New Gold Coast Church - Glow Church
Announcement posted by Effective Online 12 Dec 2013
Glow Church on the Gold Coast has officially kicked off with the renovation their very own new building situated at 492 Scottsdale Drive in Varsity Lakes.
Glow Church is led and founded by senior pastors; Joel and Ellen Cave in early 2013, originally meeting at Robina community center, opposite Robina Town Shopping Centre. According to th Glow Church website, at the launch service on April 28, 2013 there were over 350 people in attendance and 14 people indicated that would like to made first time decision to become a Christian.
In October 2013, Glow church moved into their very own facility located at 492 Scottsdale Drive in Varsity Lakes. Moving into a venue of this callibre within 6 months of starting the church, debt free and off the back of supporter donations will be the envy of most churches and not-for-proffits. Glow Church calls it ‘unprecedented’; you could even say 'Devine intervention'.
There is no shortage of Churches on the Gold Coast, and Gold Coast City Council are well aware of this and are reflecting in their zoning and DA approvals of new church premises.
There is a great percentage of Christian churches, particularly Pentecostal churches on the Gold Coast that have been forced out into industrial spaces and factories, rather than residential spaces. This could seemingly be argued as a choice due to rental prices per square meter as opposed to council restrictions, but nonetheless a fact.
It has been widely covered by local press the dramas that churches face when tightly situated within residential communities. Hillsong Brisbane, which has taken over the old Garden City AOG Church, has faced an uphill battle with winning over local residents over noise and car parking issues.
Regardless, Glow Church's venue at 492 Scottsdale Drive is a very modern complex with a large two level, balcony tiered auditorium, expansive designated kids spaces and contemporary office spaces.
The new cafe and foyer that greets you as you enter could be mistaken for a Brunswick Street cafe in Melbourne and has been designed with 'sharing and socialising' in mind.
According to the Glow Church website, Glow Church has its foundations built around a passage given to Pastor Joel and Ellen, in Matthew 5:14-16;
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill that cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.”
The church is certainly living this out at face value, their social media presence, website combined with the design of their new venue would give many online businesses a run for their money, branding-wise.
The music and worship on a Sunday morning is very 'hip' with young and alternate dressing, creative leaders on stage whoo'ing you into an emotionally charged environment equivalent of current pop rock groups. The production of the service, message delivered and interaction with the congregation is of a very high standard.
If my Grandma ever hassles me to go to church with her, Im not sure she would be dragging me to Glow Church, unless she enjoys removing her hearing aid and just feels the music pulsing through her veins. It was loud. That being said, looking around the auditorium revealed a very broader than expected demographic of youth through to elderly.
All in all, there was not the typical pretentious 'christian pious' you sometimes feel when attending church. Far from it. Maybe it was the cafe, the venue or the people, but this event felt like a very community focused and welcoming environment.
If you are on the Gold Coast or just visiting and looking for a great Gold Coast Church, you should check out Glow.