Kids & Youth
We love having children and young people in the church family. Our desire is for them to develop a vibrant, life-long, two-way relationship with God.
In age-appropriate ways, we long for our children to know the presence of Jesus through worship, fun, digging into the Bible, inviting God to speak to us, games and creativity.
We have named our groups after features of the Manukau Harbour, using Māori names.
Hikihiki
Hikihiki is our pre-school group. This is named after a sandbank in the harbour and the same word also means “to lift up or to be carried in the arms.” It is our prayer that our little ones are given a firm foundation of love and that they grow in the abiding presence of Jesus.
Oystercatchers/Torea
Torea is our primary-age group. Oystercatchers are known for being loyal, noisy and territorial – rather like children! Jesus tells the parable of a merchant who searches for the pearl of great price. We pray that the children would discover the “pearl” that is Jesus for their lives.
Wrybills/Ngutupare
Ngutuparae is our upper primary/intermediate group. Wrybills are unique birds, the only breed with a bill that bends sideways. These birds are friendly, faithful with large communities flying in a murmuration (a flock of birds flying together in shape-changing formation) with plenty of chatter. They remind us of the qualities of the teenage years and the huge benefits of growing up with Christian peers.
All Age Gatherings
We aim to offer a programme for one of these groups each week. On average once a month we don’t run a separate children’s programme because our main Sunday gathering is all-age.
This means a fast-paced, interactive gathering designed to engage every generation to meet with God and grow in faith together.
