We consider knowing God and reaching new people our greatest priority. Therefore, our Sunday services are designed to help people connect with God—especially those who don’t yet know Him.

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20 NLT

WHO IS JESUS?

Jesus is the way to the Father—our Creator. God wants to have a relationship with us so that He can reveal the good plan and purpose He has for us.

In order to know the plan for our lives we need to know the Creator.

The Way

Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.”
John 14:6 ERV

The Creator
God is our creator! He created us to be like Him and to discover the special plan He has for our lives. However, sin has separated us from God and the good plans He has for us.

So God created humans in his own image. He created them to be like himself. He created them male and female.
Genesis 1:27 ERV

When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
Romans 5:12 NLT

The Son
The Bible tells us that God’s answer to sin was to send His one and only Son Jesus to earth to show us the heart and nature of God.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 NIV

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 1:17 NIV

The Death & Resurrection
Jesus died a painful death on the cross, but God raised Him back to life three days later. There were many witnesses who confirmed: “Jesus is Alive!”

“These Jews did all the bad things that the Scriptures said would happen to Jesus. Then they took Jesus down from the cross and put him in a tomb.

But God raised him up from death! After this, for many days, those who had gone with Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem saw him. They are now his witnesses to our people.”
Acts 13:29-31 ERV

The Reconciliation
The death of Jesus and His glorious resurrection have the power to bring us back into relationship with God. Jesus died to take our sin and makes us blameless before God.

Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
Colossians 1:22 NLT

The New Life
God’s purpose is to bring us into a life that is good and satisfying.

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
John 10:10 NLT

The Savior
Jesus is our Savior!

“Jesus is the only one who can save people. His name is the only power in the world that has been given to save anyone. We must be saved through him!”
Acts 4:12 ERV

LIFE WITH JESUS

Finding life with Jesus is so exciting—it means the start of a new chapter. We believe your journey of faith will speak to others, we encourage you to:

Share Your Personal STORY
There are people in your life that would love to know about your journey of faith.

Your story is significant, so why not learn to tell it in a short but meaningful way?

Build Personal RELATIONSHIPS
Invite people into your world. People want to know that your friendship is genuine.

Give a Personal INVITATION
Inviting people into your world means inviting them to share in the things that are important to you. Things like church services, Connect Groups, Communities and events are great places to invite your family and friends to.

“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.’”
Luke 14:23 NIV

Enjoy Sunday Services
Our Sunday services focus on four values:

1. Celebration
We believe church should be enjoyable.

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
Psalm 122:1 NLT

2. Inspiration
We believe church should be a place where people experience God’s presence.

But if everyone is proclaiming God’s message when some unbelievers or ordinary people come in, 

they will be convinced of their sin by what they hear. They will be judged by all they hear, their secret thoughts will be brought into the open, and they will bow down and worship God, confessing, “Truly God is here among you!”
1 Corinthians 14:24-25 GNT

3. Application
We believe church should be a place where people learn how to apply the Bible to their daily lives.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” ‭ 2 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT

4. Salvation
We believe church should be a place where people can find Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?
Romans 10:13-14 NLT

OUR VISION

Our Lifehouse Vision is Two-Fold:

1. To share the good news of Jesus with people who don’t yet know Him.

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20 NLT

How We Reach People who don’t yet know Him:

• Through church services and events
• Through Connect Groups and Communities

2. To equip believers to make a difference

Now these are the gifts Christ gave the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelist, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ..
Ephesians 4:11-12 NLT

How We Make a Difference:

• Through finding our purpose
• Through discovering our gifts and potential while serving on the Dream Team

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19 NLT

OUR CHURCH STRUCTURE

As you consider investing your heart, time, and finances into the life of the church, it is important for you to feel confident in its oversight. Here we share how Lifehouse Church Oversight works, and how we are structured to support the values of integrity, accountability, and spiritual authority.

Our Church Oversight is made up of four groups:

1. Guided by an Apostolic Oversight
Lifehouse Church belongs to and is guided by a denomination called Australian Christian Churches (ACC). Our Lifehouse pastors enter a credentialing process with the ACC. ACC provides oversight, and they have the authority to remove a pastor from his or her position in the rare case of moral misconduct.

2. Strengthened by Our Eldership
The Elders are up to seven selected members or pastors of Lifehouse Church, and can include pastoral ministries outside of Lifehouse. Elders provide spiritual protection to the church and speak into Lifehouse Globally. They may be called upon to help in accountability matters relating to pastoral staff, staff, and other church matters.

