614 is a group of people who are passionately committed to serving those that live on the fringes of our society. We work towards seeing transformation occur in people's lives, acknowledging that every single person is valuable, and they deserve to be treated with dignity at all times. We recognise that all people need to be accepted for who they are and they deserve the opportunity to belong to a caring, supportive community.

We exist to build community amongst those that are isolated and doing life on their own. We do this by offering a range of practical supports, by running a variety of community groups where people are given the opportunity to develop new skills and polish old ones, as well as developing new friendships and supports. We also offer support through our outreach programs.

The Salvation Army Melbourne 614 has hundreds of interactions each day with people aged from as young as 9 to as old as 93!

The people who form the 614 community could be homeless, mentally ill, aged, addicted, lonely and/or isolated.

Project 614 believes in community over welfare and we strive to be an inclusive, open community of people.

The Salvation Army Melbourne – Project 614's purpose is to meet the holistic needs of all those who wish to participate in the Community.

Project 614 refers to:

Major Kevin Metcalf has written an excellent theological study of this passage. See 'What the bible has to say about the poor'.

The theological theme underpinning this passage is that the city has been left in devastation. This is because the city, in large part, has become the City of Humankind.

This passage indicates that the deep, passionate desire of God's heart is for all cities around the world to become known as Cities of God – beautiful cities. The heartbeat of God, as reflected in this passage, is for the Kingdom of Heaven to actually be ushered into the City of Humankind.

This is to be done through individuals & groups who are filled with God's Spirit. Empowered by His Spirit, they engage with the broken and devastated, and usher in a deep experience of transformation, in Jesus' Name.

This is why The Salvation Army at 69 Bourke Street, right in the heart of Melbourne is called 614.

In the article captioned 'Guiding principles of Project 614' we trace the development of the 614 concept in Toronto, which was inspirational in the establishment of 614 in Melbourne.

Melbourne 614 has the following guiding principles

1. We are urban based
2. We are passionately engaged in serving the poor
3. We have are a strong incarnational belief
4. We are predicated on transformational prayer
5. We are redemptive by nature
6. We have a strong sense of community, particularly for the poor

Melbourne 614 works with those on the fringes of society. We have a strong incarnational focus, with our primary role being to build strong relationships and journey with people. The focus is on the relationship, more than the program.

Melbourne 614 has a very strong emphasis on building community for those that suffer from social poverty – social isolation and loneliness. Community is not just centre based at Melbourne 614. All workers and volunteers need to be passionately committed to establishing community wherever they find themselves – in the Life Centre, at church, on the street during outreach, in a rooming house, in a dirty squat, on the AXA 614 Bus etc. Community building always flow out of the building of deep and meaningful relationships with all people - no matter who they are, or what they have or haven't done. It is through meaningful relationships that Jesus transformed lives, and at Melbourne 614, we believe that nothing has changed. Jesus still works in and through our relationships today. All of our relationships and community building must always be designed to accept the whosoever, and to always make them feel like they really do belong. This is often transforming in itself for many of the people that we work with.          

Sharing a meal together is important for the food and conversation

Hospitality has become a wonderful means for developing deep and meaningful relationships and community at Melbourne 614.  Hospitality is missing the point when it becomes an end in itself. Hospitality, at its best, is designed as a tool for developing and deepening relationships and community, which is designed to value and affirm and love all people.

Hospitality is at its best when it is offered generously, graciously and unconditionally. We haven't quite achieved this at Melbourne 614. There are a lot of restrictions that are not self imposed, about whom we can serve, how often we can serve them and how much we can serve them. Hence, this needs to be something that we give more thought to overcoming. If we could accomplish this, then it would set us apart from other services.

Melbourne 614 is street based and centre based we have access to a magnificent CBD based building, as well as an incredible mobile youth centre and 6 other vehicles. It means that we are able to provide good service and support to those who are on the street and are unable to attend the building. We are also able to provide a strong sense of centre based community and support for those that are able to access it.

The 614 Melbourne program

Melbourne 614 operates Sunday Worship. It employs 21 staff, and operates a missional Order for about 12 under 25's.

Sunday Worship and other 614 worship & prayer activity, such as Wild Hope, Recovery Church and 24/7 prayer, which is at the very core of everything that happens at 614. It is during worship and prayer that we get our refreshment, our strength to engage with those on the margins.

