Windsor: Quarter One
25.03.25

Looking back on the first quarter of 2025, and ahead as we prepare for the year to come.

An Update from Senior Pastor, Grant Harris:

In December 2024, I wrote about our hopes and dreams for 2025. Now that we’re coming up to the end of the first quarter of 2025, here’s a quick update on how we’re tracking so far.

Staffing

I talked about increasing our staff team with Pastor Aidan Wivell coming into our pastoral leadership team in a fulltime capacity. That’s now a reality, and we’re loving having Aidan on board full-time. Pastor Holly Walton also began as our new Pastor of Church Care, and it’s been a joy to welcome Holly to the team. In addition, we’ve welcomed Melissa Philpot to our kid’s ministry team. We’re blessed with a fantastic team, committed to serving Windsor and growing our faith community.

See Our Full Team Here

Budget

I talked about our budget and the need to increase our giving target by 12% in 2025. A big thanks to those who have reviewed their giving and have either increased that or have started giving. We’re tracking well for the first two months, but we’ve also encountered some unexpected costs: We needed to revalue our property assets for insurance purposes, and this resulted in an extra premium of $8k, increasing our insurance premium for this year to $84k. Yikes. Like our homes, we’ve seen big premium increases in recent years. Large aging buildings = higher insurance costs. Our plumber recently told us that it’s probably our prayers that are holding our main water intake pipe together. It’s around 50 years old and is at the end of its working life. Of course, running off this pipe is a lot of other pipes taking water, everywhere. The rectification cost is $20k, plus shutting down our main site for 6 days! Yikes again. Another significant challenge.

Learn About Giving Here

Bibles

As you may recall, last year we ordered our 4th order of 1,000 ‘Windsor Bibles’ – demand has been strong in recent years! It’s something very significant. At the end of 2024 we raised 50% of the cost to place the order. That means for delivery we need to raise funds for 500 more Bibles at $15 each. Jo and I will personally sponsor 10 of these, as we love investing in making God’s Word accessible. We’re deeply grateful for your continued generosity. If you’d like to contribute to any of these needs, now is a great time, given the end of the charitable giving financial year on March 31st, as you’ll receive a 1/3rd tax credit (subject to IRD criteria). Of course, this applies to any giving, so again, thanks for your consideration and support. You can give to our church here.

Donate Towards Our Bible Appeal

We’re deeply grateful for your continued generosity. If you’d like to contribute to any of these needs, now is a great time, given the end of the charitable giving financial year on March 31st, as you’ll receive a 1/3rd tax credit (subject to IRD criteria). Of course, this applies to any giving, so again, thanks for your consideration and support.

Giving at Windsor

Update Your Details

We send our receipts for charitable donations to you by email in mid-April.

If your email address has changed or if you’d like to double-check your details, please reach out to us at info@windsorpark.org.nz.

Kids & Intermediates Ministries

One of the last vestiges of pre-COVID times returned last month with our kid’s ministries resuming in the 2nd morning service. This service has room to grow, and I love seeing the new energy it brings. We’ve taken the first step, and we know it will grow over time. Big thanks to our volunteers who have adapted and embraced this change.

AGM

We’d love to see you at our Annual General Meeting on Sunday 4th May 2025, at 12:30 PM in the auditorium. As well as presenting our 2024 Annual Report, we’ll talk about the next stage of our site redevelopment plan that has been trickling along in the background over the past year. As you can see from our property updates, this redevelopment is crucial for future generations!

A Good Story

Let me finish with a good story that so many of you are involved in. Back in 2021 we set some strategic objectives that we’re working on through to the end of 2026. One of them was seeing an increase in the number and participation level of Life Groups. It seemed ambitious to dream of having 50 groups by the end of 2026, but here we are at the start of 2025 with 45. We aren’t about numbers, but this means that so many of you are benefiting from deeper relationships and interactive discipleship. This truly warms my heart, as we know that real discipleship and deep care happen best in smaller communities. Great stuff!