3. Protected by Our Finance Board
The Finance Board can have seven or more members of the congregation appointed by the Senior Pastors and the Eldership. Every Finance Board’s responsibility is to oversee finances and direct the provision of the facilities needed by the churches in their prospective locations or countries. They provide counsel to the Senior Pastor and Eldership regarding the major financial commitments of the church.

They serve the church as staff or non-staff. Further, to enable good financial accounting we conduct voluntary checks with locally-based external accountants.

4. Developed by Pastors
Our Pastoral Staff / teams are led by Senior Pastor Rod and Viv. They oversee the day-to-day ministry and operations of the church they are serving. They serve the congregation by developing the spiritual life of the church.

OUR FINANCES

Many people love to give to God financially and want to have confidence in the organization through which they give. They feel God is calling them to generous living, and trust our church to steward all finance well through transparent and honest financial practices. Giving is an act of worship to God—an expression of the relationship between the giver and the Lord.

That is why we will not ask people to fill out financial commitment cards or make faith promises. Giving is not a business transaction, it’s a personal decision! In accordance with the examples in the Bible, there are several ways we practice generous living at Lifehouse Church.

Tithes
Tithing is bringing to God 10% of the fullness of what God has first blessed us with. Tithing is not a rule but a principle. It’s the primary way we acknowledge that God is first in our lives.

“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.” ‭‭
Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“You must set aside a tithe of your crops—one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year.” ‭
Deuteronomy‬ ‭14‬:‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Offerings
An offering is giving over and above what we tithe. If we see a need, let’s fill it! There are so many needs around the world. We can’t do everything but we can do something. In cases where we can partner with trusted churches and missions organizations abroad, Lifehouse has been able to give to needs arising as a result of natural disasters and war.

Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.
1 Timothy 6:18-19 NLT

Heart for Giving
This is an extension of “Offerings.” There are four major Lanes for people to give at Lifehouse, we call them Heart for Giving:

Heart For Missions Goal:
To raise capital for mission projects overseas, especially for groups in developing nations. This is an opportunity for those with a heart to fund, equip and or serve in international missions with the specific groups that we are affiliated with.

Heart For The Dream Team Goal:
To raise capital for local Dream Team upgrades and projects. This helps our teams create a great atmosphere for church members and guests to experience God’s love, find purpose, and community.

Heart For The Next Generation Goals:
To raise capital giving for Lifehouse Youth and Kids and sponsor local youth and kid’s camps, university outreach, and youth events. To equip the Next Generation to become church and workplace leaders.

Heart For The House Goals:
To raise capital for the purchase or long term lease of our own venue, or local building projects, so our facilities keep pace with our church growth—expanding to reach more people.

Kingdom Builders (KB) Team
KB Team gives influence, resources, and time as a local church ministry to advance the cause of Christ. Each member prayerfully commits to give over and above their tithe to impact eternity for generations to come—to leave a legacy through the gift of giving.

If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously.
Romans 12:8a NLT

The Four KB Lanes of Impact
Kingdom Builders are enthusiastically invested in the four Lanes of Heart For Giving. The KB Team will receive information on new projects, existing projects, financial needs, and Kingdom impact related to the four lanes.

Join the KB Team
Members of the KB Team fulfill the following items:

• To have completed the Lifehouse DNA and the Dream Team Application.
• To be a committed part of our Church.
• To have committed to giving over and above their tithe.
• To have the spiritual gift of giving (Romans 12:4-8).

• To view giving as an act of worship unto the Lord.
• To desire to use resources, knowledge, influence and/or time to make a difference through the local church.

God created us to live in community with others. We believe that life change and growth happens in the context of relationships.

Lifehouse Connect Groups are a place where we can connect with God and people—giving us the opportunity to build long-lasting relationships.

We pray that the Lord will make your love grow. We pray that he will give you more and more love for each other and for all people. We pray that you will love everyone in the same way we love you. This will strengthen your desire to do what is right, and you will be holy and without fault before our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy people.
1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 ERV

CONNECT GROUPS

Our Connect Group model is based on the example of the early church

as described in the Bible. These smaller meetings helped lay the foundation for the growth and discipleship of the first church in Jerusalem.

And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
Acts 5:42 NKJV

Connect Group Goals
Connect Groups provide a fun place of discipleship for you to connect with others, share life, share the Word of God, and learn to grow in faith together.

