Church looks to having own venue

KATINA CURTIS

THE Baptist Church in Kiama is set to finally have its own home, after Kiama Council considered a proposal last night to build a worship centre in Kiama Downs.

Ken Falkner, the church's property officer, said it had been more than 10 years since they first started looking at building their own church.

Services are now held in the Kiama High School auditorium and youth groups and other activities at the Kiama Downs Neighbourhood Centre.

Mr Falkner said that in recent times the neighbourhood centre had been feeling a little small for the group's needs as well as increasingly hard to book.

"If we want to keep growing and expanding, (building our own church) is something that's necessary," he said.

The development application considered by the council proposed to build the church on Thornett Way, Kiama Downs.

The building would be two-storeys tall, set into the side of the hill. The top floor would contain a worship space that could accommodate up to 200 people, a multi-purpose activities area, a cry room for parents with noisy babies who wished to still attend services, a storeroom, foyer, kitchen and toilets.

"The (Sunday) morning service would be the biggest gathering and that would range from 50 up to 100 for special services, but on an average there would be about 70 I think," Mr Falkner said.

The lower storey would be completed in a separate stage and would have rooms for the youth groups to use and some office or storage space.

Mr Falkner said the church planned to allow community groups to use the building as well, and had already had some interest from local playgroups.

The whole development would cost $1.2 million.

"We've got John Harris from Jamberoo is giving up his time for the excavation and different businesses and people are giving time and materials to help where they can," Mr Falkner said.

He hoped construction would begin by the end of the year.