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
Talibé boys in West Africa find safety, dignity, and the love of Jesus through a weekly ministry offering showers, learning, friendship, and hope.
SIM office worker Jana never expected to be working with the unseen victims of the long, grinding war which has followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
A Korean pastor reflects on 23 years of ministry among the Roma in Greece, sharing how everyday presence, worship, and love shaped a truly missional church...
A Central Asian pastor shares his astonishing journey from crime and despair to a powerful encounter with God — now leading a vibrant, multicultural chur...
In Cape Town’s townships, SIM’s Sarah Hopkins uses creative therapy, sewing classes and Bible study to help women and teenagers heal from trauma, grow ...
In a region where faith conversations require patience and trust, one Faithful Witness worker is using her skills as an occupational therapist to build rel...
A Muslim teacher in Central Asia begins to question God and her place in the world — and through the steady love and prayers of a believing colleague, he...
Reuben and Ana are preparing to serve long‑term in the Middle East, following a call shaped by steady obedience, cross‑cultural experience, and a heart...
Motherhood and ministry rarely move in straight lines. For one mission worker and her family, serving in North Africa has brought moments of grief, growth,...
Young Legends in South Africa is changing lives through football, mentorship and faith. Read how this Cape Town ministry is breaking cycles of violence and...
What looks like an ordinary life in Japan is anything but. Through daily obedience and gentle, persistent love, God is opening doors, shaping lives, and tu...
Rachel, an SIM mission worker, arrived in North Africa ready to serve as a doctor, only to find every door closed. In the struggle that followed, God deepe...