Terry Street hands over the keys to LifeChurch Blockhouse Bay. From Left to Right: Richard Fountain (CCCNZ), Jeff Orr (Stewards'), Too Tooala (LifeChurch), Ane Ponifasio (LifeChurch), Hans Stutz (Terry Street Bible Chapel), and Sam Kommunuri (Terry Street Bible Chapel).
For more than 60 years people have been meeting at Terry Street in Auckland’s Blockhouse Bay to fellowship and worship together. At the end of May 2026, Terry Street Bible Chapel officially concluded their fellowship—handing over the keys to the newly planted LifeChurch Blockhouse Bay who have been sharing the building for the past year.
Former Terry Street Bible Chapel elder Sam Kommunuri has been part of the fellowship for the past 19 years—since the first Sunday he and his young family moved to New Zealand from the US.
“Terry Street is a family to me, both my sons have grown up in this fellowship and the bond with the other people is very close. I grew up in an Open Brethren church and my father was an elder and church planter. The more traditional style of Terry Street suited us.”
He says Terry Street Bible Chapel has a long and valued testimony in Auckland, “God has been so faithful to us as a church fellowship, and many people have been so faithful in their ministry—as they’ve served for the glory of God. It has been a great testimony for the neighbourhood.”
Terry Street Bible Chapel in Blockhouse Bay, Auckland.
The chapel is tucked away in a residential area of Blockhouse Bay. It’s a suburb in the Southwest of Auckland named for the wooden blockhouse constructed during the land wars. Today, Blockhouse Bay is home to a growing population with a diversity of cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
Since opening in 1963 a variety of local ministries have found a home at Terry Street, says Sam: “The people have been wonderful, running various programmes like Boys Rally, Girls Rally and other ministries.”
However, as things changed, people came and went from the local area, and the congregation dwindled in numbers. Over the years the fellowship prayed about a number of opportunities—including merging with other local assemblies, employing a paid pastor to help lead the ministry, and reaching out to their wider community. But nothing panned out.
A New Season
During his time serving as CCCNZ's Church Planting Enabler Lui Ponifasio connected with Hans Stutz, who had been faithfully serving as an elder at Terry Street since 2007. Along with the other Terry Street elders, they began to talk about church revitalisation.
They continued to meet—either in person, or over Zoom during covid—and eventually came to the conclusion that a new expression of church would be needed, Lui says plans for a church plant began to take shape.
As LifeChurch pastor, Lui was able to connect Terry Street with a LifeChurch congregation that had been meeting in nearby suburb Avondale. Together with people from LifeChurch Manurewa, they planted a new service meeting in the afternoons at Terry Street—a new expression of church. Some people attended both services as the conversation between LifeChurch and Terry Street continued.
The launch of LifeChurch Blockhouse Bay in 2025, as they began afternoon meetings in the Terry Street building.
A Difficult Decision
Sam says that at the end of 2025 Terry Street began to think through and pray about what God would have them do. “We could have easily continued for a year or two, our numbers were at 15-20, and our financials were good, God has been so gracious to us, and so we started to think through what was God’s plan for the building… LifeChurch Blockhouse Bay had connections to the wider LifeChurch team, and a specific plan for their ministry.”
Sam says the elders prayerfully prepared a decision booklet for the church family to consider the way forward together. “Our desire was to communicate openly, gently, and transparently so that each member understood the possible pathways forward, the pros and cons of each option, key criteria to guide our discernment, and the next steps in the decision-making process.”
Many people had made Terry Street their church home for decades, with some for more than 50 years. Together they weighed the situation and prayerfully came to the decision that it would be the right next step to conclude Terry Street Bible Chapel and hand over the keys to LifeChurch Blockhouse Bay.
“Even though this is not the outcome any of us would have desired, we have been pragmatic and people have understood the logic… people have supported it but it’s very hard for all of us to accept. Because as Christians we’re in the business of building not closing.”
Hans says that while there have been challenges, God has always provided what they needed:
“God has been good and just at the right time, there were individual brothers and sisters that provided the needed help. For example in one particularly difficult situation going on, Lew Meyer (of New Lynn Community Church) dropped off at our place a booklet that was just what we needed at the time. Then too, Richard Fountain (CCCNZ Auckland Enabler) with his insights, the CCCNZ Zoom Prayer Group who prayed for a situation without knowing the specific details. And my wife Mandy with her encouragement and prayers.”
As the property is held in trust by Stewards’, Jeff Orr and others from Stewards’ have also been present at meetings and offered advice as the two groups sought to move forward.
A Unique Challenge
Navigating this kind of discussion and process can be challenging for churches. Sam says that from his perspective it is important for churches to be up front about expectations and to think through early on what collaboration might look like. “At the initial stage of the journey be very clear, and bring that transparency to the mix, and have the vision clearly defined… and time for common ground to develop.”
A number of different options and outcomes were part of the discussion process.
Hans says it was, “a unique situation we found ourselves in. I believe every church's situation is individual, as well as different, and so needing their own answers from the Lord.”
The next steps look different for the brothers and sisters who were part of Terry Street, with some people joining LifeChurch Blockhouse Bay, others moving to other churches nearby or closer to their homes. For many the way ahead is still uncertain when it comes to church, but they continue to trust in God’s faithfulness.
A Way Ahead
The LifeChurch Blockhouse Bay team say they are thankful for God’s faithfulness in the process, LifeChurch Pastor Ane Ponifasio says, “Like many church plants, the journey has been both rewarding and stretching, requiring deep trust in God.”
She says they’re grateful for what Terry Street has offered, “Through it all, the prayers, encouragement, and loving support of the elders from the Terry Street fellowship has been a tremendous blessing. Their love for the Lord, welcoming hearts, and commitment to unity and fellowship have helped strengthen and sustain our church family throughout this first year.”
LifeChurch Blockhouse Bay represents the diversity of the community around them, and their group is growing, says Ane:
“Today, our church family of around 30 people represents 8 different nationalities. We have seen people deepen in faith, reconnect with church, and find belonging and purpose.
"Blockhouse Bay is a vibrant multicultural community, especially with many migrant families. While there are challenges such as isolation, financial pressures, and busy lifestyles, we also see a real hunger for hope, connection, and authentic community.”
LifeChurch Blockhouse Bay's One Year Anniversary celebration.
"We believe this diversity creates a beautiful opportunity for the Gospel — building bridges across cultures and demonstrating the love of Jesus in practical ways. We are thankful for all God has done and excited for what lies ahead."
People from LifeChurch Blockhouse Bay and Terry Street Bible Chapel gathering to remember and celebrate God's work over the years.
On Sunday 31 May LifeChurch Blockhouse Bay invited the Terry Street Bible Chapel church family to join them for an official handover lunch and worship service.
Folks spent time sharing memories of faith, fellowship and God's goodness over the years at Terry Street, including Simon Young, who grew up attending the Terry Street fellowship.
"It was such an emotional day, commemorating the end of the church community I grew up in, Terry Street Bible Chapel, while celebrating the passing of the torch to LifeChurch Blockhouse Bay...
"Today was such a blessing to see the site of so many memories being put into good hands. I was so blessed to see one of my Sunday school teachers, Liane Hume, who taught us young teens just before we graduated from Sunday school into big church; and Miriam Faleva’ai, who I taught Sunday school when she was a young teen... And of course blessed to catch up with Pastors Lui and Ane, John and Sisi, and old friends Iakopo Lepua, Tuiloma Apoua Snr Muliaga, Misi and Fetu Evile, Liz Muliaga. It was such a pleasure to see you again. May God bless the new work you are undertaking with LifeChurch Blockhouse Bay."
