Our purpose is to love and lead all people to live as passionate and mature disciples of jesus.
MEET OUR PASTORS
OUR CORE VALUES + VISION
We take our core values seriously - they define and shape our identity and culture as a local church. To us, these five core values are what it means for us to be Hawkesbury Valley Baptist Church. The statements below represent our God-given vision of what it means for us to live out each of our core values.
JESUS CHRIST OUR CORNERSTONE
Ephesians 2:13-22, 1 Peter 2:4-7, Matthew 16:15-19, Matthew 6:33
We are a church full of people who love and follow Jesus. We are a church committed to the truth of the Bible, and who seek first God’s Kingdom and righteousness in all we do. We are a church passionate about seeing Jesus glorified in all we say and do.
THE GREAT COMMISSION
Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8
We are a church continually on the move - a church that loves people and goes places. We are a church where people respond to the call to be and grow as passionate and mature followers of Jesus. We are a church that raises and sends people and resources to see the Gospel of Jesus shared with more people in more places.
FAITH AS COMMUNITY
Acts 2:42-47, John 13:34-35, Hebrews 10:24-25
We are a church where people experience deep community and personal connection. We are a church who love to gather, grow, give and serve - a church where everyone has a part to play and a place to belong. We are a church where people’s love for Jesus and one another is real and tangible.
CHAMPIONING GENERATIONS
Psalm 145:4-9, Deuteronomy 6:4-7, 1 Corinthians 12:14-26
We are a church where every generation is valued with a place and a part to play. We are a church who build platforms for the next generations to launch further from. We are a church who strengthen and bless people, families and local communities.
THE HOLY SPIRIT
John 14:26, John 16:7-15, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
We are a church who experiences the voice, presence and power of the Holy Spirit. We are a church where the Holy Spirit fills, speaks, guides, works, empowers and gifts. We are a church who is supernaturally courageous, faith-filled, faithful, inspired and influential.
THE HVBC STORY
In 1992, a group of families with a passionate desire to see God move in their lives and across the Hawkesbury, began to meet in a house in Freemans Reach. Prayer, worship and community marked the foundations of what would eventually become Hawkesbury Valley Baptist Church.
After some time, the group began to grow, and they called their first Senior Minister, Pete Davies. The church moved into Glossodia Public School, and became an official church of the Baptist Union of NSW (as it was known then). There was significant growth over the first 10 years of the church, thanks largely to the diligent prayer and a heart to invest in and empower the younger generations. In 2002 Mark Chapple transitioned into the Senior Minister role to replace Pete. It was around this time that we rented an old factory in North Richmond, and the church began to meet there.
It wasn’t long before the factory complex in which we were renting went on the market. Through much prayer and miraculous provision and favour, that small group of Jesus followers was able to secure a loan and purchase that property. Over the years since, the church has expanded to become a multi-purpose facility that includes a large auditorium, offices, ministry spaces and an indoor basketball court.
As the church continued to grow through the 2000’s, we saw people of many ages and walks of life come into saving relationship with Jesus Christ; many young leaders were identified, developed and sent into ministry, either at HVBC or elsewhere in our city and nation. This culture of development and sending meant that in 2010, after many dreams and prayers, Greater West For Christ was birthed out of HVBC and began a new era of engagement in the wider Kingdom work that was happening in our region.
In 2016, Mark moved out of his role as Senior Minister, to invest more heavily in Greater West For Christ, and to plant Penrith City Chapel. It was then that Phil Evans, who was at that time our Youth and Young Adult Ministry Leader, stepped into the role. The church experienced a renewed emphasis on discipleship and an expansion of some of our ministries to people on the fringe, including incarcerated adults and juveniles.
In mid-2023 David and Amity O’Connor became our Senior and Associate Pastors respectively. We continue to be a church that is passionate about discipleship, generations and the advancement of the Kingdom of God. The church is experiencing fresh growth under their leadership - particularly in the young families demographic.
We are excited for the many pages that have yet to be written in our story as we continue to trust Jesus to lead us into all He desires for us as a church…