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Bibles, Bikes and Breakfast

Matt Wright, a pastor at Manawaru Bible Chapel, notes that “Every church contains rich veins of wisdom, experience and faithfulness, but we must be willing to dig for them. We need to create opportunities for men of different generations to gather, listen and learn from one another.”To help bring this gold to the surface, Matt facilitates Breaky, Books and Bikes (BBB). Once a month, men from the church and wider community gather for a cooked breakfast, Bible study and fellowship, before head...

Churches Serving The Community Through Police Partnership

It’s not often that churches connect with the community through the police, but that is exactly what happens through one ministry in Te Awamutu, Waikato. Te Hāhi is a church ministry that provides support and care to people in the community impacted by family harm and/or hardship. A collection of churches in the town partner with police and other services to provide this support. Te Awamutu Bible Chapel is one of those churches. Te Hāhi started in 2025 and is based around the theme fro...

Strengthening Eldership Through Learning and Fellowship

Elders and developing elders gathered in Wellington on 9–10 October and Manawatū on 30–31 October for the CCCNZ Eldership Development Workshops, providing opportunities for learning, discussion and encouragement across the Lower North Island.The workshops explore the call, character and commission of elders, taking a closer look at what it means to serve and oversee the church....

Remembering Tārore: A Legacy of Faith and Reconciliation

Luke 6:27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.”Ruka 6:27 Na ko taku kupu tenei ki a koutou e whakarongo mai nei, Arohaina o koutou hoa whawhai; kia pai te mahi ki te hunga e kino ana ki a koutou.A group of people from Auckland, Tauranga, Hamilton and Rotorua recently met at the Waharoa graveside of Tārore (Ngāti Hauā) to commemorate her death 190 years ago. Tārore was only twelve years old, and was the daughter of the warrior chief, Ngākuku, but s...

Faith, Fun and Changed Lives

Riverside Camp is a partnership between Tāmaki Community Church, Tāmaki Community Development Trust, Pt England School, and Willow Park Christian Camp. In the last week of September, 50 primary-aged Māori and Pasifika children, together with 30 helpers and supporters, arrived by bus to Willow Park to enjoy a full programme of fun activities and biblical teaching.Shannon Samuels and the team from Tāmaki Community Church, supported by the Willow Park staff team, ran a variety of exciting (and ...

Sharing the Gospel Through Holiday Fun

A school holiday programme gave Rowley Bible Church in Christchurch an opportunity to reach out to its local community with the gospel.Deacon Norman Turner says the week-long event packed a lot in each day. “Each day was a full-on programme of action singing, Bible learning, skit, memory verse, craft, science and games. We finished with a gospel wrap-up.” He says the programme offered an opportunity to grow in faith, build connections, and develop leaders. “It was a great opportunity to sh...

A Towel, Not a Title

Earlier this month, the elders of Grace Church (in Richmond, Nelson) commissioned Sam Hillman as a new elder. Sam spent several months spent getting to know the team and sitting in on meetings, and the elders affirmed their confidence in Sam's ability to lead with wisdom and integrity.The towel Sam is holding in the photo is a gift, symbolising the servant-hearted nature of this role and a reminder of Jesus' willingness to wash the feet of his disciples. Chair of elders, Cam Smith, says it has b...

Words That Changed Everything at Girls Camp

Coopers Beach Christian Youth Camp ran its annual Girls Camp with the theme, ‘Words that Changed Everything!’80 girls, leaders, and volunteers came together at the Northland Camp during the October holidays, with some traveling from Auckland and the Bay of Plenty to help as leaders....

More Than a Cookbook

Meet Catherine Birch—the 90-year-old powerhouse behind the iconic NZ Rally Cookbooks.Catherine was born and raised in Manawatū, where her grandfather Thomas Rowe heard the gospel preaching of notable evangelist Gordon Forlong and was converted. Her grandparents and parents were active Christians, and Catherine grew up going to the Feilding assembly, attending Bible Class and ‘all day meetings’.For Catherine, being part of church community life meant being part of Rally....

