In 1947 a small gathering of passionate believers began meeting to worship God in the Smith’s home on Burraneer Bay Road, Cronulla and a church destined for incredible impact was born.
In the same year, two blocks of land on the corner of Jacaranda Road and the Kingsway were given as a gift by a lady named Mrs Bingley who foresaw the need and potential of a strong church in the Sutherland Shire. As plans for these two blocks of land were being developed the church continued to gather in the Smith’s home for many years and became officially known as Caringbah Church of Christ in 1947. Some 6 years later, on the 7th of March 1953 after many arduous meetings, deliberations and much hard work, the church had it’s own home. With the building complete, work began in reaching children, youth and young families in the rapidly growing, post-war resettlement years in the Sutherland shire.
In the following decades the church continued to grow and strengthen, and a rich period of ministry and outreach in the local area was established. With many people coming to know Jesus, a foundation for significant kingdom work across the region was laid. From within the church, teams were sent to pioneer church communities such as Engadine Church of Christ (1966), Port Macquarie (1970), Stanwell tops (1985), Menai, Seechange Community Jannali (2007), Vox Community Paddington (2010) – the church also sent people to serve existing churches such as Paddington, Thornlie in W.A. Penrith & Nowra.
In 2002, a courageous step was taken to sell the building that had been our home for over 50 years. In response to the growth the church was experiencing and a strong sense of God’s leading, our current building in Resolution Drive was purchased. Coinciding with this, the church also changed its name to Kingsway Community Church.
In the years immediately following, the church experienced rapid growth and became a hub for many ministries, conferences, and outreach events. With unwavering commitment to our local community, Kingsway reached it's arms wider and deeper through youth ministries, chaplaincy, playgroups, creative arts, women’s and young families ministry, which to this day remain a key focus for us.
Now in 2020 we stand as committed as ever to being a presence and witness to the Good News of Jesus within our local area and beyond. We’ve experienced times of incredible growth and blessing as well as seasons of hardship and difficulty. There’s been years of joy, and years of loss, there’s been seasons of sowing and seasons of reaping, yet through it all we stand because He is faithful, and as Jack Cooke penned 35 years ago for our church “The future lies ahead. Let us continue steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.”