Our Story
Visitors who walk through our doors comment on the genuine warmth, the welcoming hospitality and the kindness of the people who call KawanaLife home.
A second campus.
In late 2025, God unexpectedly opened a clear and wide door for us to begin a weekly Sunday service at Seasons Senior Living in Caloundra.
Led by Ernie and Marilyn Gunders, and supported by a dedicated team of residents and volunteers from our main congregation, this thriving annex campus has become a place of worship, fellowship, and encouragement. It now serves not only Seasons residents, but also members of the wider community.
In early 2026, the work expanded with the addition of a mid-week prayer gathering.
The beginning.
KawanaLife’s story began in 1996 with a small group of people gathering in a classroom at Kawana State College, led by Peter Thompson.
Those early gatherings may have been modest, but God was at work. As the church family grew, the classroom soon became too small, and the congregation moved into the school gymnasium.
A permanent home.
As the church continued to grow, God provided a permanent home for KawanaLife. Affectionately dubbed “The Greenhouse,” this building has been our home more than two decades.
Over the years, pastors John Tanner, Brian Willisdorf, and Dony Johnson faithfully shepherded the congregation, each leaving a lasting impact on the life and ministry of KawanaLife.
After a season without a pastor, we were delighted to welcome Justin Webb in 2024. His arrival marked the beginning of a new chapter in KawanaLife’s story.
What’s next?
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
Throughout Scripture, God often prepares His people through seasons of waiting, refining, and renewal before leading them into new opportunities for growth and fruitfulness. At KawanaLife, we believe we are in such a season.
While this period has brought changes which are neither easy nor comfortable, we can see God at work — reshaping our church family, deepening our dependence on Him, and realigning us with His ways.
Though the path forward is not yet clear, we trust the One who leads us. As we seek to follow Jesus faithfully, we do so with growing anticipation and excitement for what’s ahead.