There’s Something Happening at St Pauls
New faces. Shared meals. Children growing in faith. Community connections. A fresh look for the church. And plenty of reasons to
give thanks.
There is a growing sense of energy and possibility at St Pauls Ōtautahi. We are still a small congregation, but God is giving us plenty of signs of life, and helping
us discover new ways to welcome people, strengthen our community and share in his mission.
One of the recent highlights has been formally acknowledging new people who are making St Pauls their worshipping and faith home. It has been a joy to welcome them into the congregation and to hear their stories become part of ours.
We also celebrated a special milestone when one of our young members, Maya, received her first Holy Communion. It was a joyful occasion for the whole congregation and a reminder of the privilege we have of nurturing children and young people in the faith.
Around the table and around the city
Our monthly Whānau Friday gatherings continue to grow, providing a relaxed and welcoming place where Church and community meet. Food, conversation, euchre, five crowns, and friendship are proving to be powerful ways of
building relationships. We are also introducing a congregational lunch once each school term, strengthening the bonds of fellowship within the congregation.
That sense of fellowship is also reaching further across the city. Soon, we are bringing people together from the
south-west of Ōtautahi for a fellowship lunch. These folk live quite some distance from St Pauls, but, as the gathering reminded us, they are certainly not distant from one
another. We see this as a lovely opportunity to reconnect, share a meal and strengthen relationships across our wider church community.
Community connection has taken us beyond the church building too. A recent rugby outing at the new stadium brought members of St Pauls and friends from the wider community together for an enjoyable evening. We have also welcomed people from the community into St Pauls to hear Pastor Mark’s presentation on the history of the Lutheran Church in Aotearoa.
Making God’s mission visible
Our property is receiving some attention too. New lighting and hedging in the carpark have already made a difference, with plans underway to landscape the front of the church.
We are also in conversation with Will Robinson (Good-Will Space Maker) about a graphic display on our prominent front wall, facing the major intersection of QEII Drive and Burwood Road. The vision is to use that highly visible space to communicate something simple and compelling to our community: God is at work here.
Our Ministry Matters team is focusing on nurturing and blessing our small but growing children and young people’s ministry, while also supporting our Life Groups. And the establ
ishment of a management team for the Community Hub marks a renewed commitment to community connection and exploring how St Pauls can serve its neighbourhood.
Through all of this, the regular rhythms of congregational life continue: Saturday morning prayer, monthly Ladies’ Morning Tea and worship each Sunday, with a Quiz Ni
ght coming up to add to the calendar.
None of these things on their own are remarkable. Together, however, they paint an encouraging picture: people are gathering, faith is growing, relation
ships are deepening, and St Pauls is finding fresh ways to be a visible and welcoming presence in its community.
There is, indeed, something happening at St Pauls. And we give thanks to God for it.
Mark Whitfield
September 2026
Pastor of St Pauls,
Christchurch
