If you’ve ever watched a baptism—let’s be honest—it’s a bit weird. Someone gets dunked under water, and this apparently means something? What’s that all about?

Let’s talk about it.

Take a tour of our 24-7 Prayer Room with this visual diary documenting before and after our 10 days of prayer for Pentecost.

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?

Have you ever had that jarring moment where you realise that you don’t really know a person? You thought you knew them, but it turns out, you don’t. They are familiar, yet, a stranger. Somewhere along the line, the Holy Spirit has become that familiar stranger to so many in the Church.

Each year we do a Sunday series based on a book. This year for Pentecost we will be journeying through Tyler Staton’s The Familiar Stranger. To prime us for the series, Dan has turned into a novice book reviewer, writing for us a little review.

At Easter, we’re invited into a better story. Not a tidy religious formula, but a gritty, redemptive reality: the story of God’s love. A love that shows up in Jesus—not to condemn, but to heal, restore, and rewrite our broken narratives.

The words of 1 Peter 2:5 are a bold invitation to move from passive attendance to priestly participation. Worship is not a performance we consume but a fire we’re called to keep alive — together.

At Central Vineyard, our worship is more than just singing—it’s a journey, a place where we meet with God, reflect on His goodness, and are shaped by His presence. As Dan Wilt beautifully puts it, “Songs are a place we go.” They become the landscapes of our faith, shaping our prayers, deepening our trust, and uniting our voices as a whānau.

Worship is not something we manufacture. It is stepping into a love already in motion—a story that began long before us. "We love because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19) So worship is not our initiation; it is a response. It is love, returned. But to return it, we must know where it begins…

Jesus told a parable about a great feast to show that the Kingdom of God is a reality of great abundance and life, which we are all invited to join Him in. The question is: will we enter?

Jesus’ invitation to us all is to “Come, follow me, and I will show you how…” — so what is the rest of the journey?

Living in the way of God is a good way. It is a way of joy and love. But let’s be honest—walking this way isn’t always easy.