Two New Campuses
HBC Garden Suburb
Under God, we’ve committed to buying a building to further Jesus’ gospel in our region. Find out about the site we’ve purchased in Garden Suburb and how we’re prayerfully planning to reach 300,000 people in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.
HBC City
Find out about the venue we’ve leased at 259 King St. A space we’re praying to use to reach 70,000 people living in the city centre of Newcastle for the glory of Jesus.
The Plan
The who, what, when, where and how for reaching 2024
The Plan
The who, what, when, where and how for reaching 2024
To see the full plan, timeline, realities of this change, principles for deciding and more, download the Towards 24 Discussion Guide book. We’ve pulled out the highlights below.
Towards 24 Timeline
View the general phases we’ll move through on our way to opening in early 2024.
Locations and Service Times
At this stage, we’re planning to launch HBC:City with one service and HBC:Garden Suburb with two services. HBC:Unichurch will remain at 7pm at the Uni for the foreseeable future (although we’re aware that there may be good reasons to reconsider in the coming years).
Garden Suburb: 10am and 4pm
City: 4pm
Unichurch: 7pm
Before You Decide
Some resources to help you decide which congregation planting team to join
Before You Decide
Some resources to help you decide which congregation planting team to join
01
The Realities
In the midst of the excitement (and scariness) of everyone changing their congregation, we wanted to acknowledge some realities that are worth keeping in mind. Read more about the realities of what this change means for church.
02
Principles for Deciding
How will you decide which congregation to join? This is a big decision that everyone in our church family is going through together. Here are three helpful questions to ask when approaching this decision.
Let Us Know
When you feel like you have a fair idea which congregation planting team you’d like to be part of, we’d love to know.
Resources
Helping us manage change well as a church family
Resources
Helping us manage change well as a church family
Experiencing Change as a Church Family
Part 1: How We Experience Change
Part 2: Change and Group Dynamics
Part 3: Change and Personality Traits
Towards 24 Q&A with Greg
Big Sunday Talk
On Big Sunday in 2022, we gathered as one church family on mission for Jesus. We heard from 3 John about our vision to see Newcastle and Lake Mac brought under the lordship of Jesus. Catch up on the talk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
We believe in being as transparent and open as possible. Below you’ll find some common questions people have. We’d love to hear your questions, comments or feedback so we can ensure we have considered everything and best love people. Please send them to towards2024@hunterbiblechurch.org
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Of course! Especially if you can see how that’s going to be particularly helpful for them — this is part of the principles of “what’s good for others”. Alongside that, its important to remember that we don’t stop being friends when we’re not in the same congregation. And remember we’re all praying for growth, so even if we start in the same congregations with our friends, we’re all going to be welcoming new people at the same time (we hope!).
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Probably before we launch would be good! We think most people are going to need a few months to think and pray through this. Some people won’t need that long. Others will need much longer. Our hope is that most people will have a pretty fair idea of what they’re thinking by March 2023. If that feels too soon for you, that’s okay too!
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This is tricky. As various people in ministry teams make decisions about going to one campus, that will change what the needs are at the other campus. We’re expecting that some people will be more flexible than others, and that will help work out where the needs are. Who knows, maybe when we all stay what we’re thinking, it might just turn out perfect. #ministryteamprayerpoints
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This is an important question that the elders and finance team have thought hard about. So here are some high-level details; we’ve got the money donated and pledged to purchase the Garden Suburb property — $5.25m (praise God!). We’ve got approval for a building loan of up to $3m for the renovations at Garden Suburb. We’ve also been given some grants that will help cover some of the launch costs of the City campus (about $400k in total). And we’ve been able to save a healthy surplus each year for the past 6 years. The plan is to draw-down into those savings to start with as we grow.
However, it’s very important that we all make regular giving to church a key part of our Christian walk. It’s part of God’s good plan for our lives.
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It’s a common fear that as churches grow we think we’ll get lost in the crowd. But being loving isn’t a church size thing, it’s a heart thing. Small churches that don’t grasp the love of God can be really unloving places and large churches that do grasp the love of God and model it can be really loving places.
We’re already a church that is way too big to know everyone. But we are a church that values love and relationships with one another in the cause of the gospel.
Some of the advantages that can help a larger church be loving are:
A diverse people: if God continues to bless us and grow us at HBC, we will grow in a diversity of people from different ethnicities, backgrounds, jobs, relationships, incomes, experiences. This can actually increase the love, care and welcoming of a church when it’s built on the foundation of God’s love.
Meet the needs of more people: larger churches have bigger networks of care and support to draw on to meet people where they’re at. It opens up new ministry opportunities smaller churches don’t necessarily have capacity for. For example, addiction recovery or divorce recovery ministries.
