Glendowie Christian Kindergarten

GCK for website

Glendowie Christian Kindergarten is run by an independent trust that is closely linked to our church.

Glendowie Christian kindergarten was opened in 1996 by a group of visionaries in order to provide high quality early childhood education and care within a Christian environment.  Today it is a happy and busy centre where children benefit from the small group sizes and high teacher/child ratios, ensuring maximum direct contact time with adults, and minimum competition for resources and time.  All of these factors together ensure that children attending this centre receive a quality early childhood education.

Enquiries can be directed to Karen on 09 575 2971 or visit www.gck.org.nz

About GCK

GCK provides quality care and education for your child in the context of Christian principles.

GCK provides a programme of play and learning designed to encourage your child to gain the most from their early childhood years in a fun, warm and caring environment.  Your child can begin at GCK between 2½ and 3 years of age depending on the availability of places.

They may then stay with us until 5, working their way through to our specially designed ‘Focus Fun Club’ programme for children over 4.  Here your child can take their first steps towards independence in a safe and supportive environment, and learn about friendship and companionship with others.

All of our teachers are fully trained and registered and we have three teachers each day.  

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello 

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 9.30am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team who will be wearing a Welcome lanyard.

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits after our service. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer.

Our Service

The main service begins at 9.30am with a warm welcome from one of our team members. Then follows a time of sung worship, led by our band. We typically have 2 or 3 songs lasting approximately 20 minutes. Sometimes a person might pray out loud or read a small passage from the bible. One of our leaders will give a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song. There is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service.

images: Services

What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

GPC Kids for children from birth to age 11 (School Year 6)
Young people aged 11+ meet together in the "Kauri Group" on Sunday mornings.  This is made up of Transformers (School Years 7 & 8) and GPC Youth (School years 9+).  

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and notices. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the notices someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go into our church lounge for GPC Kids/ GPC Youth.  You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy. Whilst you are dropping your kids off at their groups, we pause to take time to chat to someone sitting near or next to us, giving folk a chance to come back before the sermon begins.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Children

Getting Connected


Small Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team. 

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

  • Men's Ministries
  • Women's Ministries
  • Music Team Ministry
We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.