Johnsonville’s Family Reunion
The Salvation Army Johnsonville (SAJ) is holding a ‘family reunion’ over the weekend starting 5 September. With 30 years of mission and ministry under its belt, there is much for SAJ to celebrate! God has been, and continues to be, so very faithful. The current congregation is excited about hosting those who have registered and honouring their contribution to the wider SAJ story.
I’m excited to reconnect with those returning to reminisce and celebrate their part in the SAJ story,’ says SAJ corps officer, Major Mat Badger. ‘The great thing about a reunion is that it gives us the opportunity to re-examine our roots, to reflect on our “why”, and to thank God for his ongoing guidance as we consider the future.’
Discipleship Coordinator Karen White adds, ‘God’s been so good to us over the past 30 years! People have found Jesus and lives have been changed. It’s easy to forget this in the busyness of life but I’m excited to pause and give God all the glory because we have been blessed and that’s something we must celebrate and never forget.’
A church to invite your friends to
In 1993, Alastair and Jocelyn Kendrew were attending Wellington South Corps in Newtown when they bought their first home in Johnsonville. Along with some others now living in the area, they began imagining what a local expression of The Salvation Army might look like.
‘We all wanted to be part of a local church we could invite our friends to—especially those who didn’t know Jesus,’ says Alastair. ‘We wanted to offer a Christian response to questions that people were asking, sing modern songs and have a music team. Over time, we gained a reputation for being radical. I don’t think we were radical, we just wanted to be relevant to the people we were trying to reach.’
At the beginning of 1995, The Salvation Army appointed Captains Andy and Yvonne Westrupp to set up a church planting initiative. A team of 20 people was soon formed, ready to bring the vision to life.
‘Our initial gatherings were for prayer, dreaming and casting vision,’ explains Andy. ‘We were strongly influenced by Willow Creek Community Church in America and talked about “bring, build, send”, in other words, evangelism, disciple-making and community impact. Everything we were learning indicated that without putting extra emphasis on “bringing”, the rest was unlikely to happen, so evangelism was our focus. Our very first Sunday service was held on Father’s Day—it was a great opportunity to bring our friends along.’
A key part of the vision was to be a family friendly church. But in the early stages, little thought had been given to a children’s programme or ministry.
‘We’d been exploring telemarketing as a way of reaching people,’ Alastair recalls, ‘and in doing so, missed the obvious: if you want families to come, you have to prioritise children. Thankfully, God had a plan despite us!’
With half the planting team raising young children, the question of what would be offered for them quickly surfaced. ‘Katrina and Michael Sampson volunteered to get something going, and it soon became the catalyst for growth,’ says Alastair. ‘Over time, Jenny Wake probably invited all the families on her street!’
Services were held at the newly opened community centre, which meant the planting team had to set up and pack down before and after every service. It was hard work, but Alastair fondly remembers a tight team functioning like a well-oiled machine!
Let them eat cake
A key facet of Sunday services was the emphasis on creating a seeker-sensitive experience—carefully curated around making new people feel welcome and included, with content that was relevant to those exploring church and faith for the first time.
‘Andy organised a cake to celebrate when we reached the milestone of 100 people. It was April, just seven months after we started, which was truly amazing,’ recalls Alastair. Karen is quick to point out that there are two cake stories from those early years, including one involving a polystyrene cake when the current building was opened in 2000.
‘Everyone was invited to put a candle on the cake and light it,’ explains Karen. ‘This took quite a while with so many people, and the polystyrene cake caught fire—so we had to evacuate the building the very day it opened!’
Karen and Alastair recall wonderful highlights from those early years, including annual celebrations; social events like mystery bus tours, barn dances and ‘top team’ competitions; as well as invitational events and practical courses. These included parenting programmes, cooking classes, adventure-based weekends for women, events for men and the annual community Halloween alternatives for children.
Crucial to the growth and discipleship of new believers was the introduction of the Alpha Course, which became a cornerstone for SAJ’s ministry. It provided a welcoming space for seekers and new believers to explore faith and ask questions, while also offering meaningful service opportunities for SAJ members.
Half-nights of prayer with a ‘boiler room’ atmosphere became regular and essential spaces for bold prayer—the fuel that fanned the flame of what God was doing through His Holy Spirit.
