Half-Year Review: January–June 2026
Dear St Andrew’s,
As we reach the halfway point of 2026, it is a good opportunity to pause, look back, and thank God for his kindness to us.
At the beginning of the year, I spoke of our desire to see St Andrew’s grow—not for the sake of appearances or institutional success, but because every number represents a person whom God has made and loves. We want to grow disciples of Jesus Christ through Belonging, Maturity and Outreach.
Numbers cannot measure everything that matters. They cannot fully capture a young person professing faith, a newcomer being welcomed, a bereaved family being cared for, a quiet act of service, someone rediscovering the habit of reading the Bible, or those who in sickness or in other struggles have persevered and clung to Christ in hope. I give thanks to God for all these signs of grace, only some of which I see, but all of which God sees and delights in, and uses for his purposes. That said, numbers can help us see patterns, give thanks for God’s work and identify where attention is needed.
There is much to encourage us from the first six months of the year. More people are gathering on Sundays, newcomers are becoming part of our church family, children and young people are growing in faith and service, many across the church are engaging deeply with God’s word, and people who have faced sickness, grief or other struggles have continued to cling to Christ with hope. Alongside those encouragements, there are areas that need our attention and prayer: the uneven growth across our congregations and children’s and youth ministries, the challenge of helping visitors become established members, the need to sustain regular financial giving, and the development of a renewed process for giving to Mission and Aid.
Growing in our delight in God
Our most important activity as a church is gathering around God’s word, responding in prayer and praise, and encouraging one another to trust and follow Jesus.
Average total Sunday attendance from January to June was 334 adults, youth and children, compared with approximately 306 during the same period in 2025. This represents an increase of around 29 people each Sunday, or 9.3%.
Sunday service | 2026 average | 2025 average | Change |
8:30am* | 51 | 37 | +38% |
10:30am* | 173 | 153 | +13% |
5:00pm* | 67 | 58 | +15% |
6:45pm* | 73 | 72 | +0% |
Total Sunday attendance | 334 | 306 | +9% |
Each congregation has its own particular encouragements.
The 8:30am congregation has experienced the strongest proportional growth. It continues to provide a rich traditional and liturgical service, while also attracting a small but growing number of younger adults and people from other congregations who value the earlier service time.
The 10:30am congregation has grown substantially, with new individuals and families beginning to settle. Its Together Time and Targeted Time structure is now well established, enabling adults, youth and children to worship and learn together through all-ages friendly teaching before receiving specific age-targeted teaching.
The 5:00pm congregation has grown overall, although attendance remains variable and is particularly affected by holidays and travel. Kingdom Conversations, shared suppers and Dinner Church have provided effective opportunities for invitation, deeper fellowship and engagement with matters of faith.
Attendance at 6:45pm is broadly level with last year, although there are encouraging signs beneath the headline figure: new young adults are joining, serving and entering small groups, and regular members are increasingly inviting friends. Dinner Church has also generated strong participation and energy.
A second key headline number is the 624 people (445 adults and 179 kids) in four congregations and principal children’s and youth ministries. Considerable work has been done during the first half of the year to tidy and update the database (Elvanto) so that people are recorded in the appropriate ministries. The figure of 624 should therefore be understood as a new line in the sand rather than as a direct comparison with earlier totals. It represents the current size of the wider St Andrew’s community: the people who are gathering with us, connected to our ministries and receiving Bible teaching. It will provide a more reliable baseline from which to measure future movement, belonging and growth.
During the first half of the year, our Sunday preaching moved through Mark’s Gospel and then into Isaiah. Both series were accompanied by small-group studies and Monday-to-Friday Bible reading plans. The Lent series through Mark generated particularly strong engagement, including testimonies from people who had begun a regular Bible-reading habit for the first time. Engagement with the Isaiah material has settled at around 70 daily readers, which remains a significant encouragement given the length and complexity of the book.
Our two Prayer and Praise nights were also encouraging, with more than 60 people attending in March and another strong gathering in June. These evenings are becoming an important part of our shared life as we step away from activity to delight in God, thank him and seek his help together.
Growing in love for one another
Throughout the first six months, there has been a visible strengthening of our culture of welcome and belonging.
Belonging Lunches, Newish Dinner, Friends for Lunch, congregation lunches, extended morning teas, suppers in homes, Dinner Church and social events have all created opportunities for relationships to deepen. More importantly, members across our congregations appear increasingly intentional about introducing themselves to newcomers, including them in conversation and helping them take a next step.
