For more than a century God has used independent Open Brethren heritage churches to grow his Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Men, women and children have faithfully proclaimed and lived out faith in Jesus Christ, through the gospel, from the Scriptures.

Link in: A guide for churches about linking in to CCCNZ.

This is the rich heritage of more than 160 churches, and the regional campsites and ministries that support them.

Today, Christian Community Churches of New Zealand is a movement that reflects this heritage and seeks to encourage local churches, campsites and ministries to work together to reach New Zealand for Jesus Christ.

We are a movement of independent local churches, each with God-given leadership, and yet we are united by the good news of Jesus—his death and resurrection.

We are not a denominational structure exercising authority over churches. Our staff team works amongst the churches in our movement. Our desire is to invite each church into interdependent relationships with each other with the aim of seeing people reached for Christ.

We call this process linking in.

Our hope is that you’ll see the ways your church can be further supported and strengthened by linking in with like-minded churches, campsites and ministries.

Download the LINK IN booklet and form

WHO IS CCCNZ?

Christian Community Churches of New Zealand is a movement of independent local churches, and the regional camps and national ministries that support them, working together to point people to Jesus, through the gospel, from the Scriptures.

HOW WE WORK TOGETHER

TOGETHER WORKS BETTER

Our desire is to see independent churches supporting and encouraging each other, in order to be better equipped for gospel growth and ministry. Our desire is to see each church supported to go and make disciples of Jesus Christ in their suburb, town, marae or city. Linking in to CCCNZ connects you to a growing number of independent churches, and the regional campsites and national ministries that support them. CCCNZ is made up of ordinary women and men from all around Aotearoa, New Zealand.

GOVERNANCE AND STRUCTURE

We’re passionate about serving local churches!

The CCCNZ movement is served by the CCCNZ Service Trust. The CCCNZ Trust Board was established in 2016 and is made up of six elected members and six appointed members from among our churches. Linked in churches vote on governance of the trust at the Annual General Meeting.

The Trust Board governs the direction of the CCCNZ Staff Team, a team of people led by the Ambassador, who is accountable to the Trust Board.

The CCCNZ Staff Team seeks to support and develop local, regional, and national networks of elders, pastors, administrators, youth workers, young adults, children and family ministry workers. Our heart is that these leaders would connect with each other—the wealth of amazing people from around the movement serving in similar roles.

Our desire is to see resources developed and shared, prayer offered, and relationships nurtured with the shared vision of reaching New Zealand for Christ.

The CCCNZ Staff Team and Trust Board are not a hierarchical authority enforcing compliance to a set of organisational obligations. The Staff Team and Trust Board exist to serve and support, and simply work amongst the churches.

Each church, campsite and national ministry has freedom and autonomy to choose what to take from CCCNZ, how to participate, and what to offer to other churches.

“The unifying factor of Linking In is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s focusing on God and his mission and what he’s doing. The mission of CCCNZ is biblically grounded and missionally-focused. It doesn’t matter what we’re connecting over (Admin, Youth, Prayer...) we’re heading in the same direction.”

– Peter Somervell, Elder and Pastor. Grace Church, Richmond.

AS A MOVEMENT WE VALUE

THE GOSPEL
We value the message of Christ crucified. At the heart of the gospel is the message of what God has done in Jesus through his death and resurrection. The proclamation of this message from Scripture is the means by which the Spirit works in the world.

THE BIBLE
We value the Bible. We encounter the living Lord Jesus
through the gospel, by the Spirit, from the Scriptures.
We are taught by the Scriptures and led by the Spirit.
We disciple and evangelise with and through the Bible,
in the power of the Spirit. The Bible is at the heart of
our mission and our ministries.

TEAM LEADERSHIP
We value team leadership. Team leadership recognises a variety of roles and gifts: discipling, shepherding, teaching etc. Team leadership is actively involved in reaching, growing and sending younger leaders.

