SPRINGFIELD -- The evolution and redevelopment of downtown Springfield has made it a magnet for diners, drinkers, shoppers and lofters.  Now an ambitious plan is in the works to reach those who are looking for something more in the center city.

  When it’s done, 310 South Ave. will be called the Front Porch.  It will be a church with no pews, no pulpit and no pressure, especially from its 27-year-old pastor. 

  “Sometimes we have trouble relating to what the church is doing,” said Ryan Wiksell.

   Wiksell and co-founders, who call their missionary work The Core Downtown, want to offer up basic Christianity at street level. 

   “We do know there are people here asking questions and sensing an emptiness that they can't put their finger on,” said Wiksell.

   Storefront churches are not new or unique in American Christianity. No less than the Assemblies of God can trace its denominational roots to a storefront church in Los Angeles.

  The Core is de-emphasizing denominations but has started to gather a following with open mic sessions at a new art gallery, which happens to be owned by a major Springfield church.  They’re informal, sometimes informational and, they hope, inspirational.

   “The apostle Paul said, ‘When you gather together, bring something to contribute,’ and I believe that's firmly in our format,” said Wiksell.

   The Front Porch will be in a building owned by a nightclub.  It’s just south of Nonna’s Italian American Cafe.