Who We Are

Hills Church is a local church filled with everyday people,
striving to follow Jesus Christ and spread his message
of hope into our community.

Hills Church is a local church filled with everyday people, striving to follow Jesus Christ and spread his message of hope into our community.

We Believe

We believe in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We believe that Jesus Christ the Son suffered in our place on the cross, that he died but rose again, that he now sits at the Father’s right hand until he returns to judge all people at the last day.

We believe in the Holy Scriptures as the inspired and inerrant Word of God.

We believe that by the grace of God every person has the ability and responsibility to choose between right and wrong, and that those who repent of their sin and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are justified by faith.

We believe that God not only counts believers as righteous, but that he makes them righteous, freeing them of sin’s dominion at conversion, purifying their hearts by faith and perfecting them in love at entire sanctification, and providing for their growth in grace at every stage of their spiritual life, enabling them through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to live a victorious life.

What To Expect

At Hills Church, the atmosphere is always relaxed and casual. Each service typically begins with a time of singing praises to God. Hills Church has a long tradition of training young people in contemporary music and worship leading, with several bands striving for excellence. The music ranges from upbeat and celebratory to quieter moments of reflection, allowing everyone to personally and collectively enter into God’s presence.

After the worship time, young children and their teachers are dismissed to attend our engaging Hills Kids program. This is followed by a time of prayer and announcements. Then, one of our pastors or a guest speaker delivers an inspirational message from the Bible, which usually lasts about 20-30 minutes.

What Is A Wesleyan?

The Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia is part of a world-wide evangelical denomination with ministries in USA, Britain, Canada and Australia as well as over 40 other countries.

In a very real sense the church owes its origin to the great spiritual awakening of the 18th century when God raised up John and Charles Wesley. The Wesleyan revival soon spread from England to America where churches were established, and extraordinary growth in spiritual and numerical strength took place. Methodism was initially a movement stressing evangelism and a closer walk with God. Wesley determined to do all he could to make disciples who grew in every aspect of their spiritual and practical life. This is what set the Methodists apart from many other movements at the time and led to real transformation of the church and society at large.

Early American Methodism was faithful to Wesley’s emphasis in doctrine and Christian conduct. However, Methodist ministers were pressured not to agitate for the abolition of slavery. Denied the right to exercise their consciences in this matter, many withdrew from the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1843 the Wesleyan Methodist Church grew out of this reform movement. Our denomination, therefore, did not have its beginnings over a doctrinal issue.

During the Second World War many Christians became acutely aware of the great spiritual needs of the Australian people and prayed for an awakening. Following an encounter by the Rev. Kingsley Ridgway, with an American Wesleyan serviceman, contact was made with the Wesleyan Methodist Church of America. After the literature was studied, an invitation was extended to the movement to open work in Australia and an encouraging, affirmative answer was received.

A handful of people attended services, and from this group sprang a movement burdened for “the spreading of Scriptural holiness across the land”. In 1947 the Inaugural Conference was held and a Bible College commenced. We currently have almost 100 churches spanning all Australian states.

Although a church has been on this site since 1947, the Wesleyan Church began here with a handful of people in November 1981. Since then God has used Hills Church to continue developing disciples and building the kingdom of God. We would love you to join us in the task of making disciples in the Wesley tradition here at Hills.

For further info see our denominational web site: wesleyan.org.au

Our Values

People

It might sound unusual to list this as a value, but making disciples starts here: one must first become a Christian. Our church places a strong emphasis on helping people come to faith, but it doesn’t stop there. Some Christians make an initial commitment to Christ but are content to simply attend church without being challenged to live a disciple’s life. That’s why we value seeing people not only commit to Christ as new believers but also continue that commitment as growing believers. Without this fundamental value, it is rare for a believer to become a true disciple—someone who acts, sounds, and lives like Jesus.

This commitment is reflected in the following ways:

We regularly run events designed to introduce people to Jesus.
We consistently call for commitment to the discipleship process from everyone who attends our church.
Our teaching and programs emphasise the importance of ongoing spiritual growth.

At Hills Church, we emphasize the importance of an intimate relationship with God for every disciple. Our desire is to understand God in His fullness as a Trinitarian God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. While at times we might focus on a specific aspect of His nature, we strive to maintain a balanced understanding. We teach about Jesus because it is through Him that we are saved, but we also emphasize the Father’s heart and our identity as His children. Additionally, we acknowledge the essential role of the Holy Spirit, who brings power and comfort to believers.