TEAM MINISTRY
We value seeing every member of every church being
reached, grown, sent out together, trained, equipped,
motivated and empowered for vital involvement in
real ministry, in the church, marketplace, and wider
society.

TEAM MISSION
We send people together into mission locally and
globally. We participate in the mission of God together
with simplicity, flexibility, and freedom.

WHAT WE DO

In working to serve and support our movement we are active in Church Planting, Prayer, Youth, Children and Family Ministries, Training and Scholarships, Practical Resources, and CCCNZ PastorLink.

Find out more

WHY WOULD AN INDEPENDENT CHURCH LINK IN TO A MOVEMENT?

MINISTRY NETWORKS
We offer local, regional, and national networks that
offer care, support and practical resources for elders,
pastors, administrators, prayer teams, youth pastors/
leaders, children and families ministries, and young
adult leaders.

DEVELOPING LEADERS
We assist local churches in their vital task of training up gospel-shaped leaders. We facilitate events, coaching and training that serves to support local leaders as they disciple emerging leaders throughout the year. We make available funding grants for informal training to upskill younger leaders and existing leaders. Through the JH Baldwin scholarships offered by our partners Lichfield Lands and Hillview Trust we seek to see the next generation of leaders being developed.

MUTUAL RESOURCING
Within the movement’s churches, campsites and support ministries there are practical, pastoral and financial resources constantly being shared. We aim to strengthen the connection between local churches, regional campsites, and national ministries—for the benefit of ministry, leadership training and building up the Church.

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
CCCNZ offers resources and support with health and safety, employment, financial planning, compliance, licensing and cost saving.

CHURCH PLANTING AND REVITALISATION
Practical support is available to churches considering planting, including consultation about models and approach. Our partner Lichfield Lands has seed funding available for church planting. To be eligible for this funding, a church plant must be formally linked in to CCCNZ. Recognition gives a plant some of the support and benefits of affiliation without them needing to have a formal constitution.

“Belonging to CCCNZ has given us a tangible sense of what it means to be accountable to each other: to pray together for God’s work in our region”

– Howick Community Church, Auckland

RESPONSIBILITIES OF LINKING IN

A COMMITMENT TO PRAY:
CCCNZ churches pray together for each other.

A COMMITMENT TO COME TOGETHER:
CCCNZ churches work together to reach their region
for Christ.

CCCNZ churches come together in local, regional,
and national gatherings.

A COMMITMENT TO GROW LEADERS:
CCCNZ church leaders participate together in local, regional, and national gatherings.

CCCNZ churches invite younger leaders to CCCNZ events, initiatives, and forums.

A COMMITMENT TO SHARE:
CCCNZ churches take a gospel-shaped approach to sharing their resources with one another.

CCCNZ church leaders participate in CCCNZ retreats, forums, and initiatives through mutual giving and receiving.

OUR SHARED DNA

CCCNZ is not a denomination. We have no central control over churches, national ministries and regional campsites. We affirm the role of God-appointed leaders of churches, camps and ministries to make decisions about ministry and mission in their context.

Our heart is that churches that link in to CCCNZ would share our convictions and vision to reach New Zealand for Jesus Christ. This includes agreeing to our Statement of Faith.

STATEMENT OF FAITH

“Linking in has meant we can engage locally to get the help we’re looking for. We’ve linked with other local churches to support different ministries. We’ve done pulpit swaps, a combined eldership retreat, and regional training.”

– Lieuwe Doubleday, Elder. Rowley Bible Church, Christchurch.

“We love being part of a movement that prays and longs for our great nation to be reached for the gospel.”

– Daryl Bay, Elder and Lead Pastor, Hope Community Church, Nelson

WHAT NEXT?

Linking in to the CCCNZ movement isn’t just about what you can get from us –

it’s also about your church, campsite or ministry adding its experience, prayers and gospel partnership to our national vision to reach New Zealand for Jesus Christ.

If you've gone through the process above with your elders and leadership team, download the LINK IN booklet and fill in and sign the form.

LINK IN Booklet & Form