By Josh Gibbon and Garry Sanossian
Last night network delegates voted unanimously on the affiliation of Heartbeat Church, welcoming them as one of our own at the churches of Christ in NSW & ACT 2025 Special General Meeting.
Heartbeat Church, a vibrant and growing multi-campus community with locations in Sydney, Melbourne, and the Gold Coast, has spent the last several years exploring a deeper connection with our network. Their journey has been marked by shared values, a passion for practical discipleship, and a vision for simple, Christ-centred community life.
Founded a decade ago in a Strathfield restaurant with just a few families, Heartbeat has grown into a network of approximately 17 house churches across three cities. Led by Pastors Joshua and Yoonah Choi, the church centres its ministry on small, home-based gatherings led by trained lay leaders known as “shepherds.” These house churches are the bread and butter of the community, while larger Sunday gatherings offer a space for corporate worship and teaching.
“We identify the church not just as a Sunday thing, but church as doing life together,” said Pastor Joshua. “Church, not as a building, but church as the people of God.”
This emphasis on simplicity, community, and the priesthood of all believers resonated strongly with the ethos of churches of Christ. When Joshua was introduced to the network by long-time friend Stephen Cha, pastor of The Chapel Sydney, he quickly sensed a natural alignment.
“When I met the churches of Christ leaders, I sensed a strong kind of similarity,” Joshua said. “The whole value is exactly the same, which is first-century church. Everything they talked about is exactly what we’ve been doing.”
Heartbeat Church’s story of connection with the network includes participation in events like Collective and Pilgrimage, where they had the opportunity to build relationships and connect with other churches with a similar heart for mission and discipleship. Their official journey toward affiliation was supported by The Chapel Sydney as their sponsoring church.
As Anne Simpson, Head of Network Relationships, explains, “When a new church affiliates with our network, it is first and foremost affiliating with our churches. It’s not about joining an organisation—it’s about becoming part of a family of churches with shared purpose and vision.”
Heartbeat’s journey has also included practical support from the network. In 2023, when the Sydney campus suddenly lost its meeting space, churches of Christ helped connect them to a newly renovated property in Merrylands. What began as a pragmatic solution became a gift to the local community.
As they were moving in, Pastor Joshua met a local man whose father had built the church 70 years ago. The man was moved to hear a church would be coming alive in the building again. “My father built this church 70 years ago. I got baptised here 50 years ago. We moved away because the church diminished, but every time we pass by, we were praying that this church might come alive again.”
Since moving in, Heartbeat has hosted community events and celebrated baptisms in the building’s long unused baptistry.
Heartbeat’s affiliation is a meaningful step forward – not only for the church but for our network, as they open their homes in Merrylands, wider Sydney, Melbourne, and the Gold Coast, reaching young people and families, growing multi-ethnic communities, and living out the gospel through everyday relationships.
As Pastor Stephen Cha put it, “We’re excited about Heartbeat joining our network of churches. This partnership is a way to further the kingdom of God together.”
Watch a video about Heartbeat Church.
Read more stories from churches of Christ in NSW & ACT HERE
