Wonthaggi and Inverloch Uniting Churches          The Peace Collective

About us

We are two of the Uniting Churches in the Bass Coast area. Along with St John's at Cowes and the Prom Country Patrol in South Gippsland, we make up the Shearwater Ministry in the Gippsland Presbytery. We pay our respects to the Bunurong/Boon Wurrung Peoples and their elders, past, present and emerging.

We are an inclusive and welcoming place, seeking new ways to support, love and serve our communities. Our minister is Rev Deacon Wendy Elson and she is passionate about attending to those in marginal spaces and serving outside our church walls.

We are looking to find new ways to share the love of God in our area in a way that is not preachy or judgmental. We believe that we are all seekers together and that being real is an important part of being the people of faith. We are seeking to follow more closely, the radically inclusive good news of Jesus teaching, with its message of bottom up, topsy-turvy values. We are listening for the breath of the Spirit in leading us into newness and restoration, learning to let go of things which hold us back and to hold fast the things which lead us forward.

Each of our congregations have their own identity and uniqueness. Check in to each place to see a bit more about us.

 

 

WE (2)

Combined info - Inverloch and Wonthaggi

yarning 2

 

Please see our Facebook page for regular updates and events.
We regularly have garage sales at our Inverloch church.
We also hold Yarning Circles at the Wonthaggi church which is a time of listening together, First and Second Nations people.
Both churches have morning tea or lunch after church and we love to welcome new people.

 

 

Inverloch Church

Inverloch peace garden

As you will see above we consider ourselves to be in a Peace Collective with the Wonthaggi Peace Church, our partner congregation. They are built on the very foundation of Peace and we offer our Peace Garden Sanctuary to our community to share. This is a deep and gentle space of hospitality.

We consider ourselves privileged to live in a holiday destination. We meet at 11am every Sunday at the church YEAR ROUND. We would love to welcome you.

We offer the gift of breakfast to Inverloch Primary School two mornings per week with the assistance of our generous community.

We meet for coffee every Wednesday at 10.30. Please give us a call or just come and join in with us, the current venue is the church car park. BYO coffee.

Our care of one another is vitally important to us, but we are also involved in many other activities outside our church walls. You are welcome to come and join us. We are a church wishing to serve and bless its community and follow the radical way of Jesus.

Take a moment in our tranquil garden space at the front of our church. We invite you to come and enjoy some peace in this space.

We combine with Wonthaggi Peace Church in various events and join them in the monthly Yarning Circle which is a space to listen to our FIrst Nations people, to share story and to see where this wisdom leads us.

You are welcome to join us for our fun and fellowship group which is combined between the two congregations.

We are excited to have special events in our afternoon fellowship group every month. See our Facebook page for details.

On the fifth Sunday of the month we combine for a service at 10.30 whenever it is possible to do so.

See our Facebook page for current events.

 

So what is so peaceful at our Inverloch church? Here is the history of the garden.
In 2008 Ailsa Drent and the late Helen Jones of the Inverloch Social Justice Group prepared a submission to the Church Council for the refurbishment of the front garden.
The front garden was cleared and the present garden set out and planted. The congregation relied on volunteers to do most of the work and the Manhal family did a lot of this work. Rob Manhal who is a wood carver presented a large driftwood column he had rescued from the Inverloch beach and carved with Christian symbols; it was erected on the south side of the garden.
One of the aims of remodelling the garden was to encourage people to use it for quiet reflection. You are very welcome to share our garden space.
The hardwood log was found washed
up on Inverloch beach after a winter storm
The burnt timber was left as found,
just removing loose material.
Symbols carved into the log are:
A cross - faith and hope
The sun - warmth and light
A fish - nature’s bounty
A dove - peace

Wonthaggi Peace Church

WONTHAGGI PEACE CHURCH   

 

We recently discovered that this is our foundation stone. Peace comes at a cost and we give thanks to God and to our forebears for such a gift.  It is such a legacy. We celebrate this treasure and are coming to know ourselves as the Peace Church and to think about what this means for us in this community who we believe is longing for Peace. Together with the Inverloch UCA we are a Peace Collective.

 

We meet at the church on Sunday mornings at 9.30 am YEAR ROUND. We also meet for coffee every Tuesday at 10.30 at Connell's Bakery in Wonthaggi.

We are a particularly pastoral group who look out for one another and stay connected. You would be very welcome to come and be part of our warm and welcoming group or just check us out. Our focus is to follow the way of Jesus in living and loving radically.

Every month we meet together as First and Second Peoples in a Yarning Circle. This is a space of deep listening around a theme and we learn how to more closely walk alongside each other in grace, care and solidarity.

We have a fun and fellowship group combined between the two congregations.

See our Facebook page for all current events.

On the fifth Sunday of the month we combine for a service at 10.30 whenever that is possible.

 

Get in touch

Call us: 0411092288

Email us: elsonwendy@gmail.com

Visit us: Wonthaggi, 8 Broome Cres. Inverloch: 5 Williams St.

Find us

We are located at

8 Broome Crescent, Wonthaggi

5 Williams St, Inverloch