Ask someone at Central Vineyard, “What is Gratis?” and they’ll probably say, “It’s a community meal downtown for the whānau.”

But linger a little longer—listen to the voices of those who turn up week after week, cooking, chopping, serving, praying—and you’ll hear a deeper story

What if the disruption you’re avoiding is actually an invitation? In the quiet of the night, something shifts—and God meets us there. As we approach a 10 day prayer event together, why should we get out of our beds to pray?

We recently asked people in our community to share how they’ve been practising the presence of God in the flow of everyday life. What we heard was not a list of perfect habits or lofty ideals, but stories—real, honest, beautiful stories—of how the Holy Spirit is gently, faithfully present in the middle of it all.

Something unexpected happened when a back-row-bandit, who hid in the shadows and expected God to judge her, engaged with Central Vineyard’s first Prayer Week.

Back to Basics: The Vineyard 5-step prayer model