Sonja Merz is a woman with vision – to help struggling people find a way forward.
Sonja is the founder of the Coming Home Project, a Thames-based long-term residential programme for people with anger, addiction, poverty, or mental health issues.
The project operates under a holistic, Christian faith-based philosophy, working through stages of healing, restoration, recovery, and reintegration.
“The aim is not merely to provide accommodation, but to create a nurturing environment in which deep transformation, renewed identity, and lasting restoration can take place,” Sonja said.
“The programme is designed for individuals who are ready for change and genuinely desire to build a new life.”
There was already a great deal of interest from people in the community, Sonja said.
“We’re already working individually with people… We’re going to start with a low number and then build gradually over years.”
Sonja’s passion has developed through her years of community ministry work.
“What I found really hard was to see the same people year in, year out in the same state,” she said.
“My heart was really longing for transformation, for change, for healing of their hearts. And I thought, it’s good what we’re doing there, [but] it’s not enough, really, for a new start. So, there came this inner conviction.”
Sonja came across similar programmes in Spain, and said they were working really well.
She was inspired to bring the idea back home.
“We have a big issue here in Thames, we are so rural and there’s nothing residential here,” she said.
“We want to focus on the people who are here because we believe that we can change the situation in our town, in our district.”
The residential programme was built on commitment, Sonja said, reflecting the fact that lasting transformation takes time.
Eligible participants will need to commit to being drug-free, and will detox beforehand.
They will then live in the house with a supervisory “house parent”, and begin the work of transformation.
“We address all areas of their life and that’s work, housing, relationships, families, faith, everything, because only when we address everything together, then we have big chances for lasting transformation,” she said.
“But it’s living life together that makes a huge difference.”
Having a bubble of support for a long time period would make the programme work where traditional rebabs didn’t, Sonja said.
The project will be working with psychologists, counsellors, and the church, although it is being run as an independent organisation, and Sonja is volunteering her time.
“I have some counselling and psychology training and some training in trauma and addiction, and in prayer ministry,” she said.
“The Bible is such a wonderful foundation for life with so many answers. To say, hey, there are some rules in there or some guidelines that really make sense to live by – yeah, that is wonderful.”
Sonja said participants will live in the house for at least a year, and will be fully supported with transitioning to independent living in several stages, when they are ready.
“But they can still be in touch with us. I’ve seen that in the other projects that I’ve visited, that often people want to stay in touch and to contribute back.
“And so over time, we’ll have the older ones supporting the younger ones, like buddies, and then we have those who’ve finished and graduated, and they help support us as well.
“So it can develop into a really, really beautiful system.”
DETAILS: See www.cominghome.co.nz for more information about the Coming Home Project, or to find out how to help.
