By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
IT’S CHURCH, but not as we know it.
The former St Phillip’s bluestone church in Pakington St, Geelong West, was recently restored to its past glory.
But the traditional façade now contains a rather non-traditional community called Geelong Vineyard Church.
Gone are the usual pews and instead the wide expanses of the beautiful old building are now put to various community uses, such as a fortnightly Pako Makers Market.
The market showcases a wide range of locally produced items, with the next tomorrow at 9am.
But that’s not to say church activities have gone by the wayside – far from it, insisted Pastor Peter Downes.
They just happen on a much more informal basis, Pastor Downes said.
Couches and tables and chairs had replaced the pews, which could take visitors a little aback, he confessed.
And church services stop halfway through for a coffee, “which is an important part of our creed”, Pastor Downes said with a smile.
“We’re serious about being a Christian church but we want to break down the barriers for people to come along.
“We wanted the place to work in a way that serves the community. We just want to be neighbours.”