The March Belonging Lunch helped 4 people become established as members. In May, the Belonging Lunch and Newish Dinner together welcomed 13 new members into the life of the church.
Our young adults ministry has also been an encouragement. The Young Adults Weekend Away helped strengthen relationships among 18–28-year-olds, while informal meals and social gatherings after church have continued to build friendship, welcome newcomers and create a growing sense of shared life and belonging.
Growing in maturity
By June, approximately 242 people across 23 groups were connected to a small group—around 51% of the relevant adult membership base. Small groups continue to be one of the principal settings in which people study the Bible, pray, receive pastoral care and support one another in Christian life. Therefore we aim to increase those in and attending small groups in the second half of the year.
Other signs of maturity and shared life have included the monthly Third Age ministry, training for small-group leaders and public Bible readers, growing lay participation in services, and the generous response to the June working bee. The willingness of people to serve, adapt and work together has been especially important while the hall redevelopment limits the space available for ministry.
Growing the next generation
There is much to thank God for in our ministry among children and young people, although the overall picture is mixed.
Ministry | 2026 average | 2025 average | Change |
Playgroup | 36 | 36 | −1% |
Xtreme | 13 | 20 | −34% |
REVIVE Fridays | 59 | 56 | +5% |
StAR Kids, 10:30am | 45 | 38 | +20% |
Youth, 10:30am | 14 | 3 | +323% |
Youth, 6:45pm | 13 | 9 | +47% |
The strongest growth has occurred in our Sunday children’s and youth ministries. StAR Kids has grown by nearly 20%, while the youth groups connected to the 10:30am and 6:45pm services have grown substantially. REVIVE Friday nights has also grown modestly and continues to welcome young people from outside the church.
Summer Camp began the year with 54 young people and 18 leaders, and 2 teenagers made professions of faith. During February and March, REVIVE welcomed a significant number of first-time visitors, including young people previously known through SRE and Xtreme.
HUB Holiday Program was another significant highlight. Twenty-one HUB families attended HUB Sunday, including 13 families who do not normally attend church. The participation of church families in welcoming and connecting with these visitors was particularly encouraging.
There are also challenges. Playgroup attendance is stable rather than growing, REVIVE has plateaued somewhat, and Xtreme attendance has fallen substantially. Friday-night sport, school activities, winter weather and the limitations of our present facilities all contribute. Nevertheless, these figures invite us to consider how we can strengthen the pathway from SRE and church families into Xtreme, and from Xtreme into REVIVE, rather than simply waiting for the new hall to solve these issues.
Growing Through Outreach
The first half of the year contained many opportunities to make Jesus known.
Our Easter services welcomed approximately 110 new people and visitors, with six continuing to attend afterwards. On Maundy Thursday, a team from St Andrew’s gave away 600 hot cross buns at Roseville Station, offering a simple expression of generosity and an opportunity to connect with our local community.
The March Trivia Night brought around 107 people into the church for an enjoyable evening of community and connection. REVIVE mission nights welcomed 17 first-time visitors, as well as another 14 students attending in connection with a school Christian studies assignment. Kingdom Conversations at 5:00pm brought friends, neighbours, spouses and other visitors into thoughtful engagement with Christian faith.
One ongoing challenge is helping visitors move from occasional attendance to regular belonging and faith in Christ. Events can create an opportunity, but conversion and integration usually happen through personal relationships, invitations, follow-up and patient conversations. This will remain a key focus for the second half of the year, including our August guest services and the 321 follow-up course.
Growing our Capacity for Ministry
Communications
During the first half of the year, we also developed a new-look weekly email. It uses stronger photographs and a clearer layout to communicate the life, warmth and breadth of the St Andrew’s community. Following testing and feedback, the design has been refined so that it works effectively on both laptops and mobile devices, making church news, ministry updates and opportunities for prayer and participation easier to access. In the second half of the year we plan to review and update our website.
Staffing
The staff team is working well together. There is a growing clarity around our shared vision and around the particular responsibilities of Belonging, Maturity, Outreach, and Kids’ and Youth Ministry. Staff members are supporting one another, planning collaboratively and continuing to adapt to the pressures created by the building project and changing ministry needs.
There has, however, been particular pressure on Mel Bell, our Assistant Minister for Kids and Youth, and on her volunteer leaders. Beth Boyd finished as our Youth MTS trainee in May, while Indira Ryan’s staged return from maternity leave has progressed more slowly than originally anticipated. Although Indira’s return is greatly valued, the slower increase in her hours and the loss of Beth have created additional youth ministry, supervision and management responsibilities for Mel. I am grateful for Mel’s capable and sustained leadership through this period.
