Revitalising with Purpose

Important Dates:

• 20 July 2025
  Last church service to be held in St Michael’s Uniting Church before works begin.
• 27 July 2025
  Church services will be held in St Michael’s Hall from Sunday 27 July until the completion of the works.
• 4 August 2025
  Construction of the St Michael’s Revitalisation project begins.

St Michael’s is undertaking an exciting and significant revitalisation project as part of our forward-looking vision. The revitalisation aims to prepare for the next phase of our church’s life by transforming our church building to better serve both the present and future congregation and the wider community.

Revitalising with Purpose Updates

As we progress through the Revitalisation Project, we will update our community regularly.

Please find updates here or via the weekly eNews.

You can subscribe to our eNews here

Attending Sunday Gatherings while we Revitalise

While we revitalise with purpose, Sunday gatherings will temporarily be held in St Michael’s Hall at 10am.

You can access the Hall, on the ground floor of St Michael’s Administration building via St Michael’s Walk (from Collins Street between St Michael’s Uniting Church and the 120 Collins Street).

Why is St Michael’s Revitalising with Purpose?

The church building and the church community

The congregation’s identity is articulated in its mission statement, which focuses on fostering a welcoming and inclusive community, enhancing the wellbeing of all who visit the church, and nurturing creativity and the arts, particularly through music. At St Michael’s our theology is progressive and non-dogmatic. We practice a spacious spirituality, ensuring visitors feel welcomed, respected and valued.

The congregation of St Michael’s holds in high regard the beautiful heritage church we are privileged to enjoy through the generosity and hard work of previous generations. We appreciate its grandeur and the sense of intimacy provided by the curved interior and seating.

For religious services and other events such as concerts, or public lectures, attendees value the ability to see the speakers or performers on the chancel and to connect with fellow participants in the auditorium. The church’s architecture offers both aesthetic and social significance.

We are delighted with the creative and accessible design for the church renovation and facilities upgrade collaboratively developed for us by Trethowan Architects, Simbuilt (Construction), UCA Property Services and Heritage Victoria.

Accessible and Welcoming

Making the church a fully accessible and safe gathering place is a key aspect of our mission. Presently, people with limited mobility face challenges accessing the church entrances and auditorium seating areas. The Revitalisation Project will make the entry from St Michael’s Walk into the renovated lower auditorium an accessible, welcoming and inclusive space. Flexible individual seating will allow people to move freely within the space. An accessible chancel will enable inclusion of worship leaders, performers, or speakers with disabilities.

Community Use

St Michael’s has a history of hosting public events which contribute to individual and collective wellbeing. The Revitalisation Project is a crucial component of our commitment to making the church available to the wider community.

The revitalisation of the auditorium and upgraded facilities, will greatly assist with using the church for a wide range of activities such concerts, lectures, debates, interactive interviews and other presentations.

Congregational Life: Changes in Worship Culture

The proposed design changes in the lower auditorium will foster an inclusive community and enhance our egalitarian ethos while maintaining the heritage value of the church.

Reducing the number of steps between the chancel and the auditorium will allow participants to move freely between the congregation and the chancel, to participate during service, and overcome barriers between leaders and the congregation. Those receiving communion, our readers, people offering prayers, candle lighters, communion servers, couples being married, families bringing babies or small children to the font for baptism and those bringing the offering forward will be able to act as active participants without risk of the current trip and fall hazards.

History and Change

St Michael’s has a longstanding history of both safeguarding the heritage value of the church and sensitively adapting it to accommodate changes in cultural and religious needs. The Revitalisation Project represents the next phase in this ongoing evolution. It allows the congregation, which is deeply committed to its stewardship responsibilities to honour and conserve the church, to address the present and future needs while preserving the beauty and spirit of the past.