New Heart For Community Grand Opening For Proserpine Whitsunday Uniting Church

The Proserpine Whitsunday Uniting Church had an amazing four day opening event spanning Thursday 10 October – Sunday 13 October.

On Thursday the Church opened with a Civic Service, followed by a Dedication Service on Friday night. On Saturday morning there was a community day with a barbecue and lots of mingling, and Sunday concluded the four-day opening with the usual Sunday service.

Reverand Suzy Sitton enjoyed the four-day opening but says the best part of it was seeing people feel the presence of God.

“I saw so many people having a real sense of the presence of God and the number of people who have spoken about the peace that they felt,” she said.

“That to me, made me realise that the work that we are doing is not just for the community or for the church, it is a way of enabling people to connect with God.”

Construction of the new Church began in March 2024 but with rain delays actually meant it started it May 2024, and it is a wonderful structure.

The entire planning process had begun in 2022.

Rev Suzy Sitton says she is “ecstatically happy” with how the building has turned out.

Much of the funding for Proserpine Whitsunday Uniting Church was donated by people living in the Whitsunday community but also wider communities nation-wide.

“We've had people all across the nation who have contributed because they've had a link with our congregation, or with Proserpine, or they've had a link as part of the church,” said Rev Suzy Sitton.

“It's those sorts of stories where somebody says, ‘look, I went to Sunday school there, I was baptized there, I was married there’.

“All of these stories of connection have been floating around since we started the project, and now, we're hearing more and more of those stories today.”

Rev Suzy Sitton said she feels very humbled that people from across the country are contributing.

“I like seeing the impact that a message of hope can have,” she said.

“This church is only in a small corner of Australia, but it can connect people and it can provide hope for the future in the work that it will do as it provides services to the community.”

Much of the funding for the church came through the brick by brick campaign, where people could purchase a brick for $100, or whatever they could contribute.

Rev Suzy Sitton said every donation was vital and expresses a huge thank you to anyone that contributed.

Now the church is open Rev Suzy Sitton is looking forward to the people worshipping in the church and also upcoming activities that the church may host.

Proserpine Whitsunday Uniting Church also offer Care and Support and a Court Support program.

Rev Suzy Sitton said that the two support opportunities are titled under a banner called the Community Heart Project.

“That's what our church signifies. It is a heart for the community, and we hope that the church on the corner will be a place where people feel they are loved and cared for.”

Reverend Scott Ballment, Ross Hughes, Reverend Suzy Sitton, Tina Hamilton, and Frans Badenhorst outside the new church. Photo credit: Daniel Heggie

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