About Lifehouse Connect Groups:

1. There Are Three Semesters Every Year
Life flows in seasons, and we want to make it easy for you to be in the right Connect Group for each season of your life.

This is why our groups start and stop three times a year in what we refer to as “semesters.”

Connect Groups are in session during the months of:

Winter - Spring
FEB - MAR - APR

Summer
JUN - JUL

Fall
SEP - OCT - NOV

2. There is a Group For You
With many groups to choose from, we are confident that there is a group that is a great fit for you. You can search for groups by gender, language, life stage, location, day, and time in our online Connect Groups directory at: mylifehouse.com/connectgroup

When you find a group that interests you, please contact the leader to learn more, or go to the Next Steps area after a church service. You can check out more than one group to find the one that’s right for you.

Connect Group Values
The focus of the group is the Bible—and the simple but powerful values we glean from it. We want people to commit to these biblical values and enjoy their time together around:

a) Studying the Word of God - This is a time when we use study tools to learn from the Bible together. Download the free Lifehouse International Church app from the App Store to access our Blue Book Bible studies. Download the YouVersion app to find easy-to-read Bible translations in your language. Your Connect Group leader can help you with these Apps.

b) Journaling - A daily practice where you read one or more verses from the Bible and write down a key thought, (what you feel God is saying to you personally). We encourage everyone to share the key thought with the Connect Group, and how it applies to your own life. Ask your Connect Group leader to help you get started.

But Jesus answered, “The scripture says, ‘Human beings cannot live on bread alone, but need every word that God speaks.’”
Matthew 4:4 GNT

c) Simple prayer - This is a time to pray with each other while keeping it simple.

“When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long.”
Matthew 6:7 GNT 

d) Keeping a clean heart - Keeping a clean heart means choosing to forgive. Forgiving one another keeps us in good standing with God and people. The fruit of forgiveness is healthy relationships and a satisfying life.

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends (hurts) you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
Colossians 3:13 NLT

e) Keeping our lives pure - Purity is a lifestyle! Whether we are single or married, we are called to live lives that reflect what God teaches us on purity, sexuality, and vision for marriage.

God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor—not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 NLT

Here are 3 points from our Statement of Faith that reflect healthy sexuality:

• Marriage
We believe that the Biblical view of marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in a single union in accordance with Jesus teaching in Mat 19:4-6 (quoting from Gen 1:27 and 2:24).

“Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” And he said, “’This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”
Matthew 19:4-6 NLT

• Sexual Intimacy
We believe that according to the New Testament,

God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Cor 6:18, 7:2–5).

“But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.” ‭
1 Corinthians‬ ‭7‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

• God's Design of Men & Women
We believe that according to the Genesis record of creation, God wonderfully created each person by design as either male or female.  These two distinct yet complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God (Gen 1:26–27).

“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” ‭
Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

See our full Statement of Faith here.

COMMUNITIES

The focus of these groups is:

1. Community, where people enjoy their time together around shared interests like: sports, lunch, parenting, students, creative arts, cooking or other hobbies and passions.
2. Reaching out to the community both inside and outside the church. Community group leaders are encouraged to be transparent about their faith, the connection to Lifehouse Church, and ready to briefly pray with people where appropriate.

• Shared Interest Groups
• Language Exchange
• Alpha
• Youth
• Workers
• Families

HOW DO I JOIN LIFEHOUSE CHURCH?

Anyone can attend Lifehouse Church services, but we would love for people to actively join us by completing Lifehouse DNA, and agreeing with our values and Statement of Faith.

Please join us today and begin to participate in:

Connect Groups and/or Communities
Join a Connect Group or Community today.

Serving on the Dream Team
We believe that through serving on a Dream Team we find our God given talents and gifts and why we have them. Come, let’s discover our Purpose and bring refreshment and blessing to those we serve.

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
1 Peter 4:10 NLT

“The two most important days of your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”
Mark Twain

Prayer
Pray for the church community and those outside the church—pray for the harvest. The harvest is ready, so let’s pray for people to be available harvesters who share Jesus with people.

So he said to his disciples, “The harvest is large, but there are few workers to gather it in. Pray to the owner of the harvest that he will send out workers to gather in his harvest.”
Matthew 9:37-38 GNB

Resource
Give your time and or finance to resource what God is doing in the life of the church—to reach people with the Good News of Jesus.