Working Together to Share the Gospel in Ōtāhuhu

Three Auckland churches have come together in partnership to share the good news about Jesus with their local community.When the Ōtāhuhu Gospel Hall building became vacant, Stewards’ Trust and CCCNZ approached Papatoetoe Bible Church, Pakuranga Christian Fellowship, and Amatakiloa Gospel Church to talk about what it would look like to start a fresh ministry in the location.Papatoetoe elder Graeme McNae met with pastors Ken Hutchinson from Pakuranga, and ‘Ofa Fatafehi from Amatakiloa to tal...

A Year of Growth at The Garden

The Garden in Auckland is celebrating its first year as an independent church.Planted in Auckland’s Mt Eden, the vision for The Garden began to take shape for Lead Pastor Tim Cleary as he dreamed of a church where people could be planted in Jesus—a living picture of Isaiah 61:3: “They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour.”When Tim and his wife Amy first started to pray about this, they were pastors at Curate Church’s Auckland cam...

Equipping the Church to Share the Gospel

New Lynn Community Church is partnering with OAC to equip and encourage people to share the good news about Jesus.Each month, the church hosts evangelism seminars for people from across Auckland who want to grow in their ability to share the gospel, while also strengthening their own faith and understanding.OAC (Outreach and Church Ministries) is the New Zealand division of Open Air Campaigners, an organisation committed to preaching the gospel and equipping God’s people for evangelism.For Lew...

Building Men For Life

For more than two decades, the men of Pakuranga Christian Fellowship (PCF) have gathered around breakfast tables every second month. The ingredients are simple: great food, conversation, singing, testimonies, and a short message from God's Word. But beneath the surface, something deeper is taking place.While many in the church are involved in fortnightly youth studies, adult fellowship groups and more, the Mens' Breakfast offers a unique opportunity for discipleship and fellowship....

Young People Taking The Lead

Crossroads Church in Palmerston North recently ran a Next Gen Service, we spoke to Youth Pastor Ezra Meehan: "It was so awesome to have our Next Gen Service, where our young people took the lead in many aspects of the gathering. Worship, MCing, sharing testimonies—it was really special to see the next generation stepping into their gifts, serving confidently, and sharing their faith with the wider church family."One of those testimonies came from young adults Joel and Corbyn (pictured abo...

Growing Together in a Changing Community

Halswell Community Church didn’t set out to become a church for young families. But over the past few years, God has brought a steady stream of them along to the church.“They were either people who grew up in church and left, or had grown up in church and were having children or had just gotten married and were thinking of starting a family.” Says Pastor Mato Kariuki, “Somehow, they just found their way to us.”Halswell is a rapidly growing part of Christchurch, with new subdivisions sp...

Prayer and Practical Support for Nepal Flood Relief

On 26 August, flash floods tore through northern Nepal, triggered by a glacial lake outburst and torrential rain in the Himalayan region. In a matter of hours, entire villages were swept away. Thousands of lives have been lost, with over 1,355 confirmed deaths and close to 5,000 people still missing. At least 93,000 people have been affected.Our partner organisation GC3 shares:“The destruction goes far beyond the immediate loss of life. Homes, roads, bridges and schools have been destroyed; 18...

Creating Space for Children to Grow as Disciples of Jesus

Children’s ministry leaders from five Auckland churches gathered recently for a training session with Julie McKinnon, who serves nationally with CCCNZ to support children’s and family ministries.The group explored how beliefs and understanding of who children are shape what we do practically in children’s ministry, and what it looks like to help children meet God through the Bible.Susannah Williamson helps lead the kids’ church programme at Rossgrove Chapel in Mt Albert, and says the ses...

Elders Gather in Auckland to Learn and Encourage One Another

Thirty-six elders and developing elders gathered at the Parnell Hotel in Auckland on 3–4 September for learning, discussion and encouragement at the recent CCCNZ Eldership Development Workshop.The workshop explores the call, character and commission of elders. Multiple participants shared how much they appreciated the opportunity to explore what it means for elders to oversee and serve from ‘among’ the flock, and the nature of collective responsibility. Alongside the teaching, p...

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...