About Coast Community

About us.

We are a family of friends on mission.

A Christ-centered community with a shared heart for the renewal of the Central Coast.

Our Convictions. We are...

We are outward facing.

We choose, as a community committed to the renewal of the Central Coast, to look beyond ourselves. We pay attention to each other, our neighbourhoods and workplaces, our schools and sporting fields. These are the places we are called to be restorers and reconcilers. We recognise that our calling as believers is to contend for renewal in all the places we are planted.

We are disciples who make disciples.

We choose, as apprentices of King Jesus, a lifelong journey of being with, learning from, and becoming like Him. Each of us, in everyday ways, is committed to deepening our own faith and faithfulness, while helping others to walk with Jesus too. We are disciples who disciple - this is how we work out the Great Commission together.

Our homes are the primary place of discipleship.

As members of His household we recognise that our homes and everyday lives are powerful contexts of formation. Whether we live alone, with family, or in community, we take responsibility for our own growth and for encouraging those around us to be apprenticed to Jesus as well. We contend not only for the flourishing of our own households but also for the renewal of homes across the whole Central Coast, envisioning places of love, hospitality, and transformation.

We gather as family.

We choose, as beloved children of God, to not overlook the importance of meeting together face-to-face. When we gather, we do so as brothers and sisters of all generations, equal in His sight. Like any family, we each contribute to the healthy functioning of the household. We understand that it is when we gather that we testify to the truth - that we are one.

Everyone plays a part.

We choose, as members of one body, to celebrate diversity in unity. We know that every member has received special gifts to be identified and strengthened and released for the building up of the whole body. As every part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body - indeed the whole Central Coast - is healthy and growing and full of love.

Our Story.

We are a faith community made up of two unique expressions—Bensville and Tumbi—united by a shared mission.

Bensville began with a vision to see Central Coast families become devoted followers of Christ. From our origins in Hardy’s Bay in the 1980s, Coast Community Church was officially established in 1992, gathering in local schools before we purchased land in Bensville. When faced with the choice of building a church or starting a school, we chose to prioritize discipleship, leading to the birth of Coast Christian School in 2000. Over the years, we have continued to grow, investing in spiritual formation through retreats and conferences, and expanding our mission through local outreach and global initiatives. Today, our church, school, and newly established preschool remain committed to the renewal and flourishing of children and families.

Tumbi began in a home, launching as Tuggerah Lakes Christian Fellowship in 1995. Our community moved several times before settling at our current Adelaide Street location in 1997. With a heart for simplicity, integrity, and Kingdom impact, we invested in worship, small groups, outreach, and equipping believers. Ministries like Healing Rooms, Compassion partnerships, and food van outreach became key expressions of our mission. In 2012, we entered a new season, merging with Coast Community Church to become its northern site. In 2021, we launched Better Days Café as a social enterprise, creating a space for connection, support, and renewal.

Our call to unity as Tumbi and Bensville has strengthened us while still recognizing what makes each of our communities unique. Together, we—alongside all the churches on the Central Coast—are called to contend for the renewal of our region.

Leadership.

Our leadership approach is grounded in what we read in the New Testament.

We practice a model of shared leadership, where a plurality of elders work collaboratively according to their gifting, rather than appointing individual leaders or pastors with sole positional authority over a faith community. Coast Community Church elects a body of Elders with spiritual and governance responsibility across all of Coast Community. Elders, in consultation with local faith communities, appoint and entrust Overseers with shared shepherding responsibilities at the local level.

Our Movement.

Coast Community is part of a movement called Churches of Christ. Our churches are diverse in expression but share a commitment to the Lordship of Jesus and to the simplicity of New Testament Christianity. We desire and seek unity among the broader body of Christ in order that we might bear witness to his grace and glory.

Within the movement, each community of believers has the freedom to start with a ‘blank piece of paper’ – returning to the Word and Spirit and rediscovering simple Christianity in their context, proclaiming: “We just want to follow the Bible –and not be afraid of where God leads us!”
We believe at our core that every Australian can open the Bible and not be afraid of where God leads them to go. With a freedom found only in Jesus, we are free to return to simple Christianity.

The name “Churches of Christ” was not introduced as a denominational title, instead being a simple description of who these groups were, along with other terms, like ‘Christian Church’, ‘Disciples of Christ’ or ‘Community Church’. There were many, many groups like this around the world, often rejecting the religious traditions they grew up with, instead living by what they understood to be the essentials of the Christian faith: