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Developing as Preachers: Waikato Preaching Workshop

Justin Thompson from Manawarū Bible Chapel and Nick Goodwin from Raleigh Street Christian Centre recently led a preaching development course attended by 16–18 participants from churches around Waikato, including Whitiora Bible Church, Hillcrest Chapel, Chapel Hill Community Church, Hukanui Bible Church, Northgate Community Church, and Agora Church....

Adventure, Challenge and Growth: Serving as a Children's Ministry Intern

“Adventure, challenge, and growth” — that’s how Zera McCall describes her year as a children’s ministry intern at Oak Lane Community Church....

What do you do when you want your friends to know about Jesus?

For 11-year-old Samantha Halson, the answer was simple: give them a Bible.The Anchor Church regularly reminds people that Bibles are available at church for them to take and give to their friends. Samantha had heard this opportunity several times, including in the children’s programme, and she thought, “I could do that.”She gave one of the Bibles, along with a Field Guide to the Bible, a resource from the Bible Society, to a friend at school.Soon, another friend noticed and asked if she co...

A Church for the Community: Whatawhata Community Church Reaches Out

Whatawhata Community Church in Hamilton is intentionally connecting with the wider community—through a carnival themed Family Fun Day and NZ Rally.  “As a new church plant, we’re actively looking for ways to serve the community and let them know that we exist,” says Dave Gow, who is part of the WCC leadership team. WCC was established earlier this year as a plant from Hukanui Bible Church. WCC has been steadily growing since the plant was launched in February, and connecti...

Canterbury Rallies Combined Camp

In August, 87 kids and leaders from across Canterbury gathered at Woodend Christian Camp for an unforgettable "Back to Basics" regional camp. Bringing together young people from Rutland Street Church, Church Street Chapel Timaru, Rowley Bible Church, and Glentunnel Chapel, the event combined hands-on outdoor learning with core Gospel truths. ...

Making Space for Young Adults to Grow

Gen Z is a growing demographic in many churches—bringing unique discipleship challenges and opportunities. ‘Young Adults’ ministry broadly captures the time period after someone leaves school until they hit major life milestones like marriage and children. This gap between youth ministry, and being part of ‘adult’ ministries in church life is getting wider, with more and more young adults finding themselves asking the big questions of faith. Three years ago, pastor Ken Hutchi...

Elders Gathering to Learn and Encourage One Another

Around 50 people gathered in Taupō on 21–22 August for the latest CCCNZ Eldership Development Workshop, bringing together current and prospective elders from churches across the region for two days of learning, discussion and encouragement.The workshop is part of an ongoing initiative to strengthen elderships across CCCNZ churches. Since pilot workshops began in 2025, these gatherings have provided opportunities for elders to explore the biblical foundations of their role, consider the practi...

Full Colour Faith: Baptisms at The Garden

A few weeks ago, The Garden (Mt Eden, Auckland) celebrated the baptism of two people in their church whānau.Pastor Tim Cleary says he’s still thinking about the distinctive way God has been at work in the lives of those who were baptised.“We baptised two people: one girl, Mikayla, who’s 15, and Cleith, who’s in his 40s.”Both Mikayla and Cleith shared why they’d chosen to be baptised, publicly confessing their faith in Jesus.“Mikayla told the story of how the Lord gave her a pictur...

Malcolm Davie: A Legacy of Faith, Wisdom and Service

Family and friends gathered at The Street Church in Wellington on Friday last week to celebrate the life of Malcolm Davie, who died on August 16 2026, aged 84 years.Malcolm’s life was one marked by integrity, a deep Christian faith, dedication to work and service, and a commitment to helping others.His long career in banking involved several significant high level projects, but he was equally generous with his knowledge and abilities in helping family, friends and organisations over many decad...

CCCNZ Looks Back on 2025: Stronger Together

CCCNZ trustees, members, and staff gathered to acknowledge God’s faithfulness and work in strengthening the movement as they looked back on 2025.The CCCNZ Annual General Meeting took place on Wednesday 19 August at the Life Centre in Hania Street, Wellington (part of The Street Church premises).After minutes from the previous year were adopted by the meeting, CCCNZ’s Board Chair, Chris Broadbent, introduced the theme of the 2025 Annual Report, ‘Stronger Together’ as a reflection of both ...

Church Summit: Grace, Hope and Tasman Come Together

When Grace Church’s Lead Pastor Dave Bosma saw how much people from CCCNZ churches in Nelson enjoyed coming together for a Regional Summit in 2025, he wanted to keep that momentum going.  There are three CCCNZ churches in the wider Nelson region: Grace Church, Hope Community Church and Tasman Church. Despite being a smaller number of churches, they send a large number of people along to a local event like a Summit.When Dave found out CCCNZ wasn’t going to run one in Nelson in 2026, he b...

Teaching God’s Word, equipping the next generation

Teaching and preaching the Bible is a passion for Bivin Mathew—who recently joined the Pathways College faculty team.Bivin was raised in Bahrain before moving to Dunedin in 2005 to study commerce at Otago University. After working in telecommunications, he began pursuing theological studies and last year completed an MA in Biblical and Theological Studies remotely through Western Seminary in Portland, USA.Bivin is a recipient of the JH Baldwin Scholarship, which supports people from CCCNZ and ...

A Day of Fellowship, Scripture and the Goodness of God

Women from Kingston Community Church in Palmerston North came together at Highland Home Christian Camp in Manawatū on Saturday 15 August for the annual H2H retreat—exploring the theme, The Goodness of God.The aim of the retreat is have a day out to deepen relationships, hear from God’s Word, and enjoy good food together—with different women from the church family teaching, preparing food, organising, leading worship, and sharing.Speakers Fay and Sophia opened the Bible, helping the group ...