If you have any questions or would like to contribute to any of these discussions, feel free to flick me an email at grant.harris@windsorpark.org.nz

Yours in His service,

Grant Harris
Senior Pastor

Open Hands, Open Doors
10.12.24

Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond at Windsor Park Baptist Church.

2025: Embracing the NOW

Growing Together: Our 2025 Budget
In 2025, we are called to respond to two significant needs - one visionary and one practical.

Welcoming Aidan Wivell Full-Time

We are thrilled to announce that Aidan Wivell, who has served part-time while completing pastoral leadership studies, will join our pastoral team full-time in 2025! Aidan will continue investing in our young adults while taking on a vital role in developing and supporting Windsor’s teaching and preaching ministries. His energy and insights will enrich our community, and your support will ensure his ministry thrives.

See Our Full Staff Team

Maintaining Our Space for Ministry

On the practical side, rising insurance costs (now $79,000 annually – yikes!) and essential repairs for our aging property require our attention. These are less glamorous needs, but as the 2023 floods have demonstrated – they are much needed, and they are crucial for stewarding our building well, and for providing a safe and welcoming space for all who walk through our doors. To meet these budget goals, we need to increase our personal giving by 12% compared to what we’ve achieved in 2024. This is a step of faith, but it’s also a reflection of our commitment to God’s work here at Windsor. If you’re able to increase your giving, or start giving, thank you. Every contribution matters.

Giving at Windsor

Expanding our Kids’ Ministries

For nearly five years since the start of the Covid season, we’ve been waiting for the right moment to bring back kids’ ministries to our 10.45am service. With our 9am kids programme full to the brim, that moment is here! Starting from Sunday, February 16th 2025, we’ll be reintroducing pre, primary and intermediate programmes to this service. This is more than just filling a gap - it’s also a chance to open our doors wider and create a space where all generations worship and grow together. To make this vision a reality, we need your prayers, participation (coming along to the 10.45am service and volunteering in it), and invitations to friends and neighbours to come along to church. It’s not about the numbers game, it’s about seeing people in our community encountering Jesus and being transformed by His love, peace and goodness. If you’re willing to use your skills and talents to serve at this service, you can sign up to volunteer, or find out more about serving below:

Volunteer Opportunities

2025+: Building the FUTURE

Redeveloping Our Site

While we seek to care for and steward well a now 50+ year-old purpose-designed pub that has been converted to a church, we’re continuing to look to the horizon and pursue a due diligence process around redevelopment of our site that will provide excellent facilities for the benefit of the next generation of leaders, and those that come after them. While we’ve been on this journey for a few years now, we know it’s a complex and significant project, particularly during a time when the economy hasn’t provided the stimulus we need for such an undertaking. Of course, this means it’s the best time to be doing due diligence as when conditions are more favourable, we’ll be better placed to make sound decisions. We’ll continue with due diligence during 2025 with support from our external consultants, Strategic Property, and will report back as the project inches along towards its goal.

Growing the Endowment Fund

Last year we established the Windsor Endowment Fund - a future-focused initiative to sustain our mission for generations to come. Our endowment fund has for the most part been built up through legacy giving, however this year we received our first ‘live’ donation from folks who believe in what an endowment can achieve in the long term. With $70,000 already in the fund, we’re dreaming big: Could we grow it to $500,000 or even $1 million? In 2025, we’ll share more about this opportunity, and encourage you to consider how you might contribute, either now or through legacy giving. This fund represents a lasting investment in God’s work through Windsor.

Find Out More

Moving Forward Together

These goals are ambitious, but they are rooted in faith and our shared vision of building God’s kingdom. As we journey together, I invite you to pray, reflect, and take part in what God is doing through Windsor Park Baptist Church - whether by giving, serving, inviting others, or sharing your ideas.

Thank you for being part of this community and for the many ways you contribute to its life and mission. I look forward to seeing how God works through all of us in 2025 and beyond.
Yours on the journey,

Grant Harris
Senior Pastor
Windsor Park Baptist Church