In West Philadelphia, an old fire department second responders building is being renovated into a community center that will double as administration and worship space for the Vineyard Community Church (VCC), which was founded in 2004. You may recall, we told you last week about a grant-giving effort from this organization.

“It opens up the opportunity to invest in the community in ways we’ve been talking about for the past eight years,” said Brad Zinn, head pastor and a VCC founder.

Under construction

According to Zinn, over the past three years, the church’s some 200 members and notable alumni have committed to raise $425K towards redeveloping the space. Last year, VCC purchased the building, located at 123 S. 51st St., on the northeast corner at 51st & Sansom. Members of the church developed a larger plan, called Building It Together, to renovate the church, but that was more of a dream plan, and would cost $1.2M. By scaling back the improvements, which will include updating the building to meet code, adding conference rooms, worship space, and a larger space that can accommodate 200 and be broken down into smaller rooms, the congregation and its pastor and staff plan to move into its new home by Thanksgiving. One can follow the status of improvements here.

When the church was founded nine years ago, Zinn and his wife Rebecca were drawn to the vibrant and diverse qualities of West Philly. “I think we were looking for a place just like West Philadelphia,” said Zinn. Right now, VCC rents worship and office space in the Spruce Hill Christian School at 4115 Baltimore Ave.

Their current home, in the Spruce Hill Christian School on Baltimore Avenue

“It’s just people who see what we’re trying to do and believe in making sacrifices to accomplish that,” said Zinn, about the generosity of the pulpit that is making this relocation possible. “As we were getting started it wasn’t hard to connect people with the good things that are happening here … [But West Philadelphia] isn’t a perfect place either.” It has its complex issues, something the church hopes to impact in a positive way.

The improvements come in a location where there are plans for various other improvements and new large-scale projects, like the renovation of the Croydon at 49th & Locust that will create 127 new apartments, and plans for the sale of the former West Philly High School at 47th & Walnut for it to be converted into even more apartments. The VCC improvements mark the strength and organization of yet another West Philly organization that’s out to do some good in the community and the world.

–Lou Mancinelli