HILLSONG MELBOURNE - How exciting!!!

Yes, it's true - At Hillsong Church, we have begun plans towards planting a church in MELBOURNE.
 
After allowing this possibility to stir in my heart for several months and after some vigorous vision planning and discussions with key members of our team, we have decided that the time is right for us to make some serious plans to plant Hillsong Melbourne. We are VERY excited about the possibility of building from the ground up; I really believe that Hillsong Melbourne will be a thriving representation of our church right in the heart of this growing city.

Why Melbourne? Obviously it is a great city; reputed to soon become Australia's largest. There are so many areas of Australian life and culture that are synonymous with Melbourne and like any large and cosmopolitan city, there are so many people to reach and so much potential to be realised. I believe it is the right time for us to do our part to see God's great Church flourish in this world-class metropolis.

You can be assured that we are under no illusions regarding the task ahead and the challenges it presents. We certainly don't see ourselves as "God's great answer to Melbourne.” :)

Our plan is to plant and grow from the ground up and our focus will be on reaching the unchurched - building one person and one family at a time!  That's the way we started in Sydney. It will be good old-fashioned pioneering and church planting.

Eventually, I would imagine that we will look at the possibility of expanding towards several campuses across the city. Bobbie describes Hillsong Church as "One house, with many rooms.” I love that picture of a church home. We don't see ourselves as a ‘megachurch’ but rather, "A little church, with a lot of people." Hillsong is personal.

We are VERY aware that there are many great churches in Melbourne and we are blessed with so many wonderful ministry friendships that we deeply value and respect. Our heart is to honor and respect those relationships.  We are very appreciative of the warm response we have received from so many local church pastors.
 
Our intention is not to build on anyone else’s foundation and we will do our best to work alongside the greater Church in the city, as we look geographically at our potential location (or locations). In any big city, some people-movement amongst churches is inevitable, but that is not what we will intentionally build on, nor is it what a church should be built on.

Our plans are in a very early embryonic stage, but as 2012 progresses we will continue toward announcing a small group of people who we will be sending from our current Hillsong team to lead and begin to carve out this new campus.  We definitely intend to start in the very heart of Melbourne initially, holding information nights and gathering connect groups from across the city. I would imagine that it will be late this year or early next year that we will really be up and running, full steam into all that God has for us.

There are great days ahead as He "crowns the year with His goodness." (Psalm 65:11)

God Bless you,
Brian and Bobbie Houston.
 

To register your interest in attending Hillsong Melbourne and to receive updates on our progress please visit hillsong.com/melbourne