Church buildings are key in creating a place to call home and equipping the church to serve its local community. As we enter the rebuilding stage after the global pandemic, the need for buildings to enable a real sense of community and having a place where we can gather to worship together is more important than ever. Over the next year, we will be focusing on replenishing our church campuses across Australia to house all that God is doing.

Angela’s Story

“My husband’s 45th birthday was one of our lowest moments as a family. We had no money in the bank, no food in our cupboard and no cash to buy a birthday cake. I’ll never forget the look of disappointment on my kid’s faces when I told them we couldn’t afford to celebrate their dad’s birthday. Our financial decline began after my husband suffered a heart attack and a stroke.
We had big medical bills and he could only work part-time. When finances were tight, we often had to eat the same meal every night. It was hard and sometimes I would cry myself to sleep.

It was a dark season, but I saw the church respond so beautifully. Our Connect Group helped cover medical expenses and our family was given a hamper at Christmas — along with presents for the kids.

When the pandemic hit, despite all odds, God began to pour out His blessings. My husband received the full-time job we had been praying for and we were able to rebuild our life again. A few years on and financially, things have never been better. Out of the overflow, we have been able to increase our tithe and set aside money for the upcoming Heart for the House offering. God has restored us, not just financially, but also relationally and emotionally as a family unit.”

Festival Hall Melbourne

In 2020 through our Heart For The House Miracle Offering we were able to secure Festival Hall, an iconic venue in the heart of Melbourne. We had our first taste of church at Festival Hall at Easter last year and moved in officially in December 2021, just in time for Christmas. Being positioned in the heart of the city has been incredible for our church. In the past, we had a separate venue for Kids Church across the road.

This is the first time we’ve had every part of our church under the same roof, which has drawn more young families into our church family. Your faithful giving has allowed us to take the first step into this space and we are believing this year to take steps at creating this space into a church.

This has been a game-changer for all of our team and volunteers, who now have a place to gather and connect mid-week – from Alpha, to Creative and our Youth, it has been a blessing to our entire Melbourne City campus. Although this has been a huge milestone, there is still a lot to be done as we continue to restore this landmark building to become a church home for many.

Dean and Rachel Ussher
Campus Pastors Melbourne City Campus

Hobart Theatre

Council approval has been received and preparations are being made to start the works needed to transform the venue in downtown Hobart into a permanent church home.

This opportunity is not just about the amazing physical spaces we will have but it’s about the lives of the people they will impact. Our new home will provide more than double our previous seating capacity, meaning practically we have an even greater ability to reach our community. Located in the centre of Hobart’s new university campus development, it will be a place to call home for hundreds of young people who are new to our city.

We know that having safe and functional spaces for young families makes getting to church on a Sunday so much easier. Not only will our new kid’s facilities be a huge step forward in terms of what we can achieve and offer families, but the building is also located right next door to a multi-storey car park facility making getting in and out of church easy. We are so grateful to our broader church and everyone who is contributing to Heart For The House. This has meant for us here in Hobart that we can take a tangible step forward towards what’s most important – building a faith community that loves God and loves people.

Eddie Parker
Campus Pastor Hillsong Hobart