Each year in November, our Chairperson and Director write a letter to everyone involved in Elevate Christian Disability Trust. This year’s letters are written by our director, Kirsty Armitage, and our interim chairperson, Vanessa Creamer, in light of the passing of our chairperson in 2025, David Senior.
This year the director’s and chairperson’s letters are accompanied by an Impact Report. This report is designed to share a snapshot of the impact the ministry is having in Aotearoa, New Zealand, to encourage us all as we give to the ministry, serve in various areas of the ministry, and take part in groups or events across the country.
We hope you are encouraged by the Impact Report and enjoy reading the letters from our director and our chairperson.
Letter from the Director, Kirsty Armitage
Plain text version.
As I reflect on the past 12 months, this well-known Māori proverb comes to mind.
Ui mai ki ahau, ‘He aha te mea nui o te Ao?’
Māku e kī atu, ‘He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.’
If you were to ask me, ‘What is the most important thing in the world?’
I would reply, ‘It is people, it is people, it is people.’
So, I will start with a thank you to our people. Thank you to all the people who were involved in the mahi (work) of Elevate Christian Disability Trust over this 12-month period. The people who volunteered their time and skills. The people who donated. The people who prayed. The people who came to meetings, events and camps. The people who engaged with our resources and training. Our trustees and staff. Ngā mihi nui ki a koe (thank you all).
Contribution has always been an important aspect of our organisation that we encourage and create opportunity for. The past year, over 341 volunteers helped to see people with disability and their whānau (family), leading, contributing, growing and belonging in Christian community, and wider society.
Approximately 99 volunteers ran meetings in 16 regions around Aotearoa, New Zealand. Around 125 people volunteered at our camps. Twenty-one people contributed towards writing devotions and articles. Seventeen people contributed to developing a new resource ‘Can I Come Too’, for Christian campsites.
Many of our volunteer leaders have been long-serving and are committed to fostering spaces of belonging in their local communities or at our events. They continue to create opportunities for growth, connection, and contribution. Of the volunteer leaders throughout our organisation, 28 have a disability or have a family member with disability.
This past year we saw an estimated 725 people directly impacted through attending an Elevate Christian Disability Trust event or meeting. Around 465 people attended camps and retreats. Fifty people regularly attended our Auckland Drop-in Programme each week. An average of 22 people regularly attended our Joy Ministries and CFFD meetings. Five to seven women gathered monthly for Emmanuel Support’s ladies coffee group.
Working with other organisations to see people with disability leading, contributing, growing and belonging in Christian communities is a privilege and joy. Two partnerships to highlight were partnering again with Festival One to run The Soul Lounge area for over 35 people and with Children’s Bible Ministries to bring children’s disability ministry training to seven international students.
Towards the end of 2024, we completed a review of all our activities. Thank you to all of you who contributed to this process. The review gave good clarity for how each event, ministry group, programme, and activity outworks our vision. It has also highlighted key areas of opportunity for us to grow and expand our impact.
As we work to strengthen and grow our organisation, the heart of what we do continues to be seeing people with disabilities and their whānau (families) in genuine connection with God and others.
Thank you again to all of you who pray, volunteer, donate, lead and contribute. You enable us to continue to do this important mahi (work).
Ngā mihi nui,
Kirsty Armitage
Director
Letter from the Interim Chairperson, Vanessa Creamer
The plain text version will be released mid-November 2025. Thank you for your patience.
Elevate Christian Disability Trust Impact Report 2025
Plain text version. The PDF version will be released mid-November 2025. Thank you for your patience.
For the year ended 30 June 2025.
Vision and Values
Our vision is to see people with disabilities and their whānau (family), leading, contributing, growing and belonging in Christian communities and wider society.
Respect – We treat each other with kindness and equal importance.
Welcome – We are warm and friendly to all people.
Come Alongside – We share our knowledge and encourage each other.
Serve – We look for ways to help each other.
Our Team
Staff
Alison Roberts
Christine Laycock
Ella Lander
Jacqui Sua
Kirsty Armitage
Kathie Pace
Sarah Houston
Teremoana Va’a
Trustees
Alan Pace
Di Willis
John Hawkins
Nick Abplanalp
Olivia Shivas
Vanessa Creamer
Young man and his helper at camp going down a waterslide on a sunny day
Our Ministries
Local fellowship groups operate throughout the country under four different brands.
Christian Fellowship for the Disabled – With a focus on people with physical disabilities.
Joy Ministries – With a focus on people with cognitive disabilities.
Emmanuel Support – With a focus on supporting parents and caregivers of families affected by disability.
Drop-in Centre – With a focus on fellowship between people with disabilities, operating out of the National Support Office.
Main Sources of Cash and Resources
12.7% Revenue from provision of goods and services (e.g. camps and activity fees).
72.5% Donations
13.1% Ministry of Social Development Funding.
1.7% Bank Interest.
Our Impact Together
We hope this data is an encouragement that we continue to strive towards our vision together. Aggregate data is presented.
725 people directly impacted by an Elevate Christian Disability Trust event or meeting.
341 volunteers are helping to see people with disabilities leading, contributing, growing and belonging.
125 people volunteered at camps.
465 people attended camps or retreats.
50 people on average attended each Emmanuel Support retreat.
38 people with disabilities contributed to new resources for the Christian community.
22 people on average regularly attended each CFFD and Joy Ministry group (large variation by region).
28 people with disabilities and their whānau hold leadership roles within Elevate.
50 people regularly attend the Auckland Drop-in centre each week.
35 people with disabilities were supported through the Soul Lounge at Festival One.
99 volunteers ran meetings in 16 regions around Aotearoa, NZ.
Group photo at CFFD Auckland Camp
A Snapshot of Two Ministry Groups
What did you do at your last Ministry group event?
We shared something encouraging/learned something together.
We discussed challenges in life.
We did praise and worship together, ate food together, and got to serve each other in some way.
People with disability are leading.
What has your group been involved in since your last meeting within your local community?
People in our ministry showed positive leadership in their community or family outside of our group events.
People in our ministry shared at a church or event about their experience with disability or disability awareness.
People in our ministry volunteered their time at other groups or causes outside of our group.
These are only two responses from a one-off survey. This is not representative of all ministry groups, it is merely a snapshot of two groups’ experiences. Please note, the responses to the question regarding the local community are not all true for all people in the group, only some.
Quotes from Two Attendees
“It felt like the place I belonged.” – CFFD Wellington Attendee
“I like the worship, and I really like talking with the other people.” – Jiaea, Drop-in Centre Volunteer
Young woman at an Elevate Camp balancing ping pong balls on a large flat bat
Elevate Christian Disability Trust Contact Information
Donate: https://elevate.org.nz/support-us/
Postal Address: Elevate Christian Disability Trust, PO Box 13 322, Onehunga, Auckland, 1643
Office Address: 173 Mount Smart Road, Onehunga, Auckland, 1061
Phone: 09 636 4763
Website: www.elevate.org.nz
Facebook: @elevatechristiandisabilitytrust
Instagram: @elevatechristiandisabilitynz
Email: hello@elevate.org.nz