On January 11th, Hugh Willis took up citizenship in Heaven. The funeral service at City Impact Church, attended by over 700 people, was a celebration of his life and a testament to his faith. Many more watched the service online, ‘zooming in’ from the Elevate branches nationwide and from overseas. There’s a lot to say […]
Large Christian-led Events & Accessibility
July 30, 2024
Gathering together is a core part of the Body of Christ; we sharpen each other, encourage each other, and learn together. Across Aotearoa, groups gather with one thing in common: Christ. Two significant gatherings Elevate has loved having connections to are Northern Eastern Camp and Festival One. Festival One is an intergenerational Christian festival […]
Hamish Muir
July 30, 2024
“A security guard” is a role that would never aptly capture the incredible character of Hamish Muir; an entire magazine and fifty volunteer role titles may do his contributions to Elevate some justice. Hamish would strike you as a hilarious, well-respected, and beloved man. The beginnings of his involvement with Elevate were hesitant – to […]
The Leadership of Ross Bay
July 30, 2024
Ross Bay was “born very young,”; and laughter will cause your sides to hurt when you spend time with him. Immersed in family and Christian camping from a young age, you would have found Ross as a young boy in Nelson on his family’s home farm; otherwise known now as Teapot Valley Christian Camp. During […]
New Zealand Sign Language Resources
May 30, 2024
New Zealand Sign Language is one of our three official languages in Aotearoa, New Zealand, along with te reo Māori and English. Learn NZSL in your home, with your friends and family! These resources are available thanks to Deaf Aotearoa, Learn NZSL and the NZSL Online Dictionary. Ka taea e koe! You can do it! […]
Through the Eyes of One with Autism
March 24, 2024
Leslie Schwass tells here about her 35 year old son’s battle to overcome the effects of autism.” Matthew came in at 5.5 lbs, five weeks early. At three months he reacted to the immunisation injection, and then failed to develop at normal milestone pace. He was diagnosed with a host of problems, but chiefly brain […]
Best Christmas Gift
March 23, 2024
The best Christmas gift I ever got was both early and late. My first born child came into this world on December 16th, nine days before Christmas. He was supposed to be a Thanksgiving baby however, so when my wife went into labour three weeks late he had to be delivered by an emergency Caesarean […]
Autistic, Whole and Loved
March 22, 2024
A poem written by Emma Cox Autism. Diagnosed at 4 Or “Asperger’s Syndrome” as it was called back then Growing up, struggling with shame There’s no way I could have a label like THAT!? I thought “Unable to build proper relationships “Fixated” “Obsessed” “Unempathetic” “Intense” “No imagination” But I love people! But I […]
Ask Why Is This Happening
March 21, 2024
He’s a danger to the others,” they said. “He’s aggressive.” “He should be removed from the group.” “He has rages.” The topic under discussion was the little boy with Down Syndrome. “He’s a danger to the others,” they said. “He’s aggressive.” “He should be removed from the group.” “He has rages.” This did not tie […]
Book Review: A Place Where I Belong
March 19, 2024
By Manuele Teofilo If you’re looking for an informative and insightful book on neurodiversity, then A Place Where I Belong by Staci McLean is for you. She is an author, a speaker and the mother of a neurodivergent child. McLean is also the founder and director of The Neurocollective NZ, creating places where we ALL […]