All of us at TLC adore our unique and beautiful church. It is a perfect place for weddings, birthdays and other special events for people who love down-to-earth, rustic and natural surrounds. Please note, while we seek to ensure your event goes even better than you plan, we are not a specialist event service. TLC is, first and foremost a church. Yet we offer an excellent venue at a competitive price for those who wish to make their special day uniquely theirs.

TLC offers:

Multiple rooms to suit your needs including:
o   a coffee shop
o   a Creche
o   a Large Main hall
o   a Generous and well-equipped kitchen & pantry
o   a side room that is perfect for preparing a bridal party
o   a Private Nursing room
universal wheelchair accessibility
a large car park
clean and easily accessible toilets
a wide range of tables and chairs*
a secure playground for children
two large fireplaces & firewood for those cold winter night events
* Chairs: Up to 145 - 70 blue plastic chairs, 55 black and grey folded chairs, 10 wooden armchairs
*Tables: Up to 50 – 32 Plastic trestles, 7 long wooden trestles, 4 large tables (dark veneer), 6 wooden tables

Main Hall

The heart of our community, the TLC main hall has hosted innumerable weddings, birthdays, concerts and dances for over 40 years. Mudbrick walls and brick floors maintain coolness in summer and over the years many hands have warmed themselves via the two roaring fireplaces that are situated on either side of our well-lit stage area.

The Main Hall is capable of holding 300 seated people and can be set up for seated dining for 200 people or 300 standing with buffet or finger food service. The hall is usually set up in a horseshoe around a low central stage area but can also be set up in a traditional long hall configuration with a raised stage at one end. Flexible stage elements can be moved to create stages of various sizes, heights and locations around the hall as required. Audio, visual and theatre lighting is available for presentations.

When booking the main hall, you will be free to:

Rearrange all chairs/tables (including removing them altogether)
Have an extra day beforehand to decorate the hall in any way you wish
Make use of our fireplaces (please inform us beforehand so we can prepare them)
Use our stage blocks to create elevated platforms – great for speeches and Bridal Tables.

The hall can cater up to 200 people (seated dining), although we would only be able to provide chair covers for up to 120 people.

OUR BEAUTIFUL DOORS FEATURE IN MANY WEDDING PHOTOS!

Coffee Shop

Our ‘Coffee Shop’ is where we drink, eat and laugh together. The Coffee Shop area is a more intimate space which includes a mezzanine floor, a serving bar and a dance or band area. The coffee shop is capable of holding up to 100 seated people or 80 people for seated dining or as a mingling room for larger events in the main hall. Audio and visual equipment is available for presentations. Multiple entry points mean it can be open and cool on hot summer days, or warm and cosy when the rain is falling and the wind blowing. Topping it off, a small chimenea in the corner contributes warmth and light.

When booking the coffee shop, you will also have access to:

Limited Fridge space
Bench Space
Use of assorted mugs and cups
Use of instant hot water system

Front entrance with church office in the background

Our unique mud brick church is surrounded by a natural and artistic garden

In keeping with the Australian mud brick and bush pole theme of TLC the garden is strong and robust and contains many native shrubs and trees.

Indoor and Outdoor spaces

As you wander around TLC you will find great spaces that emphasise the rustic architecture of the building.

The main entrance hall contains artwork from local and indigenous artists about relevant events or themes in the community's life.

The verandah beside the main hall has a wave pattern with fish (and a lighthouse) which express the Christian symbolism used throughout history.

Gallery

The Gallery is a light airy informal space for 30 people with a mixture of standing and seated persons. A great place for launching events or other intimate occasions. Access to a kitchen area for tea/coffee and food service. Art exhibitions are often staged here.

Wishing to host a viewing? Trying to find a small place to display your latest pieces – look no further. Our unique gallery is great for small artistic events for experienced or emerging artists. Full of light and character, it will be a memorable space for you and your guests.

The Kitchen

Large, open and well equipped – what more could you want? Our kitchen is registered with Maroondah City council as a food premises. However, hirers selling or preparing food should contact council to ascertain their obligations. Out kitchen comes equipped with:

Ample bench and serving space
An industrial steamer
Two ovens with stovetops
Another oven with a large hotplate
Multiple sinks, including a deep sink
An industrial dish washer
Industrial mixer
Two microwaves
A large pantry great for storing supplies
Over 100 bowls and plates of various assortments and sizes
A large supply of cutlery
Fridge space

Please note: If you wish to make use of our preparation and cooking equipment, you are welcome to, however you will need to raise this with the TLC staff beforehand so we can guide you through what is available.

Creche

We’ve got a large, open space equipped with toys and activities that will provide welcome distraction for kids who might otherwise be distracting during your events, or as an event in and of itself. Just outside is a playground and sandpit, all secured and fenced. Changing and nursing rooms are situated next to the creche entrance.

Important – you are responsible for the children attending your event. All children need to be supervised at all times by trusted adults.
All toys and equipment will need to be returned to their original places and the room left clean at the end of your event.

Youth Building

The Youth Building is a cedar building with space for 30 to 50 people in a more informal setting. It has a small kitchen area suitable for tea/coffee and finger food serving. Audio and visual equipment is available for presentations.

Set up day

Often larger events require time to set up and decorate the hall. You are welcome to arrive two hours before the beginning of your event to set up the hall free of charge. However, many events, including many weddings, require a day or so to set up. If you would like to reserve the day before your event to set up the hall, we will charge for that day.

Important Information:

Deposit & Bond

All bookings require a deposit to be paid upon formal booking. The bond will be returned after the event, provided there are no unforeseen damages or charges.

Security & Key

All rooms are alarmed. Depending on your event, you will have access to all the rooms you have booked, plus access to the toilets. You will receive a key and a code. Before the event, we will show you how to enter and disarm the building. We ask that you set the alarm when you leave. Instructions to do so will be given to you.

The key will also unlock the front gate – please relock this gate unless another event is using another area of the church.

If you lose the key, you will be charged to cover the costs of a new one.

Responsibilities

It will be up to those hiring the building to ensure that it is tidied and rearranged back to its original order at the end of the event. This is particularly important for Saturday events, as the chairs and tables must be available for the Sunday’s 10 am church service. – Decorations usually may remain for a few days, however, this will need to be negotiated beforehand and will be up to the discretion of TLC church.

You will be responsible for any damages done to TLC by your guests. Please note, past experience has taught us that damages can occur when:

o People, including children, swing on the entry gate, or the gate to the sandpit

o Fiddling with or trying to open the sound desk

o Operating the industrial dishwasher without closely following instructions

o Operating the coffee machine without instruction.

For further information, please email us at office@tlcchurch.org.au or call us between 10-5 Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays on 9729 6555.

Events at TLC