Rochester Presbyterian Church will be celebrating its 150th anniversary on Sunday, November 24.
Festivities will begin with a church service at 10.30am, which will include a sermon preached by Presbyterian Church of Victoria state moderator Ian Hutton.
Church pastor Michael Riske said the sermon would be about the church’s past, but also looking towards its future.
The service will be followed by lunch, and a historical display will be on show, with information and memorabilia from the church’s various ministries and associations.
Mementos from closed churches that were previously under Rochester’s care will be displayed, including items from Timmering Presbyterian Church and Corop, if available.
Mr Riske said he believed the church had operated for 150 years because it had a message worth sharing, and which people wanted to continually hear.
“What the church offers is the free message of the gospel. It’s the good news of Jesus Christ, that in him is love, forgiveness, joy and peace,” he said.
“As we live in a world where there are struggles, there are doubts, there are concerns, we often go: ‘Where can I place my hope? Where can I go for refuge?’ And the church provides a message. It’s not found in ourselves, but in Christ.”
Mr Riske said the church had shown love for its community in various ways.
“One of the things we’ve done recently was, during the floods, we opened our doors just to help with what was happening,” he said.
“This is a church that’s always thought to not only offer a message of hope, but a message of love to its community.”
A booklet that outlines and condenses the church’s history over the past 150 years will be available at the anniversary.
All are invited to attend the celebration, to be held at the church on 2-4 Victoria St, Rochester.