Many of the people that we see at 614 or around the city are deeply wounded and broken. Spending time with them can, at times, be incredibly draining and often overwhelming. It is only through prayer and worship of the Living God, Creator of the universe, that we gain the inspiration, perspiration and determination to keep praying and keep loving and keep caring and keep from giving up on God's own people. Is 61:1 speaks of the need for the people of God to be engaged in the business of proclaiming freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners. This is hard work, but ultimately, this is the critical work that 614 needs to be engaged in.

 The steps of a building are often the meeting place between the homeless and the staff .

It involves transformational prayer, great grace, long term commitment to the marginalised, a willingness to do the journey with the hurting and the broken. But it also means thinking creatively and innovatively, so that pathways out of darkness can be found or developed. These might include pathways out of spiritual darkness, or pathways out of serious mental health issues, or pathways out of serious addictions, or pathways out of homelessness, or pathways out of loneliness, or pathways out of poor social skills which often lead to broken relationships, or pathways out of long term unemployment, or pathways out of the effects of poor or limited education opportunities, or pathways out of inter generational welfare dependence, or pathways out of a deep sense of rejection by family, friends or "the system".

These pathways may be found within 614, or the broader Army, or in partnerships with other agencies or churches. Or these pathways may already exist, but due to injustice, access may be blocked to certain individuals, or particular groups. As Salvationists, we have a responsibility to engage in reforming society, either in partnership with others, or, if required, by leading the way in social reform.

The Salvation Army - Project 614 is 200 metres from Parliament House and 500 metres from the Melbourne Town Hall. The main media outlets surround the building, and it is also in close proximity to many of the nations major corporate headquarters. The residential population is now at 22,000 for the CBD and growing. 50,000 people per morning and another 50,000 people per evening enter and leave the CBD, and that is only through the Southern Cross Railway Station. An estimated 300,000 people come into the city each Friday and Saturday evening for entertainment purposes.

We believe that 614 has a critical role to play in this area. This is for two reasons. Firstly, we believe that we are called by God to bring light to dark places. We believe that our role is to help usher in the Kingdom of God upon this city. Because of our location, we are in a prime position to engage in this work. Our name, The Salvation Army, and the nature of our work and ministry with the most marginalised of the city, gives us credibility amongst media, Corporates and Government. Hence, we have a wonderful opportunity to be salt and light in the high and low places of the city.

Often, we receive phone calls from people of influence, or from a corporate. They say that they would like to make a donation. This makes them happy. It makes us happy too, because it means that we have something to provide to those that are in need. It makes the poor happy as well, because they are the recipients of something good. However, Jesus didn't die on the cross to make people happy. His crucifixion and resurrection were designed to bring about deep transformation.

We believe that 614 has a role in the City of Melbourne to connect the rich and the poor together. This is where the real transformation takes place. We do this through our hospitality program, outreach program, Life Centre and the AXA 614 bus.

The AXA bus is parked across the street from Flinders Street Railway Station.  It provides a refuge for street people.

The Couch is a meeting place for international students. It provides meals, internet access and an opportunity to socialise. It operates Sunday to Thursday nights.

General Eva Burrows is the Chair of our Advisory Board, the Recruiting Sergeant and a very active member of the 614 corps. Here she is excited to be part of 'the couch'.

The Life Centre's prime purpose is building relationships.  Assisting those in difficult situations such as those needing accommodation, clothing or food.  Serving breakfast and lunch Running community groups Assisting on the Youth outreach Bus Logistical jobs such as picking up donations of food and clothes Taking people to appointments such as doctors etc.

The Salvation Army Melbourne – Project 614 commenced in January, 2003. It was previously known as Urban Heart, and prior to that, the Melbourne City Temple Corps, which was established in 189? and moved to 69 Bourke St. in 189? The City Temple Corps closed 1996.

In July 2002 a new corps/social centre called Urban Heart was opened from 69 Bourke St. It operated a Drop In Centre, the concept arose from a report that was written by RMIT and the City of Melbourne. The focus of the report was homelessness in the City of Melbourne.

The Urban Heart Drop In Centre worked with about 30 people per day. It was staffed with one worker and a team of volunteers, many of whom had been or were currently homeless. It was based on a community development model.

The centre provided a safe place for people, as well as an opportunity to have coffee and use the telephone to access services, such as accommodation, drug and alcohol support services, Centrelink and employment and training opportunities.

