We're a Bible-believing Christian church based in Wellington, New Zealand.
We're a community of everyday people who gather in local communities around the region. Wherever you are on your faith journey, you are welcome here.
OUR MISSION
Helping people become total followers of Jesus Christ.
Our Mission
Helping people become total followers of Jesus Christ is our main thing. It’s inclusive of all people, whether they already believe in Jesus or not. It's a mission where each one of us has a part to play. Practically, it looks like growing in four key areas, which you’ll hear throughout our church:
Upwards: We Love the Lord
Inwards: We Love One Another
Outwards: We Love the Lost
Onwards: We Multiply
OUR VISION
A disciple-making movement transforming Wellington and the world with the good news of Jesus Christ.
Our Vision
In pursuit of our mission, our vision is about who we need to become. We want to be a disciple-making movement. Where people come to believe in Jesus, wherever followers of Jesus are found. We are ready to help new followers grow so that even more people can hear about Jesus. We want to be a church that makes a practical difference in the local community; as a bridge towards making a spiritual difference. We want to be a church that is a blessing both near and far, beginning in Wellington and stretching out across the world. We want to be a church that is always striving to multiply disciples and leaders and congregations so that there is always room for one more.
OUR VALUES
Our Values
Our values are about how we lead, how we make decisions, who we are and what we aspire to be like.
Christ-Centered
Human history pivots around the resurrection of Jesus. The worship of heaven encircles Jesus. He is the centre of all we’re about.
Bible-based
We believe the Bible is God’s word to us and useful for all areas of faith and practice.
Spirit-led
We believe God continues to be present and active in the world and in the church. We seek the leading of the Holy Spirit in all areas of our lives and leadership.
Servant-hearted
Jesus modeled serving others rather than seeking to be served. We believe that when we adopt a posture of service, we create the environment for others to thrive.
Prayerful
We believe that God loves to hear from people and even changes what he is going to do based on the prayers of His people. Prayer is where we cultivate a relationship with God and talk to him about the changes we desire to see.
Our Beliefs
We believe Jesus Christ is the most important person in human history. We believe that he is the answer to the suffering of our world and the one who is able to restore our broken relationship with God. Many people agree that he was a good man or a good teacher, but more than that - we believe he is God himself and Saviour of the world. If you’re exploring faith, we’d love to help you discover Jesus for yourself.
To find out about the core beliefs we hold as a church, you can read our Statement of Faith.
Senior Pastors
Simon & Jenny Gill
Simon and Jenny, along with their three daughters have been part of The Street Church since their relocation from the UK to New Zealand in 2012 when Simon accepted the role of Teaching Pastor. In 2017 when The Street began to pursue a multi-location model, he and Jenny took on the role of Lead Pastors of our first new location in the Eastern suburbs of Wellington.
The Street Church has a more than 100 year history of faithful and wise leadership, paired with an unwavering passion for the spread of the gospel. Simon and Jenny stepped into the role of Senior Pastors in 2021, following 24 years of leadership from Nick and Sarah Field. Simon and Jenny are passionate about the Church being present locally - in a way that makes a difference in communities.
“Imagine if our church being present in an area actually made a difference to the way the people speak in that area, the way the people treat each other, the way it feels to be in those suburbs. That’s what we dream of - that our church wouldn’t be locked inside walls, but would go beyond to actually make a difference in the lives of people, and would change society.”
“The church that we see is a church that cannot be counted. A church that is unrestrained by times and spaces - where people come to faith everyday, in every place where Jesus-followers are found. It's a church where stories of life change are the norm. It’s a diverse church of people from all walks of life who don’t necessarily have anything in common, except the Saviour they have found - Jesus himself. And because of that, no difference could ever divide us. We are united around Him.”
HISTORY
We have been sharing the life-changing news of God’s love and forgiveness through the work of Jesus Christ for over 100 years.
It all started in 1918 as a Mission Hall in Tory Street, Wellington, in a slum filled with many broken hearts and often destitute families. A group of Christian people used the Mission Hall to reach out with the love of Jesus Christ. The first Sunday morning service started in 1923 and in 1928 a new brick building was built for the growing church.
By the 1950s Tory Street was no longer a downtrodden residential area. A mission to the poor was no longer relevant in the area, and a shift was planned to another residential area. The church relocated to Elizabeth Street in May 1958, and we adopted a new name to reflect our new location and identity as a Christ-centred worshipping group.
Tory Street Hall, 1930.
Elizabeth Street Chapel, 1958.
The Street Church offices, Hania Street, 2014.
Elizabeth Street Chapel was a church with a vision to broadcast the message of Christ over the radio. Until the 1980’s live radio broadcasts regularly included children and adult choirs, musical groups and soloists. International outreach is also in our DNA, and many mission organisations have had their beginnings through the people of this church.
Over the decades that followed we wrestled with how we could change with the times while remaining faithful to our core beliefs and values. Elizabeth Street Chapel had its highs and lows, before emerging as a vibrant, Christ-centred and Bible-based place of worship. Over time, first casually and then formally, the church became known as “E.Street”.
By the end of the millennium, the growth of the church made it clear that another building move was necessary, and in 2002 we shifted to a new facility on Hania Street. The shift meant the “E” in “E.Street” no longer made sense, and so we became The Street.
Today we believe the best way to reach people is to be a church that meets in multiple locations. Through our mission partners, we continue to rally around people who are oppressed and lost, both in New Zealand and internationally. As we continue to grow and learn, we believe we are also called to share our experience and serve the wider Church.
While the name of our Wellington church and meeting places have changed over time, our call remains the same as the original mission established on Tory Street, Wellington all those years ago. Our history reveals what it means to follow Jesus - growing in our love of God and others as we allow Him to work in and through us.