Good Gifts 2024

This Christmas, help us bless others through Good Gifts

Every Christmas, we reimagine Good Gifts as a way to practise generosity by looking outward and blessing others in meaningful ways.

For 2024, we’re supporting two initiatives by passing on financial Good Gifts to the people they serve—one local and one international. These initiatives are:

Family of Christ - Ukraine

Family of Christ is the charitable arm of a local church by the same name in Uzhhorod, Ukraine. They have felt the call to be Jesus's hands and feet, and to show His love by delivering help, hope, and healing.

Since 2018 they have been providing humanitarian aid and discipleship as a ministry to their local community. With their deep local and national connections, and a small team of staff and volunteers, they are able to quickly and effectively meet needs across Ukraine.

With the full-scale war since 2022 they have massively expanded their work, supported by Christian charitable donations from all around the world.

This Christmas they are fundraising to provide 6,000 Christmas presents for Ukrainian children. These will go to children at the local orphanages they serve, the children of internally displaced people, and children in the frontline areas where they deliver aid. Family of Christ is almost entirely run by volunteers, and donations for this initiative will go directly to the gift fund.

Give a good gift to family of Christ

Gratis

Established in 2016, Gratis is Central Vineyard’s weekly community meal to feed the hungry in Auckland CBD. Every year Gratis does something extra special at Christmas to make sure this community feels seen and loved at this festive time. This year we’re giving the people what they want…a KFC Christmas feast! And a bunch of aroha packs which contain practical items as well as some feastive treats.

You can bless the Gratis whānau by donating towards aroha packs.

Give a Good Gift to Gratis

Gratis: Winter Appeal

BLANKETS AND JACKETS FOR WINTER

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in” - Matthew 25:35

As we head into winter, there are a number of our Gratis street whānau feeling the cold. Can you help? Here are some ways to do so:

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1. Donate blankets/jackets

Bring along any quality blankets or jackets to church on any Sunday all of July. We’ll have a drop-off point by the Welcome table as you arrive. Alternatively, drop them off at Community Hall from Monday-Thursday.

or…

2. Donate financially

If you don’t have any quality items you would like to pass on, we will grab some items on your behalf if you donate below.

Donate now

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All that we receive will be passed on to those who need it during our Monday night Gratis Street feeds, and if you are interested in helping in any way in this appeal or with Gratis Street, email here.

Good Gifts

Update 6 December 2023: Thank you to everyone who gave to Good Gifts 2023. Each initiative has now been given their Good Gift and passed it onto the community they serve. We are so grateful for your generosity enabling this.

This Christmas, help us bless the community through Good Gifts

Every Christmas, we reimagine Good Gifts to practice generosity by looking outward that we could serve and bless our community in a meaningful way.

For 2023, we want to support three initiatives that are bubbling away in the Central Vineyard community, by passing on Good Gifts to the people they are serving. These are:

Neurodiverse Families

This year the Muller’s started a support group for fellow families with neurodiverse children; a space to care for each other, share helpful resources, and build connection. Approaching Christmas the Muller’s want to be generous to this community with care packs for the parents and some fun things for the kids.

You can bless this emerging community by donating towards these gift packs.

Sad Mums Club

Sad Mums Club is not the club you wanted to join, but the one you need. 1 in 10 women are struggling with post-natal depression, not only affecting their own well-being but their children, their partners and the community at large. Started by SJ Treharne, Sad Mums Club aims to raise awareness and provide totally cute resources on post-natal depression in Auckland.

Post-natal packs have been designed to bless new mothers in their time of need, providing helpful information on the treatment options and empowering artwork. Check them out at here

You can bless Sad Mums Club by donating towards getting post-natal packs printed.

Give a good gift to sad mums club

Gratis

Established in 2016, Gratis is Central Vineyard’s weekly community meal to feed the hungry in Auckland CBD. Every year Gratis does something extra special at Christmas to make sure this community feels seen and loved at this festive time. This year we’re cooking up a Christmas feast and pulling together Aroha Packs that have some practical helpful items and some treats.

You can bless the Gratis whānau by donating towards Christmas Aroha Packs.

Give a Good Gift to Gratis

NEW SERIES: WORTHY

An Easter series on worship

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered— to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.” - Revelation 5:12

The English word "worship" comes from the word "worthy”. It means acknowledging the worth, the worthy-ness, of the one who is worshiped. It means gladly recognizing and celebrating the fact that this God is who he is, has done what he has done and will do what he will do.

For the Easter season — amongst the story of Jesus who upon the cross and in resurrection became the lion-like-lamb worthy of our worship — we are going to look at the theme and practice of worship in the Scriptures, in our stories and in our songs.

