Our Vision
To style the servant heart of Christ.
The vision for the church is to reflect God’s love and Jesus’ service to all people.
Our Values
We value love as Jesus revealed it.
We value prayer as Jesus modelled it.
We value ministry to others as Jesus displayed it.
We value the church as Jesus founded it.
We value His Word as Jesus taught it.
Theme of 2022
On Vision Sunday, the theme for 2021 was presented: Passion For God’s House. We thank God for the momentum He has given our church and the time is right for us to get excited about what a Jesus focused congregation can be all about. Jesus said, “I will build the Church!” He is doing it and we are anticipating great things here in Hunters Hill!
Flashback: Theme of 2020
Below is the video produced for Vision Sunday 2020: The Year of Sight
(video produced by Elliot Grancha of The Renaissance Initiative)
Our History
Did you know Aussie icon Bob Hawke was a Congregationalist? But we’re getting ahead of ourselves…
The Congregational church has an unbroken lineage back to the 16th Century and to the Reformation in England. As men studied the Word of God, they came under the conviction of the Holy Spirit that the authoritative guide concerning spiritual things was Scripture alone. Many were also convinced that the church and the state should be separate entities. And so, when Queen Elizabeth the First proclaimed herself to be Supreme Governor of the church, as a reaction, the Puritans, who insisted on the purity of God’s Word and on the church being separate from the state, came into being. From these Puritans came the first Congregationalists, those who stood for the authority of God’s Word and the independence or autonomy of the local church.
Some of the settlers who migrated to Australia from England were from this background. They founded Congregational churches in all states and territories of Australia. The oldest Congregational Church was founded in Hobart in 1830.
The Hunters Hill Congregational Church held its first service in November 1876. The building, predominantly of sandstone, was completed in 1878 by builder Antonio Bondietti, an immigrant from Switzerland. Its architect was Albert Bond. The church building houses a historic organ that was supplied by Charles Richardson in 1922 and officially in use the following year.
The Hunters Hill church considered joining the Uniting Church in Australia when it was formed in 1977. There were 260 Congregational churches that joined the new Uniting Church which also included the Methodist Church of Australasia and the Presbyterian Church of Australia. However, Hunters Hill was one of 40 congregations that decided to not join the new Uniting Church, and to retain its faith connection to the Puritans and the original independents.
Some famous Congregationalists include John Bunyan, author of the Pilgrim’s Progress- the second greatest selling book in history, Isaac Watts- great hymn writer and author of Joy To the World, Martin Lloyd Jones- preacher and writer, and Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke.
In 2019, the Hunters Hill Congregational Church changed its name to Life Congregational Church so as not to limit its focus to one suburb. It is part of the Fellowship of Congregational Churches.