Finances
Financially, the church remains in a sound position, although there are some important qualifications.
At 30 June, general offertory was $429,597, almost exactly on the year-to-date budget of $429,000. May and June included several larger one-off gifts, so regular monthly giving still needs to average approximately $71,500 for the remainder of the year.
Financial measure to 30 June | Actual | Budget | Variance |
General offertory | $429,597 | $429,000 | +$597 |
Total operating income | $448,811 | $443,202 | +$5,609 |
Total expenses | $426,874 | $398,568 | $28,306 above budget |
Net result excluding DGRs | $25,568 surplus | $44,634 surplus | $19,066 below budget |
The expense variance requires explanation. Staffing is currently modestly above budget, largely because of a January adjustment associated with the former interim Senior Minister’s departure, although full-year staffing costs are expected to finish broadly on budget. Ministry and running costs are presently below budget, but some of this is timing-related. Repairs and maintenance are significantly above budget because of major works at the Dudley Avenue property, funded through the relevant sinking-fund provision. Mission and Aid expenditure is also above budget following an additional Parish Council-approved payment to meet 2025 commitments.
The number of regular giving units has declined despite attendance growth. Across the first six months of 2026, St Andrew’s averaged 124 giving units per month, compared with 131 over the same period in 2025—a reduction of around 7 giving units, or 5%. This means that a relatively smaller group is carrying more of the church’s financial responsibility. Parish Council has therefore begun considering how we can teach and encourage generosity more thoughtfully, including introducing a possible annual pledging process for 2027.
Hall Development
The Hall Development has made substantial visible progress. All concrete structural work has been poured, the roof replacement over the existing hall has been completed, and internal linings and services are progressing. Wet weather and structural-steel design issues have delayed parts of the program, and practical completion is now being targeted for around mid-January 2027.
The current forecast project cost is approximately $5.443 million excluding GST, including $162,000 for audio-visual works. Payments of approximately $1.736 million had been made by the July reporting date. On the current forecast, available and anticipated project funds are expected to cover remaining costs without drawing on the approved SAL loan, although costs and outstanding pledges will continue to be monitored closely.
Looking Ahead
We enter the second half of the year with much for which to thank God.
We are welcoming more people on Sundays. Newcomers are becoming part of our church family. Children and young people are hearing the good news of Jesus and learning to serve. Many are developing deeper habits of Bible reading, prayer and fellowship. Members are inviting friends and taking greater responsibility for ministry.
At the same time, growth brings responsibility. We need to help visitors become disciples, strengthen the congregations and ministries that have plateaued, support our staff through periods of additional pressure, invest in children and youth pathways, widen participation in small groups and service, maintain sustainable giving, relaunch Mission and Aid well, and prepare for the opportunities the completed hall will bring.
As we do so, we remember that it is God who gives the growth. Our task is to remain faithful: prayerfully proclaiming Christ, loving one another, serving generously and inviting others to share the life we have found in him.
A Story of Growth
Perhaps one story captures something of what lies behind all these numbers. Sam (not his real name), a young man who lives locally, has experienced significant trauma in his life. In the midst of this, he began turning towards God. He found St Andrew’s online and then, one weekday, came into the church office looking for help in exploring faith.
Sam has now begun meeting regularly with Scott to read through Mark’s Gospel and to consider who Jesus is and what it means to follow him. His story is still unfolding, and we pray that he will come to trust Christ as Lord and Saviour. It is a reminder that behind every statistic is a person, and that God is at work in ways we may not see or plan. God gives the growth!
Please join me in thanking God for his kindness during these first six months, and in praying that during the remainder of 2026 he will continue to grow disciples of Jesus Christ through Belonging, Maturity and Outreach.
Finally, I am deeply thankful for the whole St Andrew’s church family. Over an eighteen-month period of significant change, you have responded with patience, grace and a tangible warmth towards one another. This harmonious spirit, expressed week by week in welcome, care, prayer and practical service, has been a great blessing and is not something I take for granted or value lightly. Thank you to our Wardens and Parish Council for their faithful leadership and governance; to our staff team for their hard work, prayer and partnership in the gospel; to the many volunteers who serve so generously across every area of church life; and to all who give faithfully and sacrificially to support the ministry of St Andrew’s. Your faithfulness, service and generosity are a significant part of the way God is growing his church among us.
Blessings,
James
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