At HBC this is why we have such a priority on Growth Groups. These are often some of the best places where we can develop deeper relationships and love a few people in loads of different ways.
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We’re praying we will. Our hope has always been that God would continue to save the lost and grow his kingdom through HBC. That means for both City and Garden Suburb we will have plans to launch more congregations/service times as we grow at both campuses. In the future we may also look towards planting additional campuses with the aim to share Jesus in our region.
The Realities
The Realities
In the midst of the excitement (and scariness) of everyone changing their congregation, we wanted to acknowledge some realities that are worth keeping in mind.
01
Same Same
The big things are not changing. Jesus is still our King. His gospel of love and mercy is still our message and passion. His word is still our guide and we’ll preach it every week. Lost people will be saved and God will be glorified. We’re all going to keep praying, serving, repenting, encouraging, laughing and crying together. We’re still going to be the same HBC, same staff team, same values and mission.
02
Harder for Some
We’ll all have very different feelings and ways of going about the next 12 months, and that’s ok. It’s important that those of us who make quick decisions are patient and understanding of those who take their time. And those who value thinking things through for a long time will need to be understanding (and even thankful) for those who act swiftly.
03
Expect to Grow
Our God loves the widows and orphans. He has a welcoming heart. Our king, Jesus, died for every tribe and nation, people and language. And he taught us to look out at the harvest and pray. We love people and so we love welcoming them into our church family.
Occasionally people say that big churches must be unloving. In our own hearts we feel the fear that if more people come, I won’t matter and I won’t be cared for. Sometimes that is true. But it’s also possible to be unloved in a small group of people and to feel deeply loved in a large group. What matters is not size but our heart. Love means we want people to join and we also think and work hard to love them when they do.
04
There Is a Cost
Big plans always require an extra effort to get off the ground. It might be the cost of some close relationships, the investment of extra time, or the dollars and cents it will cost to make church happen in 2024. Building a new venue at Garden Suburb and leasing 259 King St will require us all to dig deep, with thankfulness to God.
Letter from Greg and Emma Lee
Letter from Greg and Emma Lee
There’s an old Paul Kelly song that goes something like, “Be careful what you pray for… you just might get it!”
A while back we started praying that God would give us a building and he has answered our prayer. Even further back we started praying that God would give Jesus 30,000 people in Newy and Lake Mac.
Imagine if he answered that prayer.
Even in part.
Imagine if even 1,000 or 5,000 people became Christians.
Wouldn’t that be amazing?
Lives would be turned upside down and transformed. Families would be improved immeasurably. Eternities would be changed.
Church would change too. If God chose to use us to answer that prayer we’d have to welcome scores of baby Christians. We’d have to love them and teach them to follow Jesus. We’d have to find room for them in our hearts and lives. It would be an enormous privilege and like every privilege it would be enormously challenging.
That’s why we’re planting in the city and Garden Suburb, because we hope and pray that God will use us to see thousands saved and thousands more loved. I’m praying that the next five years will be the most exciting time of our lives. I also expect it to be among the most challenging.
But I’m deeply confident… because hasn’t God always led us? Hasn’t he always provided the people, money and skills we need? And doesn’t he love his church? Of course he does! I honestly can’t wait to see what God does through us and in us over these next five years. Praise be to our majestic Heavenly Father!
— Greg and Emma Lee
Principles for Deciding
Senior Pastor Greg Lee
Principles for Deciding
Senior Pastor Greg Lee
How will you decide which campus to join? This is a big decision that everyone in our church family is going through together. Emma and I are trying to decide for our family… Praise God, they’re all good options!
We’re approaching this decision by asking three questions.
Principle 01
What’s good for the lost?
I always want to start by thinking about the people I love who need Jesus. My neighbours. My friends and family. Which campus are they most likely to go to? I want to bend over backwards for the lost person now, while there’s still time.
So if all your lost friends love being in the city and hanging out there, maybe the city is the place for you. If they avoid the drive and complain about parking, maybe it’s a good idea that you’re inviting them to Garden Suburb.
Principle 02
What’s good for others?
Jesus gave us the beautiful model of looking not to our own interests but to the interests of others. This will affect our decision about which campus to join.
You might prefer one campus over another but know that a person, family or group of people will be more loved if you’re at their campus. You might also choose your congregation because you can serve more helpfully there. There is the chance that we’ll “tap you on the shoulder” and ask you to join a particular congregation because your gifts and experience are really needed there.
Principle 03
What’s good for you?
It’s not wrong to ask this question! It’s great to have your own hopes and preferences. Some of us will naturally lean towards the city and others to Garden Suburb.
It’s good to think about what will meet yours and your family’s needs. It’s good to ask your friends where they are planning to go. It will be great if we can all look forward to having some of our friends at our new congregation. Start those conversations as soon as you can!