A small worshipping congregation was also recommenced.

In January 2003 Captains Brendan and Sandra Nottle were appointed to Urban Heart. One year later Melbourne Family Support Services, located in Westwood Place, had been amalgamated with the Urban Heart Drop In Centre. This meant that the Corps had responsibility for Emergency Relief distribution. It now meant that the Melbourne Family Support funds that had previously been used to employ staff for Melbourne Family Support could now be used to employ staff to operate the Drop In Centre, providing a more sustainable, safe and effective service.

In January, 2004, we changed the name of the Corps operation from Urban Heart to The Salvation Army Melbourne – Project 614.

This occurred after a meeting with (then) Captains Geoff and Sandra Ryan. They spoke about their work at a Corps in Regent Park, Toronto in Canada. There seemed to be strong synergy between the types of work that were being undertaken in the two locations. More importantly, there were clear similarities between the philosophies and the theology that was under pinning the two projects.

Both projects were based in Corps that had a long and rich heritage of service to their respective cities. However, after World War 2, many of the people that had given excellent service as Salvationists in these two cities, migrated to the suburbs for a new beginning. As a result, these two Corps' were left struggling for survival. The people that did remain at these two Corps' travelled into the Corps' each Sunday for worship. Hence, there was a clear disconnect between these two worshipping communities and their broader, local communities. Due to a lack of people and financial resources, these two Corps' directed all of their energy to providing services and support to the "remaining faithful". As a result, these two Corps' became "clubs for the committed", and it became very difficult for "outsiders" to gain acceptance, so "outsiders" rarely stayed.

In the early 1980's, Regent Park Corps was closed. In 1996, Melbourne City Temple was closed.

This was of significant concern to us. The Salvation Army is the only Christian denomination in the world to have commenced in the city. All other Christian denominations had rural origins. And yet, this urban Army was retreating in droves from its urban inner city roots.

Our Army history screams out to all who read it that the Army was raised up by God, in the cities of the world, to serve the poor, to be with them, to be the voice of the forgotten people of our cities, to advocate for them, to help create pathways out of their marginalisation for and with them, to challenge and change the structures and systems that oppress them, all in Jesus' Name. It was as if God Himself spoke through William and Catherine Booth, and said, "These are my people… do something, just do something!" In the article entitled 'The Salvation Army's historical alignment with the poor.' this philosophy is enlarged upon.

Our building

Our building is steeped in history. The first Salvation Army social program in the world was organised from 69 Bourke St, Melbourne. Captain James and Alice Barker were based here, and were the driving force behind the establishment of many of the Army's social programs in the late 19th and early 20th Century. Commissioners Herbert and Cornelie Booth were involved in the establishment of ministries to the brothels and opium dens that were operating in nearby Little Lonsdale St. History of the site from 1835 This site has been used for a variety of purposes since 1835. The first 50 years this site functioned as a music hall, a theatre, and a boxing salon. It was utilised by the Philosophical Society, and later, by the medical and dental professions as a hospital.

In 1885 the YMCA bought the property and invested in the grand building still on the site today - and recently restored to much of its original glory. The building was completed in 1891, but due to the depression following the gold and land boom and the inability of the YMCA to fulfil the financial commitment on the building, it was offered for sale less than five years after it was completed.

In October 1894, The Salvation Army purchased the building to be used as the Australasian Headquarters and Central Barracks, at a total cost of £19,500 with a deposit of £2,000 and the balance to be paid in ten years. The Melbourne City Temple was opened and dedicated to God and the work of The Salvation Army on the 24th January, 1895.

Early use of the property by the Salvation Army included the building housing the Printing Department, and later the Trade Department. At Trade, one could purchase anything from music, books, instruments and uniforms, to Hamadova tea, home furnishings and floor coverings. From 1910 the lower hall was used as a Young People's Hall.

The Limelight Department was the Australia's first motion picture studio, operated by The Salvation Army from the Attic Studio above the 3rd floor of the 69 Bourke St property from 1897 to 1909, when Commissioner Hay closed it down. Producing more than 300 films and hundreds of glass slides, the Limelight Department was a global pioneer at the genesis of the moving picture industry.

In 1941 the Melbourne City Temple was set up as an emergency depot for people rendered homeless by air-raids, with accommodation in the main hall and training and lectures on air-raid precautions in the Lower Hall. The basement became an air-raid shelter and storage for Red Shield Defence Services.