It’s the vibe, as Millennials change the face of Gold Coast churches

YOUNG people are flocking back to churches in a big way, according to new data. But it’s not your traditional wooden pews and sermons. Here’s what is bringing the youth back to church.

Worshippers at Metro Church, Southport.

THE face of the biggest faith on the Gold Coast is changing with vibey Pentecostal churches springing up across the city as a growing number of Millennials and others turn to them for community and meaning.

Statistics show the Gold Coast easily has more than 200 churches and Pentecostals or charismatics now lead the way with 80 churches, compared to 67 more traditional congregations.

The latter include Baptist, Church of Christ, Anglican, Catholic, Anglo Catholic, Presbyterian, Uniting, Salvation Army, Lutheran, Nazarene and Wesleyan churches.

Christian commentators and leaders said an apparent growth in faith among Gold Coasters reflected latest census statistics which show Queensland has the highest number of Christians in the country — 56.2 per cent of its population — making Christianity easily the largest faith.

In second place was NSW with 55.2 per cent, followed by Western Australia with 49.8 per cent of its population.

Len Rossow, facilitator of the Gold Coast House of Prayer and a key advocate of church unity on the Gold Coast, has a data base of local churches, which have websites.

According to Pastor Len Rossow Pentecostal churches are growing in popularity on the Gold Coast.

“The statistics I have collected show there are at least 201 churches on the Gold Coast,” he said. “However, new churches are being planted regularly, so this is a very conservative estimate.”

His figures show Pentecostal denominations are made up of Australian Christian Churches (ACC), who lead the way with 25, which includes Hillsong.

A2A has five churches, C3 has three, INC with four, Apostolic has three congregations, while other charismatics or Pentecostals have 19 churches. The Southern Cross Association has two churches, Crosslink has one and there are 20 independents on the Coast.

The growth in Pentecostal or charismatic churches is attributed by many Christians to a rise in the number of twenty- and thirty-somethings searching for God outside traditional churches.

Pastors Kasey and Garry McDonald, from Metro Church.

However, Mr Rossow pointed out that while Millennials had greater engagement with Pentecostal churches, growth was not limited to them.

“Newlife Uniting Church, Baptist and Church of Christ congregations are all experiencing growth on the Gold Coast with New Life Uniting probably being the largest Protestant church in the city,” he said.

“It’s very possible other main line congregations are also experiencing growth.

“We are also seeing a greater sense of unity across churches in the city — something that is unprecedented in my 35 years on the Coast.

“Every congregation — Pentecostal or main line — is displaying an expression of the character and ministry of Christ,” he said.

Churches honouring and encouraging each other had led to an atmosphere of love and encouragement local congregations.

Mega-church Hillsong, which was birthed in Sydney, is believed to have the largest congregations on the Gold Coast in the ACC fold and has established three campuses since its first church plant here in 2014.

Hillsong Gold Coast campus pastor, James Turner, said more than 1500 people attended weekend services at Burleigh, Coomera and Surfers Paradise.

Hillsong Gold Coast campus pastor James Turner.

“We have a high percentage of youth and young adults but all age demographics are represented, which is a great sign of a healthy church,” he said.

He didn’t rule out further growth — no doubt, fuelled by Hillsong’s vibrant worship music and broad appeal to Millennials.

Vibrant, sincere worship music is a key feature of Hillsong churches.

“Our congregations are made up of people from all walks of life with different nationalities, different ages and backgrounds. A high percentage of people come from non-church backgrounds,” he said.

Mr Turner attributed this growth to the message of Jesus, which was one of hope and purpose. “People are finding a place to belong and a cause to live for,” he said.

Michael Barrett, founder of Transformations Church at Surfers Paradise, also emphasised the sense of belonging offered by churches.

“Most people on the Gold Coast can buy what they want but they still desperately need healthy connections with other people and a sense of belonging to a community. The local church provides this,” he said.

Mr Rossow and Garry McDonald, founder of the 500-strong Metro Church at Bundall, also linked church growth to a rise in the local population.

“As our city grows, the pressures on individuals also grow,” Mr McDonald said. “The pressure of life have increased and people are struggling with the demands on their time, and balancing family and work,” he said.

He believed the human need for God and meaning often came to the surface when people faced hard times or trauma.

“Our growth has been steady and we actively try to welcome new people who haven’t been to church before,” he said. “We’ve also seen a number of churches popping up around us, which is good news for the city.”