single fathers in North Canterbury. It’s common to see many dads dropping their children off at pre-school and school,’ explains Barry.

Although Barry and Natalie were appointed to Rangiora Corps, their leadership in practice extends across North Canterbury. This includes the Waimakariri and Hurunui districts, along with a monthly congregation in Oxford.

Mission matters

How does a corps stay connected and serve well amid such breadth and change? By adapting and by maintaining a clear understanding of its mission.

‘When Natalie and I arrived in Rangiora, we visited everyone in our congregation. We asked why they come to the corps and what keeps them here. Many of them shared that they feel like they belong. They also talked about opportunities for growth. These conversations formed our Rangiora Corps Mission Statement—to be a safe place for all to belong, grow and serve.’

‘Our mission guides everything we do—it is our collective why,’ explains Natalie. ‘If we feel God is leading us in a direction, we check to see how that aligns with our mission.’

The fruit of this mission has been tangible. ‘When we arrived, we had fewer than 20 people attending, all of who were over the age of 70. Now our congregation represents our community and includes people from every generation. We went from having no young adults to 11 in 12 months. One of our young guys said, “I’m a reminder that God is still at work in The Salvation Army”,’ says Barry.

Team spirit

‘Barry and I are very grateful to work with an incredible team. We’ve intentionally spent time building relationships and leadership capacity—this place can run without us,’ says Natalie. The team includes administrator Karen, who has a missional heart; Community Ministries Coordinator Diane, with a social work background and longstanding local connections; and Next Gen Coordinator Nathan, who mentors boys in local schools and runs Kids Connect and Youth Connect groups. A youth coordinator is set to join this dynamic team soon, in response to growing needs.

Partnerships extend the impact. The Waimakariri Driving Programme operates from the corps site. ‘Two of their staff are here each week,’ Barry says. ‘This programme a great discipleship opportunity for us,’ shares Natalie. ‘The band’s community presence has grown, including playing at the combined churches’ Christmas service
in the park.’

The corps offers many services and points of connection with the community. A weekly morning tea for seniors, a community lunch, a monthly men’s group and a social supermarket are well supported by locals and foster intergenerational relationships.
‘We want to connect people to a God who loves them. We want to feed people, but we also want to feed people spiritually,’ explains Barry. ‘We have a beautiful relationship with our mayor, Dan Gordon, who says to me, that our job as a corps is to remind those in leadership of those who are unseen’.

‘There really is no typical day,’ explains Barry. ‘One hour I can be sitting with someone on the steps outside who is struggling with addiction, and the next I can be in a council meeting having conversations about the future of our district. We get to straddle those two worlds—it’s a privilege.’

A growing partnership

Former primary school teacher Natalie reflects that learning to work together as a married couple has not been without its challenges in their first appointment. ‘We used to clash when we didn’t understand how one another is wired. Recognising that we have different approaches helps us understand that we can do this together—differently,’ reflects Natalie.
Barry, who has a social work background, adds, ‘Recognising our callings and giftings has been particularly helpful. I sit in the apostle and prophetic space; I am passionate about justice and evangelism. Natalie has a huge pastoral heart and a mission for people to know Jesus. She also has a teaching gift.’ Together, they have learned to give each other space to do what they each do best.

Natalie adds, ‘I love seeing people learn and grow in new skills. A lot of what I did as a teacher I’m still doing now, but in a different capacity. Barry has a real heart for people who are living on the edge. Conflict doesn’t faze him. We’ve had a few altercations with people, and I’m content to let Barry stay calm and sort it out. It’s taken a bit of learning to figure it out, but we complement each other well.’

They’re also honest about sustainability. ‘I’ve never been someone who has struggled with my mental health, but the past few years have been very hard for me,’ shares Natalie. ‘After our first year, when the initial newness had worn off, I realised that I hadn’t taken a break since leaving [Salvation Army] college. We’d just had a baby when we arrived, and I wanted to be involved in everything. I used to be a people pleaser and say yes to make others happy. I’ve since learned that it’s not only okay to say no but that it’s really important. It serves everyone better in the long term’, she says.

‘We were taught the basics about how to be officers at Booth College of Mission. We were not taught how to stay married with kids as an officer. We both found it difficult to let go of work and be a family. For the corps to function well, we need to function well as a couple and as a family.’

Barry agrees, ‘We have learned to define what we really value. We are fortunate that we can be flexible with our time and can both be at home with the kids after school. We are still figuring out what ministry looks like for us as a couple. We’ve discovered that there are many ways you can live God’s calling on your life.

‘I think God’s a bit more relaxed than we make Him out to be,’ observes Barry. ‘Ministry with God is a beautiful playground—there’s a slide, swings, a sandpit. God doesn’t care what you choose, as long as you invite Him to do it with you.’
Family first

‘Our corps cares deeply about connecting with one another and doing life together. We are a family who support one another. Older members prayed for children and families to be part of our community for many years. We want our families to feel like they can be a family at church. This is made easier when your own children are the noisiest!’ laughs Natalie.

‘God has brought us into this season as a congregation. We talk about family often in our corps. In a healthy family there is no watching, everyone participates. We do this together. It’s messy, crazy, noisy and chaotic, but it’s beautiful and it’s what we’re chasing,’ says Barry.

The name Rangiora carries rich meaning—rangi speaks of sky or day, while ora speaks of recovery, wellbeing and life. ‘We want a full life for all people,’ says Natalie.

And right now, with a new baby on the way for the Kirby family, that sense of life feels especially close. It’s not only the Kirbys preparing to welcome a new beginning—the town and corps community are experiencing their own season of renewal, making Rangiora a great place to belong, grow and serve.