Frequently Asked Questions
Here’s some of the common questions that we’re asked by people coming to church! If your question isn’t answered below please feel free to contact us and we’ll be in touch!
The River Christian Church is part of the New Life Churches network of New Zealand. We are evangelical Pentecostals with an emphasis on the Lordship and centrality of Jesus Christ, the work and power of the Holy Spirit, and the authority of the Scriptures as the Word of God.
You can read The River’s Statement of Faith here:
We have a fantastic ministry for kids running every Sunday, with a specially designed programme designed to help them grow in their faith.
Pakuranga Church
Your children will love creche (0-2 years), Kidets (3-4 years) and River Kids (5-10 years). You can check them in between 9:45-10am. We also have an Intermediates programme running fortnightly after worship for young people aged 11-13. Our greeters team can help guide you to the right place for your family.
Pukekohe Church
At Pukekohe, we have Parents Room for age (0-2 years), Kidets Program (3-4 years) and River Kids ( 5-10 Years). We also have an Intermediates Foundations programme running fortnightly after worship for young people aged 11-13. It’s a place where faith comes alive for young people!
Services will generally start right on 10am, so we’d encourage you to get there 10-15mins early to find a park, meet our greeting team and find a seat. If you have young children, we’d encourage you to check them into our friendly and fun kids programmes – our greeting team can assist you with this. At the beginning of the service, we’ll usually have 20-30mins of contemporary worship (singing Christian songs together), followed by prayer points, and then announcements, celebrations and other notices. Although we will sometimes mention the opportunity to give financially, there is no pressure put on anyone to do so. A relevant, applicable teaching from the Bible will follow – this is usually for about 30mins. We will sometimes conclude with the opportunity for people to respond to the message by coming forward to the front for prayer if they wish. At the conclusion of the meeting, tea and coffee will be served. At our Pakuranga church, you’re invited to meet one of our Connectors at the Welcome Table who will organise you with a free coffee or hot drink and can answer any questions you might have about the church.
You’re welcome to come as you are! You’ll see people dressed in everything from casual clothes to smart-casual. The most important thing to us is that you feel welcomed!
The River has two locations.
The Pakuranga church is located at 69 Ben Lomond Crescent, Pakuranga. There is parking around the building and on the street – the friendly carpark team is available to assist you finding a capark when you arrive.
The Pukekohe church is located at Franklin: The Centre, 12 Massey Ave, Pukekohe. The meeting is on the first floor in the Stevenson Room. You can park in the carpark behind The Centre, and clear signage will show you the way to the meeting!
Our main service runs every Sunday starting at 10am. We recommend arriving about 10–15 minutes early to grab a coffee, meet a few people, and find a seat. The service usually lasts 90mins concluding around 11:30am.