About Us
Mission Statement
Calvin Community Church strives to be a church family that is connected to each other, reaches out beyond our walls,
and grows together to follow Jesus' example of love.
Loving God by engaging in worship; following God's word; staying connected; and recognising that God is our provider.
Loving people wherever you are, wherever you go; everyone's welcome; culturally relevant; quality relationships.
Making disciples by sharing our faith; come as you are but don't stay that way; be the Body to one-another.
We believe in…
One sovereign God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
The divine inspiration of Holy Scripture, and its supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct
Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God— conceived of the Holy Spirit, became man, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, rose bodily from the dead, is now exalted at the right hand of the Father.
The sinfulness of all human beings, and our individual need for salvation.
The loving grace of God, to be received through faith in Jesus
The need for the Holy Spirit to bring us to repentance, faith, and new life, and to transform and empower us.
The universal Church, the body of Christ, to which all true believers belong.
The call to all believers to live a holy life, in obedience to God.
The responsibility of the Church to proclaim the good news of Christ to a lost world, and to serve others in His name.
The return of Jesus, and in eternal life for all who belong to Him.
Our Staff
Calvin Community Church is led by Elders with Ken Williams as our Lead Minister. Our Elders are men and women who have been appointed to this role with gifts of wisdom, vision and discernment. Their task is to oversee and develop the vision and direction of the church – essentially to guide and guard our DNA. They use their gifts to ensure the church is striving to be all God intended for the body of Christ to be! The Elders also have a pastoral role and provide counsel and care to the church.
At Calvin we attempt to operate as a community of collaborative leadership. Our Elders, Deacons and Staff all work closely as we seek to fulfill our mission of Making Christ known by Loving God, Loving People and Making Disciples. In 2018 we developed a Campfire Statement which is currently giving us a clear focus and something to aspire to. Our hope is that you might join with us to enable this to become a reality.
Elders
Jenny Buchanan, Andrew Dodds (Session Clerk), Allan Grace, Abby Kerr, Jennifer Longworth, Bronwyn McCall, Craig McKenzie, Alison Moore, Chris Parish, Ken Williams
Staff
Lead Minister - Rev. Ken Williams
Having grown up in Wanganui, Ken then trained as a Primary School teacher with a focus in outdoor education. He spent several years working in camping in Indiana, USA where he met his wife Jenny, who has a degree in Social Work.
Ken has been at Calvin since December 2010 and his major areas of focus at Calvin are Leadership, Encouragement and Vision. He is an Enabler, Equipper and Encourager. He is passionate about seeing people growing in faith and knowing Jesus Christ. Both Ken and Jenny see ‘family’ as a strong image of the church, and believe it is in healthy churches that people come to maturity.
An ordained Presbyterian minister, Ken has previously served in ministry in the Ruawai Cooperating Parish, Northland (1997–2000), the Wairau Presbyterian Parish in Marlborough (2000-2009) and the Talua Ministry Training Centre, Vanuatu (2009-2010). Ken is a keen sports fan and enjoys walking and tramping.
Ken and Jenny have six grown children, various in-laws and five grandchildren!
Youth Pastor - Jacob Esveld
Jacob is originally from the far north – Whangarei - but has embraced Southland as home. Along with his wife Lydia and three young boys they share a love of the outdoors and the amazing part of the world we live in. They share a passion for young people and seeing them live their life to the full! Discipleship, encouragement and worship are key areas in which Jacob uses his skills.
Youth Worker - Sarah Martyn
Sarah moved to Gore in 2019 after meeting her husband Josh. She has been working as a nurse for the past few years but is excited to be more involved in youth ministry. Sarah is passionate about teaching and encouraging young people in their faith.
Children's Worker - Mariska de Waal
Mariska and her family arrived in NZ just before lockdown in 2020. Working part-time as our children’s worker, being involved in the community, and raising their two children is keeping Mariska busy.
Pastoral Care Co-ordinator - Lyn Dodds
I was brought up in a Christian home and remember when God answered my prayers when I was about seven years old. I don’t know where I would be if God had not intervened many times. In 1980 God healed me of “marked degeneration of the spine”. I was in a back brace for three years during my high school years and the doctors were talking about an operation but God intervened. I went on to work in a furniture shop, lifting furniture! My hearts desire was to become a nurse and I graduated in 2005. I’ve worked in Gore Community Mental Health for 14 years, specialising in the elderly, but I knew that was coming to a close, hence the change in direction, becoming Calvin’s Pastoral Care Co-ordinator. My husband Andrew and I have attended Calvin for almost 40 years, raising our two children in the church. They are both now married, and we have two granddaughters. My hobbies include biking, reading, baking, cooking, gardening and getting away in the caravan. I love encouraging people into a deeper relationship with their heavenly Father.
Administration - Nicola Russell
Nicola works part-time in the Calvin office. Outside of work she is involved in various musical activities, and she and husband Peter like to catch up with friends and family in Dunedin.
Deacons
Merle Barnett (Chairperson), Susan Clutterbuck, Stephen Gray, Murray Hasler, John Kerse (Acting Treasurer), Shayna McArley, Mervyn Morton, Nicola Willetts, Ken Williams
Join Us
You are welcome at any service
9.15 am
A traditional style of service with hymns
10.30 am
A family-friendly, relaxed style of worship and includes children's programmes
What to expect
Turning up at Calvin
There is plenty of parking along Robertson Street and at the back of the church. Simply turn up a bit before the service starts and someone will meet you at the door and show you to a seat. If you want to come and simply observe, that's ok - there will be no pressure to take part in any way.
The Fish Pond Café
This is a café which runs after the contemporary church service on some weeks. There is a small donation for food and coffee to ensure that the service can be maintained. This is a wonderful opportunity to sit, talk, and meet new people.
What about the kids?
Children are catered for with a children's programme which runs at the same time as the contemporary service - Little Rainbows (creche for those from 0 to 3 years old), Kids Church (fun programme for children between 3 1/2 years old and Year 6), and Fired Up (Years 7 to 10).