How a Small Church in New Zealand Found the Secret to Connecting With Its Community

What are people in your neighbourhood struggling with? Where are people lonely or disconnected? What practical needs could your church help meet? What skills, facilities and people has God already placed in your congregation? It might be a community meal. An op shop. An exercise program. A support group. A youth activity. A place for people to talk. Or something completely different. Find a need. Start small. Build genuine relationships. Pray about it. Give it a go. Your church could become a place where people don't just receive help, but discover community, belonging, hope and ultimately Jesus. If this story inspires you, share it with your pastor, church board or ministry team and ask one question: What could we do in our community? And if you’d like more stories of churches trying innovative approaches to ministry, community engagement, evangelism and discipleship, subscribe to Ministry Innovation and turn on notifications. 👍 Like this video if you’d like to see more stories like this. 💬 Tell us in the comments: What is your church doing to connect with its community? ↗️ Share this video with someone who wants to see their church make a greater impact. 🔔 Subscribe for more stories, ideas and inspiration for innovative ministry. #CommunityOutreach #ChurchOutreach #AdventistChurch #ChurchGrowth #Evangelism #Discipleship #CommunityEngagement #InnovativeMinistry #Adventist #LocalChurch #ChristianMinistry #MinistryInnovation ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 Highlights 00:38 Why Innovative Churches Matter 01:40 Welcome to Ōrewa, New Zealand 02:40 A Small Church With a Big Opportunity 03:25 Connecting With the Community 04:40 Why This Church Exists 05:14 Creating a Place Where Everyone Belongs 05:39 Church Members Discover a New Purpose 08:53 A Pastor Who Does Ministry Differently 10:30 Finding Belonging Through the Church 11:56 Inside the Church’s Community Op Shop 13:04 From Community Connection to Baptism 15:02 Meet Eric: Still Serving at 95 15:16 Inside the Community Dinner 16:12 Seeing God at Work 17:36 What Other Churches Can Learn From Ōrewa 18:53 The Challenge: Meet a Need and Start