About Our Church
Loving God, Living PurposeWho are we?
Elim Christian Centre Cambridge is a hub of life and activity most of the week. It’s our home base and where we gather on Sundays for church services, and during the week Our Early Learning Centre and other Community Trust programmes are operating. You’re always welcome to drop in and say hi, although it might pay to ring and arrange a time if you want to see someone in particular.
We have a real desire to make a positive difference in our community and so a number of years back we established the Elim Community Trust. The Trust was set up to identify particular needs in Cambridge and establish ministries and programmes to help meet those needs. Currently we run an Early Learning Centre for under 5’s Monday to Friday, a Counselling service, and school holiday programmes. We also have a number of small groups that meet at Elim through the week and we endeavour to meet practical needs as we identify them by linking people to our pastoral care team.
What happens on Sundays?
We believe your relationship with God is important. We endeavor to present our church services in a creative and fresh way that encourages you on your journey to know God. Our services have contemporary music with a live band and relevant teaching. If you have children, they will be well catered for and have a fun time in our kids programmes.
We have a parents room for under 2’s with a video link to our service, a programme for 2-5’s and another programme for 5-12 year olds. Talk to our door hosts and they will be able to tell you more about these programmes.
We always include an opportunity for anyone who would like to receive prayer in any area and also for anyone who would like to step into a relationship with God. We are also privileged to have leaders from across our nation speak from time to time.
What is ‘Elim’?
The oasis in the desert
It was the name of an oasis mentioned in the Bible. You can imagine what this oasis meant to weary people after days of slogging through the desert with the sun beating down relentlessly on their backs. Exodus 15:27 says that at Elim there were 70 palm trees clustered round twelve wells, and, after the dust and heat and thirst of the desert, the shade of the stately palms and the cool sparkle of those refreshing springs must have seemed like heaven on earth. It was this idea of finding shelter and refreshment that inspired the name ‘Elim’.
Who We Are
Our Team & Leadership
We’re all about bringing God’s love to people & helping them live out His purpose. There is amazing hope and an exciting future in store for us when we discover God’s love for us and begin to live out His purpose. That’s why we’re so passionate about passing it on to others!
If we can be of assistance to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Enjoy having a look around our site. Check out all the great things that are going on & feel free to send us a note on our contact page.
We’d love to see you at one of our Services, 10am each Sunday.
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Our Senior Pastors: Jeff & Susan Parker
Jeff and Susan love Cambridge having moved here from Wellington in 2003 whilst doing a ministry Internship. They were initially Youth Pastors from 2004 before stepping in as Senior Pastors in 2006. They have three children so love family holidays, mountain biking (Jeff) and anything creative (Susan).
Our History
God poured out His Spirit and within two weeks the Welsh Revival was national news. Before long Evan Roberts and others were traveling the country conducting Revival Meetings. Meetings which broke the conventional and bypassed the traditional – often the ministers just sat down unable to preach or even to understand what storm had arrived in their usually sedate churches.
People were changed in so many ways. The crime rate dropped, drunkards were reformed, pubs reported losses in trade. Bad language disappeared and never returned to the lips of many. The Times observed that the whole population had been suddenly stirred by a common impulse. Religion had become the absorbing interest of their lives. They gathered at crowded services for six and eight hours at a time.
A powerful spiritual awakening that brought 100,000 people to Christ was under way. The revival storm that hit the hills and valleys of Wales in the dying months of 1904 soon became a hurricane that affected the world. Visitors caught the flame and then passed it on to new countries.
The Elim Church was founded in 1915 by a Welshman named George Jeffreys who was an outstanding evangelist and church planter. He was strongly influenced by the Welsh Revival of 1904. A well known Evangelist, Smith Wigglesworth, came to New Zealand for crusade meetings in 1922. This was the beginning of what was to be known as the Pentecostal Church of New Zealand. In August 1949 negotiations were set in motion by the Conference of the Pentecostal Church of New Zealand to link up with the Elim Church of Great Britain.
The Elim Pentecostal church in the United Kingdom has over 500 churches with over 9000 churches in many countries around the world. The Elim Church of New Zealand has over 35 churches throughout the nation. Every year we hold our Annual Conference where over 1000 people gather from around New Zealand for 3 days of worship, teaching and fellowship. It is our belief that Elim has a significant part to play in making a difference in our world, and so we are confidently looking forward to what God will do in the future.
What should I wear?
We are a contemporary church so dress in an informal manner. We are more concerned about you being comfortable and relaxed than the clothes you wear. Some people spend their working week in suits and ties and as such prefer to dress more casually on Sundays. Of course, if you do want to wear a suit or your “Sunday best”, feel free.
Do I have to give money?
Giving tithes and offerings is really something those who are regularly part of the Elim community do to contribute and enable us to do what we do. If you are our guest, we want you to sit back and receive, not feel compelled to give.
What is the music like?
Elim is a contemporary church with modern music. While we value our Christian heritage which includes songs from the centuries before, we appreciate that different people like different types of music. Our band is made up of musicians and vocalists who are part of the church here at Elim. You will enjoy this time in the service! During the music time, many people will stand and sing. If you feel comfortable, feel free to join in or simply stay seated and just enjoy the music.
Do I have to do anything?
You are our valued guest. Please just sit back, relax and enjoy your time with us.
At each service we endeavour to provide the opportunity for people to receive prayer if they would like to. This may be for healing or any other needs. Also, the opportunity is given if someone would like to become a Christian or take a step closer to God in some way. Your privacy will always be respected if you would like someone to pray for you. The opportunity may be given to come to the front of the church for prayer either during the singing and worship time or at the end of the service. It is our pleasure to help you in any way we can so please talk to our pastors or one of our door hosts if you would like some help or assistance, or would just like to find out more about Elim.
What about my kids?
If you have kids, we have great programs for all ages. We have a parents room for under 2’s with a video link to our service, a programme for 2-5’s and another programme for 5-12 year olds. If you have any questions, or would like to see the children’s area, please ask one of our hosts and they will be glad to help.
How long does the service go for?
We appreciate that Sundays are a valuable day in your week. All of our services are 1.5 hours or less. After the service we have a tea and coffee area and would love the opportunity to meet you in person. If you are pressed for time, just let us know your details and we will be happy to catch up with you at a time that suits you better. In the unusual event we are required to go later than expected, and you need to get away, please feel free to quietly leave the auditorium – we will not be offended.
Do I need a Bible or anything?
All you need is you! We believe in the Bible and our ministers use it as the reference point for teaching.If you have a Bible and would like to bring it, please feel free, but it is certainly not mandatory.In saying that, if you do not have a Bible and would like one, please ask one of our pastors and they will give you a Bible at no cost as a memento of your visit with Elim which we encourage you to read.
It is our hope that your online experience will give you a taste of who we are and why we love Elim and our community here. If you have any other questions, please let us know by email through the contact section of this site. Hope to see you at church!