Westgate Vineyard is a small church in Melbourne’s inner west — a community of ordinary people learning to follow Jesus together.

It can be really hard to find a church that fits. We get that. So we thought we’d tell you a bit about ourselves to help you work out whether this might be somewhere you could feel at home.

We love this church — the people, the heart of the community, and the way we try to live out the mission of Jesus together. It’s probably worth saying straight up that we’re not perfect. We’re probably not even the best church. But we do love who we are becoming and what God has put in our hearts to be.

Maybe the best way to think about us is like an extended family. Different ages and stages of life. Different political leanings. Probably different opinions about how to make a good coffee. But we’re connected.

What holds us together is a shared belief that Jesus showed us the most life-giving way to live, and we’re learning how to walk in that way together.

Because of that, we value participation. Church isn’t a platform for a few polished people telling everyone else what to think. It’s all of us together. People in our community lead by serving and helping shape the life of the church around the values and mission God has put at the centre of who we are.

We also believe we’re all adults, so we try to treat people that way — with honesty, trust and respect.

A big part of our life together is the Kingdom of God. That matters to us because it was at the heart of Jesus’ message. We believe God is still at work in the world — restoring people, healing lives and renewing creation — and somehow we get to be part of that story.

That’s exciting. And sometimes a bit stretching too.

We want this to be a safe place to step into the things of the Kingdom. A place where people can have a go, make mistakes, learn and keep trying.

We’re big on keeping things down to earth and real. No hype. No emotional pressure. At the same time, we love hunger for God, passion and honest expression. And we’re comfortable with things getting a bit messy before they get better, because that’s often how real growth happens.

Some of the things we love about our community

We love hearing from God for one another and listening for what he might be saying to us today — through each other and through the Scriptures.

We love it when someone asks us to pray for them.

We love it when someone sings loudly and a little out of key in worship.

We love it when someone shares what they think God might be saying and we weigh it together.

We love it when someone has a go, even if it’s their first time.

We love it when the person on morning tea brings scones.

We love it when someone turns up at the door with dinner already cooked.

We love getting a random encouraging text from someone in the community.

We love those moments in worship when the Spirit moves and you just know it’s a holy moment.

And we love it when new people walk through the doors and something just clicks — when they realise they fit here.

Our Sundays are pretty relaxed. We gather to worship, open the Scriptures, pray for one another, and make space for the Holy Spirit to lead us. We always break for morning tea, because conversation and friendship matter. And if you’ve got kids, there’s something for them too.

If you’re exploring faith, looking for a church home, or simply curious, you’d be very welcome to come along one Sunday and see what it’s like.

Church for ordinary people.
There’s a place for you here.