Frequently Asked Questions
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Who is your Senior Pastor?
Ōrākei Baptist Church operates without a traditional Senior Pastor. We have two pastoral positions that share the active responsibilities of leading and guiding the congregation. However key decisions are made by our elected Leadership Team, and significant matters are voted on by the church body. We encourage the participation of the whole church community in matters such as seeking the leading of the Holy Spirit, practicing appropriate accountability, and in the building up of one another. Our desire is to promote a shared sense of responsibility for the spiritual well-being of our community.
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Thing's we're often asked
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Does ... cost anything?
All ministries, our Bibles Studies, the Club96 Afterschool, Sunday Services, OBC Youth, and everything else we do are free to everyone, and will always remain free. If we ever ask for donations, it will be to cover associated costs only, such as with a Youth outing or an external event’s ticket price, such as Easter Camp.
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Venue Hire / Booking Requests
The venue is open to bookings, but cannot be booked Saturdays 7am-2pm, or at any time on a Sunday. To book the building for a re-occurring event request hours between 7am-5pm on weekdays. Please note that Ōrākei Baptist Church only hosts weddings for those known in our church community. Ōrākei Baptist Church is an alcohol & smoke free venue at all times. For all venue related requests please Contact Us.
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What does it mean to be Baptist?
To understand what it means to be Baptist, join us for one of our services and see the people around you. We have a broad church family from a variety of church backgrounds and that diversity is one of our favourite features. We wouldn’t change it. We’re believers, friends, and followers of Jesus, Christians, before we’re anything else. We do however have a rich heritage and supportive, valued connection to the wider New Zealand Baptist movement. See our Faith page for more specifics, or the Baptist Union page for an affiliated description.
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Membership
Individuals who are committed Christians and share the beliefs and values of our community are encouraged to join us in membership. Members can vote on the direction of church activities. Additionally, members are eligible to vote and be nominated for Leadership Team positions. Requests for membership can be made via Contact Us.
Practically, members and non-members are almost indistinguishable. Not everyone who regularly attends services are members, and we consider our “non-members” just as vital, loved, and important to our church family. However, those who feel a commitment to our church often seek membership and are given a vote in our church’s decision-making processes. Nothing else changes. Membership only lapses if the member hasn’t attended services for a significant length of time. In essence, this system ensures that our community is led by those who are invested and participating actively in our community, and who share our faith, values, and mission. Click Here to read What We Believe.
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How can I support the church?
Ōrākei Baptist Church is a community, a church family that only functions as we do because of the generosity of its members. If you’d like to support the church or any of our activities you can volunteer your time and energy to them, we’d be humbled to have you join us. We also accept financial donations to help us keep the lights on, bless others in need, and financially support the ministries we provide. If your donation is for a specific ministry, please put this in the reference eg. "YouthCamp".
Donations can be made to:
ORAKEI BAPTIST CHURCH | 02-0261-0042700-025 | BNZ
Thank you for your generosity, we don’t take it for granted. If you’d like to support a specific ministry, please note this in your reference. Should you desire a receipt for tax refund purposes, please Contact Us with this stated in your email’s subject line with reference to your donation.
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How can I volunteer?
Check out the Join Our Team section, or Contact Us.
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Is Ōrākei Baptist Church affiliated with Catalyst Movement?
No. Catalyst Movement is its own organisation independent of any church or organisation. We love what the Catalyst team does and seek to actively support them however we can. We both share a heart for New Zealand’s rangatahi in evangelism, spiritual maturity, and breakthrough. Click Here for more information on Catalyst Movement.
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Where is the church?
We’re located at 96 Kupe St, Ōrākei. Our mailbox is P.O. Box 42213, Ōrākei, Auckland 1745.
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How can I...?
For all other queries please Contact Us.