🙌

Change to this Sunday

Unfortunately due to an unexpected maintenance issue that has happened this week at Epsom Girls Grammar, we are now unable to use the hall this weekend for our first gathering back for 2023. Drat!

So, being flexible here, we've decided to embrace the summer vibes and we invite you to join us at Cornwall Park by the rotunda and cafe (see map) between 10am–midday this Sunday for a park hangout together.

Bring your own preferred park setup (chairs or blankets) and some food and a coffee (or grab something takeaway from the cafe) and come reconnect with us!

We look forward to seeing you and in the meantime, we're moving all our plans for what would of been our first church gathering to next week!

💙 The CV team

Summer Dates

Every summer we embrace the rhythms of our season and take a break to practice sabbath rest as a community and enjoy the holidays.

Our last Sunday gathering of 2022: 18 December

Our first Sunday gathering of 2023: 22 January

Office closed 20 December - 15 January

While we are on break we know that life is still happening. So, if any personal emergencies arise, please contact us at care@centralvineyard.org

We pray and hope you can stop, rest, delight and worship these coming weeks!

EPSOM GATHERING CHANGE OF TIME AND LOCATION: 3pm at Curate Church AKL

For three Sundays on 13, 20 and 27 November our Epsom Gathering is at a different time and place. Due to exams at EGGS, we are relocating to Curate Church AKL for an afternoon gathering at 3pm which finishes with connection and dinner together. Here are the details for the temporary move:

Where is Curate Church AKL?
44 George Street, Mount Eden, Auckland. 

Where should I park?
There are car parks at Curate, the lawyers next door, the accountants across the road and Collective on the opposite corner. You might get some lucky street parking, but best bet is the carpark on the corner of George St and New North Rd. From there you can then walk the short distance to Curate up the rise, over the train tracks and you’re there.

What is church going to be like this Sunday?
Though starting at 3pm, it’s going to be very much still the normal thing we do together; there will be coffee on as you arrive, we’ll worship, we’ll come to the Table, we’ll continue our Wholly Following Christ series, and we’ll see what the Spirit wants to do as ministry. Our CV Kids will get to enjoy their programmes in Curate’s fantastic kids spaces. But then at 5pm, something different; because of the time and place, we’re making space to connect with one another and having dinner together...

…so what’s the dinner details?
On November 13, our CV Youth are fundraising for 2023 events by collaborating with HunterBurger to make smash burgers. It will be $15 for a burger + drink (EFTPOS, bank transfer or cash payment available) and because it’s a fundraiser, if you want to add a little bit extra on top as a tip, the youth won’t deny you the opportunity! Also - we never want money to be a reason someone can’t participate in eating with us, so we have some burgers sponsored already too. Burgers will be starting service at 5pm for an early dinner.

So, that’s the different plan! We look forward to seeing you Sunday in this different place, but still as the same people pursuing Jesus together.

TABLES: Church-wide lunch banquets on 18 Sep

Tables is a practice of hospitality - powerful spaces where we can make room to see strangers become friends.

On Sunday 18th September, instead of our usual Sunday Gatherings, we will be meeting all over the city around Tables for a Sunday Lunch Banquet. We look forward to welcoming you for lunch!

Sign up to attend is essential as there are some hefty logistics to play out in organising all of this, so please do so here.

Sunday 18 September, 12pm-2.30pm all across the city.

NEW MESSAGE SERIES: Wholly following Christ

A series exploring a beautiful and balanced vision of the Christian life

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – Jesus

In this season of reorder, we want to ask a key and important question: how do we holistically follow Jesus in the abundant life he modelled and taught? What is Christ’s vision of a deep, considered and beautiful life for us to embrace and enjoy — and how do we?

For the rest of 2022 (until Advent) we will be exploring six key facets of life with God:
• The Spirit-empowered life
• The Word-anchored life
• The Compassionate life
• The Consecrated life
• The Incarnational life
• The Prayer-filled life

Starts this Sunday, 10am at Epsom Gathering. We’d love to see you as we start this new journey together 💎

NEW MESSAGE SERIES: Heart Talks

A SEASON OF SHARING WHAT IS MOST PRECIOUS TO US

While we regather and regroup as a church, our pastoral team are going to take these next several weeks to share a few of the things that are most dear to us for the future as a way of re-envisioning us all together.

Join us on Sundays, 10am at EGGS and if you can’t make it, or are feeling a bit tentative to join in, we will have the Podcast up Sunday afternoon for you to tune in wherever you listen to podcasts.