This commitment is reflected in the following ways:

– We will regularly teach on God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit and we will encourage you to get to know God intimately
– We pray in every service and at the end of every service for your needs
– We have regular prayer meetings around a cause
– We have regular corporate prayer and focused prayer
– We also support others who encourage prayer

The Word of God

A second crucial principle for living the disciple’s life is developing the ability to listen to what God is telling you. One of the most direct ways to hear from God is through His words in the Bible. Our emphasis on personal Bible reading isn’t about performing a religious duty or earning cosmic points. It’s about immersing yourself in God’s Word, making you more attuned to His voice. Living the disciple’s life involves learning to follow His guidance.

This principle is reflected in the following ways:

We always teach from the Bible, emphasizing how God wants us to act as disciples.
We encourage regular personal Bible reading.
We offer courses and resources to help you develop as a disciple through Bible reading.
Valuing the Word, we support organizations that provide access to the Bible, including translators, distributors, and those assisting oral learners.

Prayer

A crucial aid to listening and communicating with God is prayer, which we believe is indispensable for a developing disciple. Prayer is more than just talking; it’s also about listening. A believer who doesn’t pray significantly hinders their discipleship journey. Just as communication is the lifeblood of any relationship, it’s essential in the relationship between a believer and God. Additionally, prayer is the powerhouse of the church. A praying church is an impactful church. We don’t just talk about prayer; we actively encourage and facilitate it in the lives of disciples and the church community.

This principle is reflected in the following ways:

We incorporate prayer into every service and offer prayer for individual needs at the end of each service.
We hold regular prayer meetings focused on specific causes.
We engage in regular corporate and focused prayer sessions.
We support others that promote and encourage prayer.

Missions

When Jesus issued the Great Commission, He entrusted it to His disciples. Often, we associate this responsibility solely with the church we attend, forgetting that it ultimately rests with each of us individually. Evangelism and disciple-making are not just tasks for the collective body; they are personal responsibilities for every disciple. While we can support and assist one another, true effectiveness in fulfilling the Great Commission comes from each of us living it out individually. As Jesus instructed His disciples, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18). At Hills Church, we believe our role is to equip you for “the works of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12), empowering you to minister to others.

This plays itself out in the following ways

Serve

We also value serving one and other. Jesus set the example by washing his disciple’s feet, and after he had completed this task he said something profound. “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:15-17). As disciples at Hills Church we also take this advice of Jesus seriously. You can expect two things. The first of these is that you will not be lorded over as a disciple you will be led and served. Second, while you can expect to be served you will also be expected to serve. Unfortunately our society has been trained to be independent when God’s plan was that we be interdependent. Christianity was never about what I can get without including what I can give.

This plays itself out in the following ways

– You can expect leaders who are servants
– You can expect not to be manipulated or controlled
– You will be asked to serve others in various ways in and around the church and in the community
– We will regularly teach on God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit and we will encourage you to get to know God intimately
– We pray in every service and at the end of every service for your needs
– We have regular prayer meetings around a cause
– We have regular corporate prayer and focused prayer
– We also support others who encourage prayer

Our History

Hills Church, originally known as Everton Hills Wesleyan Methodist Church, was founded on the shores of the Burnett River just outside Bundaberg. During Easter 1981, a small group of families from Ferny Hills gathered with Rev. Don Hardgrave to begin this journey.

The first service was held on 6th December, 1981, at 79 Queens Road, Everton Hills, in a building rented from the Baptist Church. In May 1982, a leap of faith led to the purchase of the property from the Baptist Church.

In 1986, Pastor Phil and Leslie McCallum arrived from the USA to take on the role of senior pastor. Under their leadership, the congregation grew rapidly, and by 1989, had outgrown the Queens Road building. The decision was made to move services to McDowall State School, providing much-needed space for further growth.

During this period at McDowall State School, construction began on a new, larger auditorium behind the existing church on Queens Road, designed to accommodate up to 450 people. The foundation stone for this new facility was laid on December 23, 1991.

The current church auditorium was officially opened, and the first service was held on December 12, 1992.

Since then, the church has undergone many changes, but the focus has remained the same: to reach the community for Christ. With its emphasis on community services, Hills Church has become well known in the Hills District as a welcoming place where people can seek assistance, learn about God, and receive discipleship.

Between March 2021 and October 2023, Hills Church undertook an ambitious building and renovation program to expand and modernise its facilities. This project introduced a new hall for Kids and Youth programs, multiple breakout rooms for various ministries, and a significant renovation of the main church auditorium, including a state-of-the-art sound and video system upgrade. The Next Gen building, which officially opened in July 2022, also features a café and a new Op-Shop located beneath the hall. The renovated auditorium reopened in October 2023.

As part of the project, the original chapel, built in 1928, was carefully relocated to the rear of the property and beautifully refurbished, while the adjacent older church hall was demolished to make way for future projects.