Key Ministries
- Sending mission partners
We work alongside New Zealand churches to send their people to serve cross-culturally. This involves both mobilisation and ongoing member care. - Equipping churches
We equip local churches to both be aware of global mission and understand how to be missional. We act as a mission advocate and coach.
Spiritual Landscape in New Zealand
New Zealand’s spiritual landscape is changing rapidly. According to the 2023 census, 51.6 per cent of the population identifies as having ‘no religion’, a steady increase since 2006. Despite this, 81 per cent express some form of spiritual belief. A key reason many explore spirituality is witnessing others who genuinely live out sincere faith.
About 31 per cent identify as Christian, yet only 12.4 per cent attend church regularly, marking a significant decline from previous decades when New Zealand was known as a Christian nation with the highest mission workers per capita worldwide.
While the church’s cultural influence has diminished, vibrant faith communities remain, and there is opportunity for people to encounter Christ through friends, family, and faith communities. The society is multicultural and religiously diverse, making a clear presentation of biblical Christianity crucial. A renewed movement of the Holy Spirit (Wairua Tapu) has recently been observed in some churches.
SIM New Zealand supports the church by encouraging believers to build relationships across faiths and cultures for the sake of the gospel.
Please pray
- For new prayer groups to start that give all generations a chance to participate in praying for mission
- For our mobilisers as they focus on three New Zealand communities this year — Palmerston North, Christchurch and Dunedin — coming alongside church pastors and congregations to build mission awareness and engagement
- For four new long-term mission partners who sense God’s calling to serve cross-culturally outside New Zealand
- For our board as they work with leadership to refresh our next six-year strategic plan
- For strategic partnerships with churches to be developed through mutual relationships
Latest stories from around SIM
More than 40 nations gathered in Nairobi for the Trauma Healing Institute’s Global Community of Practice, the first held outside North America, celebrati...
When a new mum found herself overwhelmed by depression and doubts about her worth, SIM mission worker and psychologist Gina McConley stepped in with gentle...
After 13 years serving in Benin with SIM, Sarah and Lee have returned to Germany, their sending country. Lee, who served as a finance manager and later tea...
After 13 years serving in Benin with SIM, Sarah and Lee have returned to Germany, their sending country. Lee, who served as a finance manager and later tea...
A young Muslim boy in a remote village encounters the love of Jesus through a Christian school. As trust grows, Abdu discovers the truth of the gospel, bra...
After stepping into mission work at 26, Jang Doo‑Sik discovered that calling rarely comes with certainty. Today, as only 2% of Generation Z are reached w...
For mission workers, a prayer letter is a way of inviting others into the story God is writing. SIM mission worker Mark Azzopardi reflects on how to write ...
In the glittering cities of the Arabian peninsula, one worker’s encounters with migrant lifeguards become a vivid reminder of the urgent call for Christi...
In West Timor, where poverty and limited opportunities leave families vulnerable to exploitation, anti-trafficking work is focused on walking alongside com...
As Ramadan approaches, mission worker Nate based in Strasbourg reflects on why respectful interfaith dialogue matters — and how genuine friendship, peace...
In 2026, we renew our call to stay connected: to Christ, to one another, and to the communities where the gospel is least known. Join us in prayer as we pu...
When León and Mari arrived in the spiritually resistant town, they faced hostility and isolation. But through patient presence, genuine relationships, and...