A Life of Faithful Service: Remembering Beth Bay

Hundreds of people gathered at Matamata Bible Church on Wednesday 12 August to celebrate the life of Beth Bay, who died on August 8, 2026, aged 73, after two strokes.Beth’s family, friends, and church community remembered her as a woman whose faith shaped every part of her life, from family and farming to music, administration, hospitality and quiet practical care.Born Doris Beth Hunt in 1953, Beth gave her life to Jesus at a Foxton Beach mission in January 1960 and was baptised at Kingston St...

Tōtara North Bible Church Conference

Tōtara North Bible Chapel knows how to run a Bible conference!For decades the Northland church has been hosting mid-winter conferences and inviting other locals to join them. Lynley Fleming says her mother has memories of attending their mid-winter conferences back in the 1930s!  Highlights from this year's conference were the excellent Bible teaching, and the sense of shared community....

Sharing the Gospel Together

A bright green wall isn't the first thing most people expect to see inside a church office. At Mascot Bible Chapel in Mangere, Auckland a bright green wall provides the backdrop for a growing online gospel ministry that is bringing four churches together to share the hope of Christ.AUK Ministries (short for Au Uso Kerisiano Ministries) broadcasts live four nights a week, reaching people online with the gospel in Samoan and English. Au Uso Kerisiano is the Samoan translation of "Brethren", r...

Investing in the Next Generation: How Auckland Bible Church is Growing Young Leaders

Auckland Bible Church’s youth group WIRED has become a place where young people are growing in their faith, building lasting Christian friendships, and where young adults are being equipped to lead the next generation.Each Friday, around 20 teenagers gather for WIRED, alternating between Bible study nights and social events. Alongside its regular youth leaders, Auckland Bible Church has intentionally developed a team of youth interns. Youth Coordinator Steve McClymont says one of the biggest r...

From Five Years To Thirty: Community Outreach That Stays Connected

“If it goes really well, CDN might last five years”.These were famous first words from Alan Aitken, as he and a small group of other leaders launched the Community Development Network Trust—a Christian-based youth work agency based in Riccarton Community Church (RCC) in Christchurch in 1996.This year, CDN celebrates 30 years—long outliving Alan’s early estimate of ‘success.’ That staying power has surprised even some of those involved at the beginning.“CDN was our first community...

Developing Elders for the Future

The health of CCCNZ churches is connected to the health and effectiveness of elderships as they are entrusted with the spiritual oversight and shepherding of God’s people.Over the past year, a growing number of churches have been investing in the development of both current and future elders through a series of workshops designed to strengthen biblical understanding, practical leadership, and collaboration among eldership teams.This initiative began in 2025 with pilot workshops facilitated by ...

Sharing Christ Through Fun and Fellowship

Feilding Bible Chapel ran a school holiday programme for the fourth time, and they share how they have seen God at work.Our recent School Holiday Programme was our best one yet! Although FBC has only been running holiday programmes for the past year, this was our fourth programme, and it has been wonderful to see how God is growing this ministry.Around 50 children attended each of the three days, with families from both our church and the wider community joining us. One of the greatest joys was ...

Growing Young Leaders, Welcoming Local Families

Kingston Community Church in Palmerston North welcomed 65 children to their Term 2 holiday programme, they share how their programme is growing young leaders and welcoming local families.Our Term 2 School Holiday Programme saw us joined by 18 youth leaders and a number of volunteers from across our church, with one volunteer even taking annual leave from work to serve throughout the week. Kerry led our leaders' training, focusing on what it means to lead and love like Jesus as we serve others.It...

Searching for the Ultimate King: A Week of Faith, Whānau and Community

Te Awamutu Bible Chapel held their Kingdoms Holiday Programme last week. They share how they’ve seen God at work throughout the week.This was an outreach event, aimed at building on the relationships being established by their 24-7 Tamariki Tipu Youth Workers in the local primary and intermediate schools.The goal was to provide a low-cost holiday childcare option whilst sharing Jesus with the community.  Around 60 children attended each day as together they searched for the ‘Ultimate Ki...

A World Cup Watch Party with a Bigger Purpose

Birkenhead Community Church in Auckland recently hosted a FIFA World Cup watch party, bringing together around 60 people for a BBQ, football, and a short halftime gospel talk.Jono Donald is part of BCC and works with Athletes in Action, a ministry of Tandem.Athletes in Action operates in 90 countries and has been helping athletes and communities engage with the recent FIFA World Cup, the world’s biggest sporting event.However, the idea for the BCC outreach came in a more traditionally Kiwi way...

Register now for Auckland Summit Connect!

We've renamed this 'Summit Connect' because it captures what is at the heart of this annual event: connection, conversation and growing together. Summit Connect is a gathering of a wide range of people from CCCNZ churches across the Auckland and Northland regions to build relationships and encourage gospel partnership. Sermons, shared worship and topical breakout sessions spark conversation through quality biblical content.Bring your eldership team, leaders and people you're developing...

Encouraging Prayer

Helping children and young people grow as disciples means helping them develop a real and personal prayer life. Across CCCNZ churches, leaders are intentionally creating spaces where children and young people can explore and practise prayer and participate in the prayer life of the church.The children’s ministry team at Northcross Church has been building a prayer focus into the small-group time of their Sunday morning programme this year.Annelli Morla, Children’s Ministry Coordinator, descr...