Never Give Up on our Church!

Throughout our history as a nation, there are many Kiwis who never gave up and who fought their Last Stand. I’m calling us as a Church to do the same now. Last Stand for me brings up a memory of my Grandfather who fought in the NZ Army in WW1. Stanley was a talented farmer from Akaroa, a hunter, horseman, and was called up into the Canterbury Mounted Rifles. He was tall and handsome, full of life and hope at 19 years old when he left for war.

Throughout New Zealand, in almost every town is a memorial to the sacrifices that soldiers made throughout that war and subsequent wars. These memorials are tied to our legacy as a nation where our forefathers felt compelled to prove themselves to ‘Mother England’ when she was in need. My grandfather is not on one of those memorials because he survived Gallipoli. NZ’s greatest resource is its people, and 18,000 gave their lives to build our nation’s legacy fighting the Last Stands across battlefields whose names are slowly disappearing from our memories.

Fast forward to today. This is our generation of New Zealanders, and are we practising Christians also prepared to make our stand in the way we live our lives, to sacrifice, and to build a future legacy for our families and communities? Will you join me in the Last Stand of the New Zealand Church?

What if it IS us? What if we’re the ones who don’t give up on the Church in New Zealand?
Not because we’re perfect. Not because we’ve got the best brand of worship or the flashiest stage lighting. But because we love Jesus—and we can see the tide going out fast.

Once upon a time, we were a "Christian nation." Most people ticked “Christian” on the census form. Sunday school was normal. Politicians quoted the Bible without irony. But not anymore. That era is gone—and if we’re honest, many churches are still living as if it’s 1985. We missed the moment. The sand shifted under our feet.

Now we’re waking up to a very different reality. In 2023, only 9% of New Zealanders are practicing Christians. Nine percent! The unbelieving population is now more than believers. Do you know what that leads to?

This isn’t a gloom post. This is a wake-up call. God has always done His best work through remnants. Gideon’s 300. Elijah under the broom tree. The Upper Room crowd in Acts. Revival doesn’t need mass popularity. It needs holy defiance. A people who say, “Not on our watch.”

If the 91% have walked away, let the 9% rise up. Let’s be a community marked by sacrificial love, authentic faith, shared lives—not performance and programs. Let’s be the last ones standing, not because we’re stubborn, but because we’re burning with something real.

Not the last of a dying breed. The first spark of something new.