Vivian Street Gospel Hall

163 Vivian Street, Wellington, New Zealand

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Who are we?

We are a group of people who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

We meet together to worship God, to build up one another spiritually and to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.

We believe the historic evangelical doctrines of the Christian Faith which are derived from the Holy Scriptures. We seek to learn from God's Word and put into practice what we find there.

The origins of our assembly go back to the 1860s. The assembly has been using the Vivian Street Gospel Hall for its main place of worship since approximately 1904. It has been using the Ridgeway Christian Youth Centre for youth and other outreach activities since 1972 (though youth activities were operated from other premises in the area earlier).

We are an independent assembly under the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the church. We have fellowship with other local assemblies which have similar beliefs and practices. Assemblies such as ours as sometimes referred to as "Christian Brethren" or "Open Brethren".

Leadership of our assembly is in the hands of elders or overseers, who seek to care for God's people in accordance with the teachings and principles of Scripture.

The elders are Malcolm Davie, Murray Grindlay and Dennis Richards.

What do we believe?

1.  God. God is real.  He made everything and sustains everything, including each one of us.  He is the only God.

2.  The Trinity. God exists eternally as Father, Son and Holy Spirit - one God yet three Persons.

3.  The Bible. The Bible is the Word of God.  It was written by men led by the Holy Spirit and is inerrant.  The Bible is God's main means of speaking to us today.

4.  Sin. All people have sinned and fall short of God's perfect standard.  They must all face God one day as their Judge.  They cannot make themselves right with God by their own efforts or religious observances.

5.  Jesus Christ. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to save sinful mankind.  He was born of the virgin Mary, and was without sin.  He lived a perfect life, was crucified on a cross and rose again from the dead three days later.  He is now in heaven.

6.  Salvation. On the cross Jesus Christ paid the full penalty of sin forever, so that everyone who in faith rests on that finished work immediately receives the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.  No one can come to God except through Jesus Christ.

7.  The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit causes those who receive the Lord Jesus Christ to be born again into God's family.  He indwells them and gives them the power to live a life that pleases God in fellowship with His church.

8.  Christian Growth. Those who belong to Jesus Christ should confess their faith by being baptised by immersion in obedience to the Lord's command and also as a public witness to their new life.  They should also become part of a Bible-believing local church.

9.  The Local Church. The local congregation should be made up of people who are true Christians, who are faithful to their Lord in what they believe and do.  The Lord's Supper (Communion or Breaking of Bread) should be regularly celebrated.

10.  Christ's Return. Jesus Christ may return at any time to take away His people to be with Him forever.  However He will judge all who die in their sins, and the destiny of those who are not right with God is everlasting Hell.

11.  Christian Living. Christians have an obligation to live for God, and this includes doing the good works He has prepared for them to do.  They have an obligation to proclaim the Good News to as many as possible.  Every Christian has been equipped by God to serve Him in some way.