Alastair recalls a particularly significant moment in 2001, when his first son was dedicated. ‘Obviously, there were visitors because of Liam’s dedication, but 200 people attended and that soon became the new normal.’
Friends for life
Like many families, Karen and her husband Brian stayed at SAJ, inspired by their kids who voted with their feet—drawn to a place where they felt truly at home.
‘We were looking for a church and Brian knew a few people at The Salvation Army, so we tried it. Linda and Jono were so excited when they came out of the kids’ space—they wanted to come back! So we did. Later we ran these “guess who’s coming to dinner” meals which were instrumental in getting to know people. We mixed intentionally and developed great friendships,’ explains Karen.
Karen also testifies to SAJ being a wonderful, supportive community that catered for her children right through their teenage years, into young adulthood and beyond. These days, Karen’s daughter and son-in-law bring her grandchildren to church!
‘When your kids make friends with other kids and they all grow up together and become part of the youth group, it makes your parenting so much easier! My kids made life-long friends at SAJ and when things weren’t going well in other areas of their lives, they always had their church friends. It takes a whole community to raise a child, and SAJ has been that for our family and many others.’
Activities like mainly music, MASH (Meal at Sallies’ House) and the counselling service were launched in direct response to a ‘survey of the fish’—a community needs assessment conducted by SAJ. These initiatives reflected a deep commitment to listening and responding to the local community. A special Christmas Eve service soon followed, creating another meaningful connection and drawing such a strong response—around 500 people—that two services were needed to accommodate everyone.
‘That initial focus on evangelism, followed by discipleship, meant that in time we had a solid base of people who could be involved in that third part of the plan, which was community impact,’ says Alastair. ‘A lot of people served in these spaces while others found the likes of mainly music to be stepping-stones to faith. By 2004, nearly 10 years after we began, we were regularly welcoming over 250 people gathered on a Sunday.’
A strong foundation
After a decade of faithful and innovative service, Andy and Yvonne were appointed to new opportunities, and in 2006, Captains Paul and Raewyn Gardner—who had entered training from SAJ—returned to lead the corps. Over the next 18 years, three sets of officers followed: Majors John and Karen Fitness, Majors Clive and Lesley Nicholson and, most recently Captains Robert and Susan Adams, who served for seven years. With Mat appointed in 2024, and Captain Janet Green joining him in August of 2025, SAJ carries forward the heart of its earlier years while embracing new expressions of mission and community.
Mat explains that Johnsonville itself has changed over the years. Once the shopping hub of the northern suburbs, the town centre is tired, with many empty shops and a somewhat demoralised business association. Unsurprisingly, the cost-of-living crisis has led to a noticeable rise in homelessness in the area.
‘Just last week I met three new rough sleepers,’ explains Mat. ‘We have always been a low-level response foodbank here at SAJ, referring people on for more coordinated long-term support. Our main community impact is through interactions at MASH, where we work alongside Orange Sky to support and serve people as best we can. But is that enough?’
Despite the challenges, SAJ has much to be proud of. Thirty years on, Alastair, Karen and Mat agree that the foundational work of those early years continues to underpin several key strengths: strong friendships and organic relational connections, a healthy and well-led youth and children’s ministry, supportive and prayerful life groups, a depth of music ministry—and solid, relevant preaching. SAJ is also known for its warm hospitality and great food!
Community impact remains central to SAJ’s mission. Ministries such as a large playgroup, MASH and the counselling service continue to meet real needs and provide relational doorways into faith exploration. SAJ also hosts a range of community events, including the annual community ANZAC service, a mid-winter Christmas family event, outward-focused Christmas Eve services and, in 2025, an Easter Walk-Through Experience that attracted 500 people.
Back to the future
Mat says that SAJ is at an interesting stage in its ongoing metamorphosis.
‘If we use a biblical analogy,’ says Mat, ‘when the Israelites were invading the land, there was a lot of energy and momentum. But once they settled, a whole raft of new challenges emerged. As a faith community, we are now in that “settled” phase here in Johnsonville. We’re no longer the newbies anymore—we are an established part of the local community. But in terms of the classic church growth curve, we’re well over the top. It’s time to recast the vision for this next season.
‘We’ve just enrolled five brand new soldiers and have lots of emerging young leaders, which is exciting. But we must seek God’s leading for the next phase of SAJ’s journey.’
