Hope Church recently celebrated their 30th Anniversary. It was a truly special Sunday as the congregations from St Lucia, Willawong and Gatton came together at Unidus Community Centre for this milestone service.
The service started off with a video sharing how Hope Church started with Pastors Wilson and Lai Ling Lim. Back then, they were simply a young married couple who wanted to obey God by relocating from Melbourne to Brisbane despite uncertainties of visa extension. Praise and worship was heartfelt as all who attended reflected God’s goodness. Alongside the worship band, there were dancers on stage with a mini indoor fireworks display for praise and worship which added to the memorable service. Various members of the congregation of different ages shared their testimony of their God-journey in how being part of Hope Church changed their life. This was in addition to the many video ‘Letter to Hope Church’ clips that had been shown in the weeks leading up to this Anniversary Service. In response to this, each attendee was given a Letter from Ps Wilson and Lai Ling.
Ps Wilson shared a message of how crucial it was for each Christian to co-mission with God in living out their God-given mission in helping to fulfil the Great Commision. He also touched on the simplicity and urgency of each Christian being faithful in being involved in the mentoring and discipleship process that is so valued in Hope International Ministries (HIM). At the end of the service, a giant group photo was taken.
Outside the Unidus Auditorium, there was a large visual timeline which had historical photos. The old photos were a clear demonstration of how God’s goodness grew the church throughout the years. Through this, the church was reminded of significant events throughout the past 30 years which included the establishment of the Children’s Ministry (KFC), the Youth Ministry (Ablaze) and Hands of Hope. The involvement and appointment of key figures in Hope Church’s history were also recognised. The journey of how Unidus Community Centre came about from starting out as a dream became reality was also remembered.
After the special service, every Life Group was given the opportunity to take a commemorative group photo session outdoors – some Life Groups even had their own dress code. There was also a wall where everyone was invited to write down their memorable moments. Also, everyone was treated to a birthday cake!
Hope Church has certainly played a pivotal role in sending out various individuals and teams throughout the world in sharing God’s love. We have churches in North America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania (of course) that were started by teams who once had roots in Hope Church.
Praise God indeed for his faithfulness and generous love over Hope Church, and may there be many more God- driven stories of how Hope Church is impacting the world around us. Happy 30th Birthday Hope Church!
