Spiritual FAQs & Resources

Unique among the world’s religions, Christianity believes that the love of God is most fully revealed in one person – Jesus Christ. While other religions have founding leaders and prophets, Jesus is much more than that for Christians. We believe that the full divinity of God became human and lived among us. Jesus was born a little over 2000 years ago, the son of a Jewish carpenter from an unimportant town on the fringes of the Roman Empire.

When Jesus began to publicly proclaim the coming of a new order where love and justice would rule, he attracted followers from among the ordinary people of the towns and cities. His frequent clashes with local religious leaders lead to his execution by the Roman authorities. The preferred method of execution for rebels was crucifixion, a torturous and humiliating death. To the surprise of everyone, his tomb was found empty two days later and Jesus himself appeared to his followers – alive and well.

Despite Jesus repeatedly telling his followers what was coming, it took them a while to figure out just what had happened and who Jesus really was. Perhaps we can forgive them because questions like “how could God suffer and die?” and “how does someone come back to life?” are not straightforward. What is clear, however, is that something profound and decisive happened in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Christians believe that Jesus’ death gives us new life. Jesus said that he gave his life voluntarily as a ransom for us. Jesus has broken the power of those things which keep us from true community with God and with one another, what we call sin. His resurrection is a sign that death is no longer the ultimate destination for humanity.

Put simply, our past no longer determines our future.

Christians believe that Jesus was the fulfilment of the Jewish scriptures, what we call the Old Testament. These texts tell of the one God promised to send, the Christ (literally the anointed one.) These books together with important writings by early Christians which we call the New Testament make up the foundational text of Christianity, the Bible. Together, the Church reads the Bible and interprets it for our time. This is Christianity.

To be a Christian is to be in Christ. Together, Christians make up the body of Christ, one way that we refer to the Church. Being in community with other Christians is central to living in Christ. Formal membership of the Church comes through baptism, a ritual involving water and prayer. As the body of Christ our job is to be Jesus for the world. We are to show God’s love for the world in our actions and our words.

Your personal spiritual journey is important too. Spending time with God by praying and reading the Bible are practices that help Christians become more Christ-like. We don’t always get it right and it’s important to be honest with God and ourselves. God is quick to forgive, and we should be too. Being a Christian is about more than what you believe, but having a personal faith is important. You don’t have to accept everything you’re told without thinking for yourself. Ask questions and wrestle with the truth. This is part of being a Christian.

If you join us for a church service, you’ll find a group of ordinary people trying to be Christians in the best way we can. At church, we practice living how we believe we should. We worship God, we read the Bible and interpret it. We pray for the needs of the world and break bread together.

You are very welcome to join us. You can participate as much or as little as you like. Just like any group of people who spend time together, we have developed our own patterns and it’s possible some of them might seem a little strange at first. Feel free to stay for a cuppa afterwards and ask about anything. You are under no pressure to believe what we believe or join in more than you want.

The Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia has a long history with its roots in earliest Christian communities in the centuries after Jesus. Important to our distinctive character is our heritage from the Church of England and the English Reformation. The Church Missionary Society was invited to establish a base at Oihi in the Bay of Islands by Ruatara, a local chief. Māori who learned about Te Rongopai – the Good News of God in Jesus – spread the message and established church communities around Aotearoa.

After the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, English settlers arrived bringing with them their own way of doing church. We are the product of these different traditions and part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a grouping of churches with shared history and links. Our local church is part of the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch which is led by the Bishop of Christchurch Peter Carrell. We are a diverse family who work hard to know Jesus and make him known.